LaSalle, Illinois

LaSalle is a city on the Illinois Valley in Illinois. Located in LaSalle County, the city has a population of about 9,700 on a 12-square mile area. Originally platted as a canal town in 1838, LaSalle was not officially incorporated as a city until 1852. Although the city's retail sector has declined in recent years, LaSalle has been able to maintain its manufacturing and logistics base, with businesses such as the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc. and American Bare Conductor, Inc.

Transportation and local mineral deposits shaped manufacturing in LaSalle from its early years. The Illinois & Michigan Canal, which opened in 1848, and later, the railroads, provided transport for people and materials to Chicago and Lake Michigan. Abundant supplies of coal, limestone and zinc formed the basis of industries such as portland cement and zinc sheet metal manufacturing. By the early 20th century, several cement kilns were operating in LaSalle and the nearby area, including the German-American Portland Cement Works (later LaSalle Portland Cement Company), the Marquette Cement Company, and the Chicago Portland Cement Company. In 1858, two young German mining engineers established the Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company, a zinc smelter and rolling mill which became LaSalle's largest employer. A grandson of Hegeler went on to found Carus Corporation in 1915, a specialty chemical company which is still in operation today. When the M&H zinc mill closed in 1978, it was purchased by members of the Carus family, and operated as LaSalle Rolling Mill until 2001. The site is currently undergoing environmental remediation.

LaSalle's history of heavy industry makes asbestos exposure an ongoing concern. Asbestos-containing materials were widely used in manufacturing during the 2oth century, creating a risk to workers of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. If you were exposed to asbestos in LaSalle and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should also consider contacting a mesothelioma law firm.

Large Jobsites in LaSalle where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance has compiled information obtained from a number of sources to identify the following large job sites in LaSalle where asbestos exposure was known to have occurred. These sites are listed below. Click on them to get more detailed information.

Other Jobsites in LaSalle where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

These additional jobsites in LaSalle, IL have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials. These sites, at one point in their history, were known to have exposed a variety of tradesmen to asbestos. We will be documenting in more detail how asbestos exposure occurred at these sites in the future on this web site.