BlockUtica, Illinois
21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1893 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Utica Township. It lies in ZIP code area 61373. It lies near Plum Island. The Survey maps it on the La Salle quadrangle.
On record in Utica
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Spring Valley House-Sulfur Springs Hotellisted 1987
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 21 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1893 USGS La Salle quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1893 USGS Lasalle quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1911 USGS La Salle quadrangle1:62500
- 1913 USGS La Salle quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
- 1947 USGS La Salle quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Aurora quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1961 USGS Aurora quadrangle1:250000
- 1966 USGS La Salle quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1985 USGS Kewanee quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1993 USGS La Salle quadrangle1:24000
In the county-history sources
1,633 words on this townshipHistory of LaSalle County, Illinois : Its Topography, Geology, Botany, Natural History, History of the Mound Builders, Indian Tribes, French Explorations, and a Sketch of the Pioneer Settlers of Each Town to 1840, with an Appendix, Giving the Present Status of the County, Its Population, Resources, Manufactures and Institutions, published 1877 names this settlement in its chapter on Utica Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
Utica embraces that part of T. 93, R. 2, which lies north of the Illinois river, being about half a township; the river, which is the southern boundary, running about due west, near the centre line of the town. There isa wide strip of bottom Iand between the bluff and the river, most of it very valuable for agriculture, but more so for the rich mineral wealth it contains. The beds of hydraulic lime which here lie near the surface, and are easily accessible, are the only ones found in the State, and the source of a large and valuable business.
This bottom land was the favorite resort of the Tilinois Indians, who occupied it in great numbers, and both savage and civilized men have ever regarded it as a point of attraction, for its beautiful scenery, its rich soil, and mineral wealth. Old Utica was a town on the river first occupied by Simon Crosiar, and when the business was all done by river boats, was 2 commercial point of some importance, the boats arriving and departing with ¢onsiderable regularity. It was regarded as the head of navigation, except at very high water when the boats ascended to Ottawa. 'But the building of the canal and the Rock Island Railroad, both along the foot of the bluff, on the opposite side of the valley, a mile distant, and the river boats all discharging at the basin at La Salle, dried up its sources of business, and it now stands like Goldsmith's deserted village. Instead of the panting of the river boat, its shrill note of arrival and departure, and the busy hum of the cheerful denizens of the embryo town on shore, Mong Its glades a solitary guest, 'The hollow sounding bittern guards its nest ; Sunk are its bowers in shapeless ruin all, And the rank woods o'ertop the crumbling wall."
But New Utica, a mile north, has taken its place, With the railroad and canal for transportation ; its large manofactare of hydraulic lime, and sewer and drain tile, and export of St, Peter's sand for the manufacture of glass, with the large shipment of grain from Utica township, Waltham, and other towns on both sides of the river, the young town may well anticipate a successful future. But while it exults in its own prosperity it should remember the changes and mutations which attend towns and cities, as well as men, and heave a sigh for the disappointed anticipations which once clustered around its older rival.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Utica Township - it names this place 10 more 10 times.
Fires near this place
38 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 38 fires within 5 miles of Utica between 2008 and 2019, burning about 306 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 18 |
| Debris and open burning | 12 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 September 2012 | Debris and open burning | 210 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | I&M |
| 28 August 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 1063 |
| 25 August 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 10118 |
| 2 August 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 1060 |
| 28 July 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 19-00089 |
| 2 June 2017 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 17-142 |
| 5 May 2014 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 14-0000062 |
| 4 May 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 1067 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 16 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 16 workings within 5 miles of Utica: 8 past producers, 7 producers, 1 plant. 8 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay, Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasalle City Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Unimin Utica Plant & Pit | Silica | Plant | ||
| Boehm No. 1 Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Boehm No. 2 Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Alpha Cement Pitmertel Gravel Co. | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Donovan Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Lock Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Utica Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Wetherby Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Alpha Portland Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
19 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Utica in 19 storm reports between 1997 and 2026: 10 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 1 tornado, 1 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | $3,000 | Utility poles were blown down at US 6 and IL 178. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | $2,000 | Trees and power lines blown down along 3150th. |
| July 2020 | Funnel Cloud | Utica | - | Two funnel clouds were reported looking south from Route 71, one mile west of Route 178. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | Trees were blown down in Starved Rock State Park, blocking roads and trails. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | Damage to roofs and outside structures was reported in Utica. |
| May 2019 | Flood | Utica | - | Major flooding occurred along portions of the Illinois River. The river crested at 32.14 feet near La Salle on May 3rd, which was the third highest stage recorded. Flood stage near La Salle is 20 feet and major stage is 31 feet. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | Multiple large trees were blown down. |
| February 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | A semi truck was blown over near Interstate 80 and Interstate 39. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | One large tree was blown down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | Trees were blown down. |
| August 2006 | Hail | Utica | - | Penny size hail fell at Matthiessen State Park. |
| April 2004 | Tornado (F2) | Utica | - | The tornado formed on the ridge northeast of Utica and moved across County Road 2803, west of 10th Street. A garage was destroyed and trees were damaged. The tornado became a wide multiple vortex tornado at this point. It caused damage to 2 homes, trees and outbuildings on Route 6, west of 11th Street. Part of the roof of a house was torn off. A storage building was damaged and a garage roof removed on 11th Street. A garage and grain bin were destroyed on County Road 2950. The tornado crossed I-80 at 12th Street damaging a building and flipping a semi-tractor trailer. The driver was not injured. North of I-80 a small satellite tornado formed behind the large parent tornado. It had a damage path 2 miles long and 5 to 20 yards wide. Its track was about 1/4 to 3/4 mile south of the main track. It caused no damage. The main tornado destroyed a machine shed on 13th Street and knocked down power poles. On 31st Street west of 14th big pine trees were snapped and a house suffered roof damage. A barn was destroyed on 14th north of 31st. On 32nd Street west of 15th, a two story house was hit. The top floor was mostly destroyed. A machine shed was destroyed on 16th between 32nd and 33rd. The tornado ended at 33rd and Route 23 where there was minor tree damage. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Utica | - | A swath of hail cut across La Salle county from North Utica to 5 miles WSW of Kangley.The following reports were received:1.75 inch hail at North Utica0.75 inch hail at South Utica1.25 inch hail 2 miles east of Leonore0.75 inch hail at Leonore1.00 inch hail 3 miles SW of Grand Ridge2.00 inch hail 5 miles W of Streator at County Road 18.1.75 inch hail at Streator2.75 inch hail 5 miles WSW of Kangley |
| May 1999 | Hail | Utica | - | Golf ball size hail was reported by a ham radio operator at Starved Rock State Park. |
| May 1997 | Hail | Utica | - | A wind gust to 70 mph and hail of 1.75 inches in diameter were reported in North Utica. |
| April 2026 | Hail | North Utica | - | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Hail | North Utica | - | no account filed |
| October 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | no account filed |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Utica | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock (historical) | 2.5 miles | 21 | |
| Deer Park | 3.4 miles | 21 | |
| Jonesville | 3.8 miles | 21 | |
| Oglesby | 4.1 miles | 21 | |
| Piety Hill | 4.3 miles | 21 | |
| La Salle | 4.4 miles | 21 | |
| Bailey Falls (historical) | 4.7 miles | 21 | |
| Tomahawk Bluff | 4.8 miles | 20 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 420187. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.