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The original
village of Utica grew along the north bank of the Illinois
River near the site of the Indian village Kaskaskia. However,
with the construction of the Illinois-Michigan Canal in the
1830s and the regular river flooding, businesses and
residents relocated closer to the new waterway. This area was
called North Utica, which is the proper, but little used,
name of the present village. With the completion of the I-M
Canal, North Utica began to grow through the exploitation of
such natural resources as clay, St. Peter's sand and
hydraulic limestone. Brick making also became an important
early industry of North Utica because of valuable clay and
sand deposits. The history of Utica and the surrounding region can be studied at the Utica Public Library located at Mill and Grove Streets and at the LaSalle County Historical Museum housed in a former I&M Canal warehouse located at Mill & Canal Streets, both in the heart of downtown Utica.
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