Will County History--Records of Land Bought by the US Government for the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant

I recently found some old newspaper clippings containing records of land bought by the US Government for the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant.

Once farmers were told the Government decided to buy land near Elwood for the plant, the farmers had very little time to move. Some moved to farmland near the Arsenal, others moved farther away. Some houses and at least one barn were moved out of the Arsenal onto neighboring farms.

You can click on the pictures below for larger views.

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Offers Educational Hikes

The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, located between Elwood and Wilmington, offers many great activities for people of all ages and interests on Saturdays from June through October.  

A schedule of these tours can be found here. 

Descriptions of the different types of tours can be found here.

Recently, my sister and I took part in the "Prairie Walk: Prairie Creek Woods Tour".

We met up with the tour leader and other participants at the Midewin Welcome Center, located at 30239 South State Route 53.

Inside the Welcome Center, visitors can view photos of prairie plants and learn more about the prairie as it appeared to the first settlers.  

Next, our tour leader told us a little about the history of Midewin, explaining the federal legislation transferring Joliet Army Ammunition Plant land to the Forest Service in order to create Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.

After learning a little about the history of Midewin, we drove about 2 miles--following the group leader--to reach the trail.

On the hike, which took about 2 hours total, our first stop was the Midewin Seed Beds, where the Forest Service grows native plants.

On the hike we also saw beautiful open spaces and huge oak trees. 

We also saw parts of Prairie Creek.

Midewin is a resource unique to Will County.  It is mentioned in many regional planning documents.  For example, a plan for the Village of Manhattan, Illinois contains many references to Midewin.

Enbridge Constructs Facility and Pipeline in Manhattan Illinois

Enbridge tanks in Manhattan, Illinois

Enbridge tanks in Manhattan, Illinois

Construction of the Enbridge diluent tanks in Manhattan, Illinois

Construction of the Enbridge diluent tanks in Manhattan, Illinois

Construction of the Enbridge diluent tanks in Manhattan, Illinois

The Canadian company Enbridge is building a pipeline and storage facility in Manhattan, Illinois.

For more information on this project, visit: http://www.enbridge.com/shipper/refiner/pdf/southern-lights-project-jan-2009.pdf 

for a January 2009 update on the project which was posted on the Enbridge website.

Also, check here for a great article from the Coal City Courant Newspaper regarding the pipeline, the use of eminent domain, and local reaction to the pipeline.

Manhattan Farmers' Market

The Farmers Market in Manhattan has moved to the grounds of the historic Round Barn Farm.

The focus is on “Fresh, home grown, farm grown and handmade items,” said Terry Bibeau, who coordinates the event for the Manhattan Park District. The Park District sponsors the event along with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. There are also health and wellness items, she said.

Community organizations will also participate. Both the Manhattan Fire Department and the Manhattan Public Library were on-hand at Tuesday’s market.

Hours are from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through September.

Before the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, Before Midewin, Florence Township 1909

Before the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, before Midewin National Tallgrass Prarie, the land of Florence township was composed mostly of family farms.  

Below you will find digital pictures of a 1909 plat map of Florence Township, Illinois.

Visible are schools, creeks, the Indian Boundary Line, and Prairie Creek.

Bloom High School Biodiesel Bus

The Bloom Biodiesel Bus was recently on display at the Will County Earth Day Event at Lockport's Dellwood Park.

The bus runs on biodiesel created by Bloom High School students as part of the Honors Chemistry Curriculum.  The students turn waste vegetable oil into biodiesel, a 5-step process, displayed below:

For more information on this program, visit its website: www.bloombiodiesel.com