Accounting Services in LaSalle, IL
LaSalle sits at the western end of what was once the great Illinois & Michigan Canal — the waterway that connected Chicago to the Mississippi and put this town on the map in 1848. If you own a business on First Street, run a family operation somewhere between the river and I-80, or handle personal finances in LaSalle proper, Kilday Baxter & Associates is your local CPA firm. We’re based in Oglesby, just south of LaSalle-Peru, and most LaSalle clients reach our office in ten to fifteen minutes.
Who we serve in the Illinois Valley
LaSalle’s economy runs on the same Illinois Valley mix that built the town: small manufacturers, tradespeople, professional service firms, retail and hospitality on First Street, and the households that own and staff them. Our LaSalle practice includes:
- First Street downtown businesses — restaurants, retailers, professional offices, and specialty shops in LaSalle’s historic central district.
- Manufacturers and industrial suppliers north of I-80 and along the I-39 corridor — the descendants of LaSalle’s zinc and coal era, now specialty machining, fabrication, and light industrial.
- Trades and construction firms — contractors, electricians, plumbers, HVAC and specialty trades serving the LaSalle-Peru housing stock and the Illinois Valley commercial base.
- Medical, dental, and professional practices throughout the LaSalle-Peru corridor.
- Non-profits and civic organizations tied to LaSalle’s community and preservation groups.
- Individuals, families, and retirees — W-2, self-employment, retirement, rental, farm, and investment income, plus estate and trust work.
What we do
- Tax preparation and year-round tax planning
- Bookkeeping and monthly financial statements
- Payroll processing and quarterly tax filings
- QuickBooks setup, cleanup, and ongoing support (ProAdvisor certified)
- Business consulting — entity selection, buy/sell, succession
- Financial statements for bank loans, bonding, and internal reporting
A city built to last
LaSalle was named for the 17th-century French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who first came through the Illinois River valley in 1678. The city was platted in 1838 and grew as the western terminus of the 96-mile Illinois & Michigan Canal, completed in 1848 — the waterway that gave Chicago access to the Mississippi and made LaSalle a nationally significant transportation hub for decades.
In 1858, Frederick Matthiessen and Edward Hegeler founded the Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company in LaSalle, which grew to become one of the largest zinc producers in the country and, together with Peru’s zinc operations, earned the twin cities the nickname “Zinc City.” The company’s legacy still stands on the west side of town in the Hegeler Carus Mansion — an 1876 National Historic Landmark that also became home to Paul Carus, whose Open Court Publishing Company made LaSalle an internationally recognized center of American philosophical publishing. Frederick Matthiessen himself served as LaSalle’s mayor from 1886 to 1895 and donated the land that became Matthiessen State Park south of town.
That history matters to how we work. LaSalle’s durable businesses were built by owners who thought in decades, not quarters — and the ones still going today share that same long-horizon mindset. Our CPA practice runs the same way: direct relationships with the person doing your work, long-term planning built into every tax season, and enough local context to understand what a LaSalle First Street shop, a Route 351 industrial supplier, or a family in the historic residential district actually faces at tax time.
Getting here
Our office at 755 W Walnut Street in Oglesby is a short drive from most of LaSalle — typically ten to fifteen minutes south via IL Route 351 or US-6. Parking is easy at our building, and we schedule around business hours that actually fit business owners.
Talk to a local CPA
Call (815) 883-3500 or send us a message. If you’re currently working with a firm outside the Illinois Valley and it’s not fitting, ask about our transition process — we handle the handoff so it doesn’t become your problem.