Illinois and Michigan Canal

A National Historic Landmark. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

From the record

“The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. In Illinois, it ran 96 miles (154 km) from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago, to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru.”
Wikipedia article Illinois and Michigan Canal, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 38 National Register listings published here for Will County · listed in 1966 · category: Structure · a National Historic Landmark.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Address. 7 mi. SW of Joliet on U.S. 6, in Channahon State Park, Joliet, 60441
When was it listed? October 1966
Category. structure
Township. Lockport township
National Register reference number. 66000332 - assigned by the National Park Service when the property was listed.

The ground it stands on

2,883 words

The chapter on Lockport Township in The History of Will County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County ... a Directory of Its Real Estate Owners; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics ... History of Illinois ... History of the Northwest .., published 1878 names Joliet. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

The stone quarries in and around Lockport are quite an important branch of the business of the place, though in the immediate vicinity of the village the stone does not compare in quality with the quarries of Joliet and Lemont. J. A. Boyer opened a quarry here in 1869, but the quality of stone taken from it did not warrant the working of it, and it was soon abandoned. Mr. Boyer's quarries at Lemont are among the most extensive, and produce as superior a quality of stone as any quarry in this section of the State. He furnished from these quarries much of the material in the beautiful stone-front buildings recently erected on the West Side in the city of Chicago. He, also, has furnished the stone for the new Catholic Church in Lockport, by far the handsomest church edifice in the village. Though these quarries are not in this township, nor in Will County, yet their proprietor, Mr. Boyer, was born and reared in Lockport, where he still lives, and to omit mention of them here would be to leave out an important part of its history. He employs from one hundred to one hundred and fifty men, and has all the improved machinery and the best of shipping facilities - both on the Chicago & Alton Railroad and the Canal.

Passage source: The History of Will County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County ... a Directory of Its Real Estate Owners; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics ... History of Illinois ... History of the Northwest .., published 1878.

Oak Hill Quarry, now owned by Isaac Nobes, is one of the best in this section. Just south of Lockport village, conveniently located to both railroad and canal, has fine facilities for shipping. This quarry was opened by G. A. Cousens & Co., afterward passed into the hands of George Gaylord, and, in 1868, Mr. Nobes came into possession of it and has since worked it. He works about thirty-five men, and is supplied with all the modern machinery for working quarries and handling stone. He has one of the finest residences in the State, outside of the large cities. It is built of stone, and presents a very fine appearance. The large quarries of W. A. Steel are in Lockport Township, but were mentioned in the history of Joliet, where the owner of them lives. The first quarries worked in this section of the country, however, were opened by Dr. Daggett on the west side of the Canal, a little south of Lockport, and nearly opposite Nobes' quarry. He sold $30,000 worth of stone the first year he opened them, and that of an excellent quality. But he is not operating them at present, owing to the fact, perhaps, of there being so many others in the business that it does not pay as well as it did years ago. It is wonderful to contemplate the inexhaustible supply of stone in the hills, and bluffs of the Des Planes Valley. And the quality, too, the convenient ledges and layers in which it is found, and the easy access to it, is not the least wonderful item in regard to these vast quarries. It almost seems that the layers of stone had been purposely arranged fpr the convenience and benefit of man.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Lockport Township - 2,883 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

1 since 2020

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Illinois and Michigan Canal in 2020, burning under an acre in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Smoking	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
3 August 2020	Smoking	under an acre	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	20-0001661

Every fire recorded in Will County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 13 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 13 workings within 5 miles of Illinois and Michigan Canal: 7 past producers, 3 producers, 3 plants. 6 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sulfur, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Magnesite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Lockport Pit/Yard 15	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
U S Refactories Div. Mill	Magnesite	Producer
(Facility) Mobil Oil Joilet Refinery	Sulfur	Plant
Texaco Lockport Plant	Sulfur	Producer
Avery No. 2 Pit & Mill	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Plant
Gross & Mc Cowan Lumber Co. Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Joliet Quarry & Mill Yard 340	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Markgraf Stone Company Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
National Stone Co Limestone Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Romeo Quarry & Mill	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Plant

Every working recorded in Will County

Storms near this property

60 of 87 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Joliet, the town this property stands in, in 87 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 32 thunderstorm wind, 24 hail, 11 lightning, 10 flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
March 2004	Lightning	Joliet	1 hurt	Person struck by lightning at Salma and Lasser Rds
June 2002	Lightning	Joliet	1 hurt	no account filed
April 2004	Tornado (F1)	Joliet	$5,000,000	The tornado swept out a path through a mainly residential section on the near west side of Joliet known as the "Cathedral Area". Initial damage was found near the intersection of Jefferson St. (U.S. route 52) and William Street. The damage path then continued northeastward to a point near the intersections of Ruby Street, Bluff Street, and the Des Plaines River. Most of the damage was of F-0 intensity, with extensive tree damage and very minor damage to structures. However there were three pockets of more substantial primary structural damage which consisted mainly of roofs being torn off residences and garages being totally demolished. In all, 10 residences were declared uninhabitable.
July 2006	Flash Flood	Joliet	$3,000,000	Major flooding affected the city of Joliet during the afternoon and evening hours of July 27th. Torrential Rains fell across parts of the city with 5.50 inches falling in just 90 minutes between 4 pm and 530 pm near Black Road and Infantry Drive. Storm total rainfall of 6.13 inches was reported on the west side of Joliet. Approximately 30 homes and businesses suffered basement flooding. Center Street Ramps to Interstate 80 were closed with four feet of standing water. Cars were stranded in 4 to 5 feet of water under the viaduct on Route 30 east of Briggs Street. Pavement buckled under the force of the flood waters at Western and Cass Avenues. Raynor and Ingallis were closed with 12 to 16 inches of water. The intersection of Larkin and Jefferson closed with 2 to 3 feet of water. Springfield and Glenwood Streets had 10 to 12 inches of water. Numerous other locations reported less significant flooding.
June 2013	Lightning	Joliet	$150,000	A natural gas transmission facility was struck by lightning resulting in the building catching on fire.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	$120,000	High winds moving across the area caused power lines to fall onto the roof of a house on Eastern Avenue in Joliet igniting a fire. Nobody was home at the time. The home was destroyed.
August 2006	Lightning	Joliet	$100,000	Lightning struck a house in the Springwood Subdivision, a second house near Origon and Ingles, and a third house near Earl and Jefferson. A bolt of lightning also struck a transformer.
May 2003	Tornado (F1)	Joliet	$60,000	A second tornado touched down two miles north of downtown Joliet, near the Des Plaines River, about a half mile south of Bruce Road. The tornado continued east and lifted about four miles southeast of Lockport near Cedar and Bruce Roads. The tornado severely damaged commercial buildings on Route 171 south of Bruce Road. It ripped apart cinder block and metal buildings and some of the debris was deposited over 100 yards away. A house one the east side of 171 was damaged. Tree limbs were blown down in the Fairmont neighborhood. Outbuildings were damaged on Briggs street near Oak Street. There was also tree damage eastward to a subdivision south of Bruce Street west of Cedar Road.
May 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	$50,000	Winds damaged roofs on the west side of Joliet.
July 2010	Lightning	Joliet	$40,000	Lightning struck a house on North Hickory Street and started a fire in a dormer. While the fire was contained in the dormer, the house suffered smoke and water damage throughout the house.
July 2010	Lightning	Joliet	$20,000	A house on Essington Road was struck by lightning and set on fire.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	$15,000	A tree fell onto a garage at a church.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	$10,000	A large tree was uprooted near Mason and Mack Streets. The tree fell onto a house causing roof damage. A four foot diameter tree approximately 80 feet tall was split in half by high winds near Mason and Raynor.
May 2010	Lightning	Joliet	$5,000	Lightning struck a house on Kelly Avenue causing minor damage to the attic.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	$1,000	Large trees and power lines were blown down on the west side of Joliet.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	$500	Wind gusts were estimated to 70 mph with tree limbs and gutters blown down.
March 2024	Flood	Joliet	-	Multiple public reports of minor street flooding in the Joliet area were received via social media.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Part of the roof of the Joliet Junior College was blown off, hitting the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum to its south and causing damage to that roof before landing on Cass Street.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Multiple reports of tree damage including snapped trees and tree limbs blown down were received from Joliet. Power lines were also blown down. Some roads were blocked by debris.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Tree limbs were blown down on the southeast side of Crest Hill.
July 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Several large tree limbs were blown down including one blocking a road.
July 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Six inch diameter tree limbs were blown down near Western and Raynor Avenues.
June 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	A small Maple tree was blown down on the west side of Joliet.
June 2015	Flood	Joliet	-	A foot to a foot and a half of standing water was reported on portions of Western Avenue.
August 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	A tree which was around a foot in diameter was uprooted in the 900 block of Western Avenue.
June 2014	Flood	Joliet	-	About a foot of standing water was reported on Center Street just north of I-80. Viaducts in the area had about 8 to 10 inches of water. A CoCoRaHS observer near Plainfield measured 1.30 inches of rain in 30 minutes.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Wind gusts were estimated to 70 mph. A ten inch diameter tree limb was snapped from a tree.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph.
March 2009	Flood	Joliet	-	Nine inches of standing water was reported at Whittier and Glenwood.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Large tree limbs were blown down on the west side of Joliet with a measured wind gust to 63 mph.
June 2007	Flood	Joliet	-	Minor flooding was reported near St. Joseph hospital, Houbolt and Interstate 80 and at Center Street and Interstate 80. Three quarters of an inch of rain was measured between 219 pm and 239 pm and 1.46 inches storm total was measured on the north side of Joliet.
May 2007	Flood	Joliet	-	Standing water on Interstate 80 at Larkin Avenue.
May 2007	Flood	Joliet	-	Richards Street at Interstate 80 was flooded and barely passable.
July 2007	Flood	Joliet	-	Two and two and a half feet of water at Richards and Washington Streets. Water one foot deep at Center Street, north of Interstate 80.
October 2007	Hail	Joliet	-	Golfball size hail was reported on the east side of Joliet.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Measured gust to 68 mph at the intersection of Essington and Ann Streets. A large tree fell next to a house on Schriber Road. Tree limbs were blown down on Lilac Lane.
August 2007	Flood	Joliet	-	Three to four inches of standing water on Cherry Hill Road at Route 52.
March 2006	Hail	Joliet	-	Golfball size hail was reported along Interstate 80, between Larkin and Hubolt Roads.
April 2006	Hail	Joliet	-	Marble to penny size hail covering the ground on the west side of Joliet.
May 2006	Hail	Joliet	-	Penny to nickle size hail was reported at US 30 and Briggs in Joliet to US 30 and Interstate 80 in New Lenox.
July 2006	Heavy Rain	Joliet	-	1.88 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes on the north side of Joliet near Larkin and Theodore.
July 2006	Funnel Cloud	Joliet	-	A funnel cloud was reported near Houlbolt and Jefferson Roads.
July 2006	Funnel Cloud	Joliet	-	A funnel cloud was reported near Route 6 and Larkin Avenue.
August 2006	Flood	Joliet	-	One foot of water was reported covering numerous roads near St. Joseph Medical Center and 18 inches of standing water was reported under a viaduct near Briggs and Route 30. Rainfall reports included 3.50 inches near Infantry Drive and Black Roads, 1.91 inches near Theodore and Larkin and 1.75 inches at the Joliet Lock and Dam.
September 2006	Hail	Joliet	-	Nickel size hail was reported at the Joliet Race Track on the south side of the city.
March 2005	Hail	Joliet	-	Penny sized hail reported at the intersection of Caton Farm and Essington Rds, 1705-1710 CST.Golf ball sized hail reported at Joliet Junior College, 1708-1713 CST.
March 2005	Hail	Joliet	-	Quarter sized hail was reported at the intersection of Rt. 7 and Rt. 52, 1905-1910 CST.Quarter sized hail was reported at the University of St. Francis, 1910-1915 CST.Quarter sized hail was reported on Kelly Ave., 1910-1915 CST.Golf ball sized hail was reported near St. Joseph Hospital, 1911-1916 CST.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	A four inch diameter tree limb was blown down on Wake Island Drive. Manhattan Road was blocked after a tree was blown over.
March 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Wires down
March 2004	Lightning	Joliet	-	House struck by lightning at the subdivision in Black Hill Ridge and Blue Ridge
April 2004	Hail	Joliet	-	Several vehicles damaged.
April 2004	Flash Flood	Joliet	-	Deep standing water at intersection of Larkin Rd. and Rt. 30.
May 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Power poles were blown down.
April 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Trees down on the west side of the city.
April 2004	Flash Flood	Joliet	-	Deep standing water at intersection of Black and Essington Rds.
May 2004	Lightning	Joliet	-	A house was struck by lightning on Borshire Road.
May 2004	Flash Flood	Joliet	-	Flooding occurred on Briggs Street.
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	8 inch diameter tree limbs torn down at the intersection of Ridge Rd. and Manhattan Rd., west of Rt. 52.
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Joliet	-	Power lines down at the intersection of Marquette and Glenwood Rds.
June 2004	Lightning	Joliet	-	House hit by lightning at the intersection of Prestige and Mason Rds.

Every storm recorded in Will County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Lockport Lock, Dam and Power House Historic District	0.4 miles	2004
John Heck House	1.3 miles	1994
Illinois State Penitentiary-Joliet Historic District	1.4 miles	2023
Lockport Historic District	1.5 miles	1975
Will County Historical Society Headquarters	1.6 miles	1972
Robert Milne House	1.8 miles	1979

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 66000332 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Will County	All 38 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.