07/22/2026
Is this history's greatest shortcut?
On their return from the 1673 expedition that confirmed the Mississippi River flowed to the Gulf of Mexico, French explorers Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette were guided by members of the Kaskaskia people through what is now known as the Chicago Portage. There, they left the Illinois River and carried their canoe across a short stretch of marsh to the Chicago River, creating a much easier path back to Lake Michigan and Canada (see the map for their route).
Jolliet recognized an extraordinary possibility. If a canal could be cut through this land, boats could travel from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
It would take another 175 years before that vision became reality with the opening of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. But when it did, it transformed transportation, fueled the explosive growth of Chicago and reshaped the nation's economy.
Discover this story—and many more—in our NEW History of the I&M Canal exhibit at the I&M Canal Visitor Center.
Featuring 18 beautifully illustrated panels (one of which includes this map) by acclaimed artist and author Tom Willcockson, the exhibit brings to life the people, places and events that shaped one of America's most influential waterways.
📍 I&M Canal Visitor Center
754 First Street, La Salle, Illinois
🎟️ Admission is FREE. Visitor Center hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 8 am-3 pm
