Location
As originally planned by the Ordinance of 1787, the northern boundary of Illinois would have been what is now the northern line of LaSalle County. Nathaniel Pope, territorial delegate in 1818, recommended to Congress to move the boundary of Illinois 61 miles farther north, to give the state sufficient shore line on Lake Michigan for harbors.
Organization
LaSalle County was detached from Sangamon County and organized as a separate county by an act of the state legislature and approval by Gov. Reynolds on January 15, 1831.
The county was named in honor of that intrepid French explorer, Robert Cavalier, Sieur de LaSalle, who conceived the idea of establishing a great federation of the inland tribes to counteract the Iroquois Confederation farther east. He built Fort St. Louis at Starved Rock as a headquarters for controlling the Indian tribes and as a trading post for exchange of goods for furs. LaSalle County is divided into 37 townships for the convenience of local government.
Geology
When several sheets of glacial ice covered the county at different times they left sand, gravel, and various clays. This deposit of earthly material is known as glacial drift. This deposit in LaSalle County varies in depth from a few feet to 300 feet as is evidenced by the drilling of city wells at Mendota.
The last glacier, when melted, formed great shallow lakes where decayed vegetation accumulated and formed our rich soil. This soil is recognized as one of the most fertile soils found in large areas anywhere in the world.
Natural Resources of the County Coal – Bituminous (soft) coal of good quality underlined one-fourth of the county in veins from three to five feet thick and with a good roof.
Sand rock – The cliffs of St. Peters sand rock yield an abundant quantity of silica, the principal ingredient in making glass.
Gravel – The gravel deposits in the glacial drift provides excellent material for concrete work, for graveled roads and ballasting railroad tracks.
Limestone – Quarrying limestone for making cement is carried on throughout the county.
Lumber – Originally the forests on the county contained a great deal of timber. These forests contained walnut, oak, and elm trees five and six feet in diameter used for building large barns, houses, and so forth. Hickory, oak and ash furnished good materials for wagons and agricultural implements. Today the original forests are just a memory.
Education
In 1929 there were 242 one-room schools, 16 elementary village schools, 12 elementary city schools and 12 township high schools. These schools enrolled 17,399 pupils in 1927-29 housed in 314 buildings with an investment of nearly $6,000,000 a year to provide an opportunity to gain an education.
Source: W. R. Foster, Co-Superintendent, January 29,1929, Report to Teachers of Grammar Grade Profile
