How Geography and the I & M Canal Shaped Illinois by Dr. Wayne Duerkes

Fox Valley Genealogical Society presents "How Geography and the I & M Canal Shaped Illinois" by Dr. Wayne Duerkes. How did the Illinois & Michigan Canal help shape the lives of nineteenth-century Illinois families? Join Dr. Duerkes for an engaging presentation on the canal's role in migration, settlement, commerce, and community growth during America's westward expansion. Discover how this remarkable waterway transformed northern Illinois and influenced the development of the young state.

Dr. Wayne Duerkes is a professional historian and author with over 30 years of experience in Illinois history, with an emphasis on the state’s northern tier and the Illinois & Michigan Canal in the nineteenth century. He is on the faculty at Illinois Valley Community College. He is on the Board of Directors for the Illinois State Historical Society. His first monograph is under contract with the University of Illinois Press concerning market development in north central Illinois in the Antebellum period and is in second review at the moment. He is also working on an updated history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal.

FVGS meetings are free and open to the public.