Regional Hub
Joliet,
first settled in 1831, was officially incorporated in 1852 and became
the seat of Will County. The town grew rapidly after railroads intersected
here, forming a secondary hub to Chicago. The combination of rail and
canal transportation stimulated industrial and commercial growth and brought
thousands of immigrants to live and work in Joliet.
Downtown's first home
Downtown first developed on the west side of the waterway, where Billie
Limacher Bicentennial Park is located today. Today, the park, which
houses a visitor center, commemorative boulders, a river walk and a stage
for community concerts and festivals, is a good place to view Joliet’s
impressive lift bridges and see boats and barges on the waterway.
Starting
in the late 1800s, downtown flourished east of the waterway. Government
offices, courts, religious institutions, banks, stores and other businesses
drew workers and shoppers from throughout the region. Downtown was also
a center of culture, and the spectacular Rialto
Square Theater movie palace, built in 1926, brought nationally famous
entertainers to Joliet.
Railroad hub and center for community public art
Joliet developed as a rail hub, and in 1912, the elegant Union Station
on Jefferson Street opened as the 
culmination
of a huge project to elevate Joliet’s railroad tracks and eliminate
traffic congestion. Designed by noted architect Jarvis Hunt, the station
was restored in 1990.
In recent years, the many railroad embankments and viaducts throughout
Joliet’s downtown and neighborhoods have become canvases for a spectacular
collection of murals that depict its history,
completed by community public artists working in cooperation with city
officials and numerous citizens. The driving tour takes you past murals
depicting the I&M Canal at Jefferson Street, west of the waterway.
For more information
Self-guided architectural walking tour and mural tour brochures and other
information about Joliet and the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor
are available at the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau
located at 81 N. Chicago street, across the street from the Rialto Theater
in Joliet. 1-800-926-CANAL.
