This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Joliet’s early boom tied to rivers and rail lines
Joliet grew from a river port at Des Plaines meets I and M Canal to a regional hub as interurban electric railways expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The city became a key Lincoln Highway stop by 1913 and a transit center linking Joliet, Lemont, Lockport, and Chicago with trolley lines reaching Plainfield, Aurora, and Chicago Heights.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Joliet
Hickory Creek
Des Plaines River
Des Plaines
Kankakee
Illinois River
Chicago Portage
Illinois
Chicago
Plainfield
Aurora
Illinois River Valley
Chicago Heights
Joliet Street
Lockport
Willow Springs
Lemont
Dellwood Park
Interurban Company
Starved Rock State Park
Chicago and Joliet
Illinois Valley
J & M Canal
Ninth Street
Ilinois State Penitentiary