Discover the fascinating stories of LaSalle County’s early settlers in this three-part presentation. Lorraine McCallister begins with the arrival of the pioneers and the settling of the county in the early 1800s. McCallister continues the story around 1830, introducing you to Elsie Armstrong, an early pioneer from Bruce Township. Rachael Mellen will then share the dramatic history of the Irish immigrants who came to build the I&M Canal, focusing on canal contractor Billy Byrne and the transformative impact of the canal on LaSalle’s growth and culture.
This session will be presented by Presented by Lorraine McCallister (Reddick Mansion Association) & Rachael Mellen (LaSalle County Genealogical Guild)
Meet your presenters:
Lorraine McCallister
Lorraine McCallister, raised and educated in Ottawa, received her degree in education at Illinois State University in 1974. She then spent 34 years in Prophetstown, Illinois, teaching 8th grade language arts. To share her love of history with her students, she sponsored trips for them to Gettysburg, PA, Washington, D.C., and Williamsburg, VA for 21 years. Upon her retirement in 2012, she moved back to Ottawa, where in 2013, she started volunteering as a docent at the Reddick Mansion. She accepted a position on the Reddick Mansion Association’s Board of Directors in 2014 and became president of the RMA in 2016, a position she still holds today. During her tenure, the RMA purchased the Mansion from the City of Ottawa, completed a $1.4 million exterior restoration, installed air conditioning, and has restored two bedrooms to enhance the Mansion’s tours. Lorraine especially enjoys sharing the history of Ottawa and the Reddick story to the Mansion’s many visitors. She also serves on Ottawa’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Rachael Mellen
Rachael E. Mellen is a graduate of the University of London, U.K. and California State University Dominguez Hills. Rachael has published three books on English genealogy as well as numerous articles, and has taught genealogy classes and given presentations to many organizations. She is currently president of the LaSalle County Genealogy Guild. Her book on LaSalle Civil War soldier William J. Kennedy will be published in 2025. The LaSalle County Genealogy Guild is a non-profit organization serving the county since 1979. It has a large archive of genealogical records, books and other records going back to 1838 at its location in Ottawa, Illinois.
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