Illinois Landmarks Added to National Register of Historic Places

La Salle Downtown Commercial District

La Salle, La Salle County

Downtown LaSalle has retained its commercial buildings representing types and styles typical of 19th- and 20th-century business districts in smaller Illinois cities. Founded in 1837 as the terminus of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, LaSalle experienced rapid growth following the waterway’s completion in 1848 and the extension of railroad lines starting in the 1850s. Its role as a local transportation hub spurred industry and prosperity in the late 19th century. In the 1910s and ’20s, the downtown district expanded northward where a number of large, freestanding commercial and public buildings were erected. This period saw the arrival of department stores, chain stores, garages and automobile dealerships. Over the years, buildings were adapted to meet new uses, most notably in the 1930s and ’40s when casinos flourished throughout the town, which came to be known as “Little Reno.”