Lowell, Illinois
Lowell, Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 41°15′02″N 89°00′38″W / 41.25056°N 89.01056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | LaSalle |
| Township | Vermillion |
| Elevation | 623 ft (190 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 815 & 779 |
| GNIS feature ID | 412706 |
Lowell is an unincorporated community in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. Lowell is located on Illinois Route 178, 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Oglesby. The town was laid out around 1830 by William Seeley. It once thrived due its location on the Peoria-Chicago Stagecoach Route, the waterpower of the Vermilion River and the coal outcroppings along the river bluffs. It developed several stores and taverns, a mill and a brick factory and a railroad spur that connected to the Burlington Railroad. Its most famous resident was Benjamin Lundy, a fiery Quaker abolitionist who came to Illinois to be the successor of Elijah Lovejoy, recently murdered for his anti-slavery beliefs. Lundy published the paper, Genius of Universal Emancipation from Lowell. The town declined and today offers river rafting.