Abraham Lincoln’s connections to Ottawa were not limited to his 1858 debate with Stephen A. Douglas. He was also a staunch supporter of the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

Lincoln’s backing of the I&M Canal began in his earliest days in politics. As a first-term member of the Illinois House on Jan. 31, 1835, he voted for a measure to ensure the construction of the canal. The bill passed 40-12, 10 days later.

“Of course, the canal was discussed before Lincoln ever came to Illinois,” said Daniel Stowell, the former director and editor of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project in Springfield. “But he supported the internal improvements measures in Illinois, which included the canal. He likely recalled his experience on flatboats floating down to New Orleans, and realized the

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