The importance of the Illinois & Michigan (I&M) Canal lies in the fact that it in effect, connected the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River via the Illinois River.
The miniature 16-by-24-foot museum is filled with interesting artifacts that lend color to the daily lives of the canal toll collectors. On a shelf, you'll find a bugle and a conch shell, both used by boat captains to wake up the sleeping collector, whose rope bed was in the southwest corner of the building.
In 2009, a full-sized replica canal boat, previously featured in the film "Prairie Tides," was moved to the site. The barge is lined with boxes and crates symbolizing the 150-plus tons of cargo those boats hauled along the canal.
For more information, visit pickusottawail.com/attractions/im canal-toll-house.
--Cooter
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