Ronald Reagan & The I&M Canal
Celebrating 39 Years Of America's First National Heritage Area
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another edition of Canal Stories, a series brought to you by the Canal Corridor Association to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Illinois & Michigan Canal and the communities that were shaped by its legacy. The Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Area became America’s very first National Heritage Area almost 40 years ago today, shedding light on the rich history and national impact of the I&M Canal, but just who was responsible for bringing such a designation to life? Today, we’re celebrating the anniversary of the I&M Canal National Heritage Area with a salute to the man who made it possible, President Ronald Reagan. This story is brought to us by the Canal Corridor Association.
On August 24th, 1984, flanked by Governor James Thompson and Senator Charles Percy, President Ronald Reagan held a press conference in the Conrad Hilton Hotel Grand Ballroom in Chicago, where he signed the bill that established the I&M Canal National Heritage Area. Illinois civic and business leaders, along with state and local officials, who had worked long and hard for that moment, looked on. They knew the designation would provide national recognition for the historic I&M Canal, and would stimulate the revival of the rust-belt communities along the 96-mile waterway.
As a native son of Illinois, Reagan also recognized the historical, economic, and cultural significance of the I&M Canal communities. In his dedication speech, he referred to the just-created National Heritage Area designation as “a new kind of national park” that combined preservation, conservation, recreation, and economic development.
The 450-square-mile I&M Canal National Heritage Area threads together communities from Chicago to LaSalle-Peru, all bound by the hand-dug waterway that changed the face of the nation when it became the final link in America’s great water highway system of the 19th century. The creation of this National Heritage Area allowed interest groups of all kinds—from a variety of government entities, corporate CEOs, and economic development executives, to historic preservationists and environmentalists—to work toward a shared vision for the unique resources “in their own back yard.”
Now, nearly four decades after its creation, the I&M Canal National Heritage Area is indeed an economic engine for the state of Illinois. Once-struggling canal towns now thrive with quaint downtowns dotted with antique shops, mom-and-pop cafes, four-star restaurants, and B&Bs. With more than 80 miles of recreational trails and greenways, along with more than 60 natural, cultural, and historic sites to enjoy, the communities within the National Heritage Area are beloved by visitors and locals alike.
What’s more, with creation of the I&M Canal National Heritage Area, President Reagan helped launch a National Heritage Area movement that is still alive and well today. Designated by Congress, National Heritage Areas, of which there are now more than 60, are regions where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important stories. Unlike national parks, National Heritage Areas are made up of existing communities, not federally owned land, though a National Heritage Area may contain parks or other federally owned property within its boundaries.
As of 2022, National Heritage Areas have been integrated into an official system within the National Park Service. This system is made up of public-private partnerships, government agencies supporting local, non-government coordinating entities, with the local entity taking the lead in determining how to make the area’s heritage and stories relevant to local interests and needs, as well as to visitors from across the country and the globe.
Thank you to President Ronald Reagan for his belief in the importance of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and for helping to ensure its preservation for generations to come.
That concludes today’s Canal Story. Thank you so much for joining us as we continue our journey through the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, leave us a like or a comment, pass it along to your family and friends, and we’ll see you again very soon.