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43-499: Tastee-Freez was founded in 1950 in Joliet, Illinois , by Leo S. Maranz and Harry Axene (formerly of Dairy Queen ). Maranz invented a soft serve pump and freezer which enabled the product, and their Harlee Manufacturing Company (a portmanteau of Harry and Leo ) produced the machines which franchisees would buy and use in their respective locations. Originally stores focused on ice milk and other frozen dairy-based desserts. Expansion of

86-695: A Harrah's hotel and casino downtown. Joliet is the only city in Illinois to have two casinos. The Louis Joliet Mall is located near the intersection of I-55 and U.S. Route 30 . The former Joliet Arsenal (now the site of both the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie ) is in nearby Elwood . Joliet is home to three high schools that bear its name: Joliet Central , Joliet West , and Joliet Catholic Academy (JCA), in addition to

129-650: A favorite haunt of Al Capone and filming location for scenes from Kevin Bacon's film Stir of Echoes , is on Chicago Street, downtown. Near the theatre, the Joliet Area Historical Museum commemorates the history of Joliet, especially its heritage as a stopping point on U.S. Route 66 . Among local landmarks are the Chicagoland Speedway ( NASCAR ) and the Route 66 Raceway ( NHRA ). The Auditorium Building

172-410: A hot summer humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ) with hot, humid summers, and cold winters with moderate to heavy snowfall. As of the census of 2010, 147,433 people, 48,019 households, and 34,900 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,288.3 inhabitants per square mile (883.5/km ). The 51,285 housing units averaged 796 per square mile (307.3/km ). The racial makeup of

215-861: A local quarry and was a principal stockholder in Will County National Bank. The mansion won the architecture award at the American Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia in 1876. The structure is a local landmark, part of the East Side National Register District and individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Joliet Prison is located near Joliet's downtown district on Collins Street. The prison has been featured in both television shows and movies. One such television series filmed there

258-1569: A seven-acre dog park. Louis Joliet Mall located on Route 30 in Joliet hosts a large Cinemark theatre The Rock Run and Joliet Junction Trails are roughly north–south routes that begin at the Theodore Marsh in Crest Hill, Illinois, and have southern termini on the I&;M Canal State Trail . These three paths can be used as a 16-mile loop through western Joliet. The I and M Canal State Trail stretches about 60 miles to Peru . The Wauponsee Glacial Trail also begins close to town. As of 2009, almost all public-school students in Joliet attend schools in Joliet Public Schools District 86 , Joliet Township High School District 204 , Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C, and Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 . School districts serving Joliet include Joliet Township High School District 204 , Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 , Oswego Community Unit School District 308 , and Minooka Community High School District 111 . Joliet area High Schools include Joliet Catholic Academy , Joliet Central High School , Joliet West High School and Joliet East High School (defunct) Elementary and middle school districts serving Joliet include: Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 Since

301-528: A strong economic incentive to develop the area. Several important structures were constructed with Joliet limestone, including the Old State Capitol and Chicago Water Tower . Joliet incorporated in 1852 and prospered due to its location on the Illinois and Michigan Canal . James B. Campbell platted the first East Side property in 1834 and named it Juliet. Two years later, Will County was formed and Juliet

344-475: A week, the Eagle continues on to Los Angeles . Joliet East Side Historic District The Joliet East Side Historic District is a set of 290 buildings in Joliet , Illinois . Of these 290 buildings, 281 contribute to the historical integrity of the area. Joliet was founded in 1831, deemed an ideal place for a settlement to reap the local natural resources. Most importantly, large beds of limestone provided

387-448: Is home to over 640 acres (260 ha) of land that provide a habitat for abundant wildlife and outdoor recreation. Pilcher Park also contains Native American Indian remains and was the site of a Potowatami Indian village. A burial mound is just south of the entrance on Gougar Road, on the south side of the bridge, and a marked burial plot is inside the park grounds. Hammel Woods is also located in Joliet with miles of hiking trails and even

430-470: Is located at the northeast corner of Chicago and Clinton Streets. Designed by G. Julian Barnes and built of limestone in 1891, it was controversial as one of the first buildings to combine religious, civic, and commercial uses. Nonetheless, people such Theodore Roosevelt visited and spoke at the building. The building was originally built for the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet , but

473-507: The 2020 census , making it the third-most populous city in Illinois . In 1673, Louis Jolliet , along with Father Jacques Marquette , paddled up the Des Plaines River and camped on a huge earthwork mound, a few miles south of present-day Joliet. Maps from Jolliet's exploration of the area showed a large hill or mound down river from Chicago, labeled Mont Joliet. The mound has since been flattened due to mining . In 1833, following

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516-524: The Black Hawk War , Charles Reed built a cabin along the west side of the Des Plaines River . Across the river in 1834, James B. Campbell, treasurer of the canal commissioners, laid out the village of "Juliet", a corruption of "Joliet" that was also in use at the time. Just before the economic depression of 1837, Juliet incorporated as a village, but to cut tax expenses, Juliet residents soon petitioned

559-626: The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) and Mid-States Football Association (MSFA). Joliet also is home to a minor-league baseball team, the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League . Since the beginning of the 2011 season, they have played their home games at Duly Health and Care Field . The Slammers replace the former Joliet JackHammers of the Northern League . The Joliet Slammers won

602-575: The Harrah's Casino , Joliet Slammers baseball ( Duly Health and Care Field ), Hollywood Casino, and the Rialto Square Theatre , also known as the 'Jewel of Joliet', and has been called one of the world's 10 most beautiful theaters. The 1999 film Stir of Echoes starring Kevin Bacon had scenes shot on at the Rialto Square Theatre (the hypnotism scenes in which James saw the word "Dig" on

645-821: The Heritage Corridor route from Chicago Union Station and the Rock Island District route from LaSalle Street Station . A third line, the STAR Line , would have also terminated at the station, but the project was shelved as of 2012. Pace provides local bus service six days a week (no service on Sundays) with buses leaving from a terminal in downtown Joliet once an hour. Amtrak serves Joliet Union Station daily via its Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle routes. Service consists of four Lincoln Service round-trips between Chicago and St. Louis , and one Texas Eagle round-trip between San Antonio and Chicago. Three days

688-738: The Illinois and Michigan Canal . The Chicago & Rock Island Railroad and Michigan Central came through in the 1850s, and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Chicago & Alton Railroad soon followed, with the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway and Milwaukee Road lines built around the turn of the century. U.S. Highways 6 (the Grand Army of the Republic Highway), 30 (the Lincoln Highway), 45 , 52 , and 66 (Route 66) all ran through

731-552: The SCCA World Challenge , Atlantic Championship , and Star Mazda Championship races since 2009. Three golf courses are located in the city of Joliet: Inwood Golf Course, Woodruff Golf Course, and Wedgewood Golf Course. Disc golf courses are available at Highland Park and West Park. The Pilcher Park Nature Center, located in Pilcher Park, hosts many youth and educational programs. Pilcher Park, one of Joliet's oldest parks,

774-437: The median income for a household in the city was $ 60,976, and for a family was $ 69,386. Full-time, year-round working males had a median income of $ 51,082 versus $ 39,235 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,374. About 10.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over. From April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2011, Joliet

817-611: The 2010 census, Joliet has a total area of 62.768 square miles (162.57 km ), of which 62.11 square miles (160.86 km ) (or 98.95%) are land and 0.658 square miles (1.70 km ) (or 1.05%) is covered by water. It has a sprawling, irregular shape that extends into nine different townships, more than any other Illinois city. They are: Joliet, Plainfield, Troy, New Lenox, Jackson, Channahon, and Lockport in Will County, and Na-Au-Say and Seward in Kendall County. Joliet developed along

860-624: The 2011 Frontier League Championship in their first season as a team. Chicagoland Speedway held events from NASCAR . During major races, the large influx of fans means that the number of people in the city is double that of the official figure. Next door to the Speedway, the Route 66 Raceway features National Hot Rod Association events on its drag strip. Joliet Central has become actively involved in Route 66 by building an alternative fuel vehicle . Autobahn Country Club , also located in Joliet, has held

903-557: The Boy ". It is also mentioned in the Donna Tartt novel, "The Secret History" Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( / ˈ dʒ oʊ l i ɛ t , ˌ dʒ oʊ l i ˈ ɛ t / JOH -lee-et, -⁠ ET ) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois , 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Chicago . It is the county seat of Will County. It had a population of 150,362 at

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946-465: The Des Plaines River, and its downtown is located in the river valley. Joliet has a "west side" and " east side ", referring to areas in relation to the river. With the construction of highways and suburban development to the west, many businesses moved from the downtown area to the expanding areas west of the river. Many stores relocated to the west side in new strip malls and shopping centers with more parking and easier access. These changes resulted in

989-651: The East Side had a reputation as the most prestigious in the city. The region was anchored by the Jacob A. Henry Mansion; Henry was a wealthy railroad tycoon. The first churches in the area, the Central Presbyterian Church and the Richards Street Methodist Church, were built soon afterward. Commerce flourished on Washington street after a row of commercial structures were constructed. However, the area

1032-725: The Galardi Group became a franchisee of Tastee-Freez and made Tastee-Freez products available in its restaurants, Wienerschnitzel and Original Hamburger Stand . The Galardi Group was so pleased with the increased sales at its restaurant that it bought the Tastee-Freez company that year. The establishment is mentioned in John Mellencamp 's song " Jack & Diane ." It is also mentioned in Trisha Yearwood 's 1991 hit song " She's in Love with

1075-605: The Joliet area by providing some of the area's finest examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine, and Renaissance architecture. The spiritual community in Joliet welcomes newcomers with open arms, offering regular worship services and religious education. Joliet holds a very large Catholic population, and many Catholic institutions, including Joliet Catholic Academy and the University of St Francis . Like many Midwestern and East Coast cities dependent on manufacturing industries, Joliet has experienced past economic troubles. As of 2013 ,

1118-547: The brand was rapid in the 1950s; in 1952, there were 315 locations, more than 1600 by mid-1956, and by 1957 there were nearly 1,800 locations. The chain attempted to expand into England in the early 1960s where they began selling their products out of ice cream trucks . This business model was also attempted in the United States but proved so financially unsuccessful that Tastee-Freez filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 1963. Herbert Molner, then an assistant of Maranz, bought

1161-642: The chain out of bankruptcy a year later. He began a renovation plan that included a withdrawal from England, closure of older stores in smaller towns, and revitalization of the menu to include fast food items such as hot dogs and hamburgers. In 1982, Tastee-Freez was sold to the Denovo Corporation of Utica, Michigan , which also owned the Stewart's Restaurants and root beer, Dog n Suds root beer and drive-ins and B&K Rootbeer drive-ins, and Dairy Isle ice cream shops. In 1992, there were 340 locations. By 2003,

1204-425: The church sold the building in 1993, and it is no longer home to the congregation. The Jacob A. Henry Mansion, 20 South Eastern Avenue, is a three-story, red-brick, Second Empire/Italian Renaissance-style structure built on a Joliet limestone foundation in 1873 (completed in 1876). The structure is set on bedrock and the entire basement floor is made of Joliet limestone from the building owner's quarry. The walls of

1247-519: The city was 67.48% White, 15.98% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.93% Asian, 11.34% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.84% of the population. Of the 48,019 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 14% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were not families. About 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who

1290-541: The city. In the 1960s, Interstate 55 and Interstate 80 made their way through Joliet, linking up near Channahon just west of the city limits. The phrase "Crossroads of Mid-America", found on the Joliet seal, is an allusion to the intersection of I-80 and I-55 (and, historically, the intersection between the Lincoln Highway and Route 66). Joliet Transportation Center is the final stop on the Metra rail lines from Chicago for

1333-576: The closed Joliet East, each of which has sports programs. JCA has been a major football powerhouse for many years and has won more state football titles than any other team in the state, with 15 as of 2023. Joliet is the home of the University of St Francis athletics, nicknamed the Fighting Saints. The Fighting Saints participate in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in

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1376-506: The decline of the downtown shopping district, which is still felt today. Today, Joliet has a "west side" and a "far west side" (which includes all city limits in Kendall County). This has given rise to a newly referenced "Central Joliet" portion of the city, which essentially is all land west of the Des Plaines River and east of Interstate 55 . This new reference may soon change the current meaning of "west side" to west of I-55. Joliet has

1419-590: The early 1980s, the Job Corps of the U.S. Department of Labor has operated the Joliet Job Corps Center on the campus of the former Joliet East High School . Situated about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of central Chicago, Joliet has long been a significant transportation hub. It lies on both sides of the Des Plaines River, a major waterway in Northern Illinois , and was one of the principal ports on

1462-462: The front entry gate. The stone is 9×22×20 ft. In 1885, an immense Byzantine dome was added to the south façade. The interior of the Jacob A. Henry Mansion has elaborate polished-walnut woodwork, massive, carved pocket doors, original wood mantles, and a solid-walnut staircase. The original owner, Mr. Henry, was a railroad magnate, building railroads in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. He had ownership in

1505-594: The movie screen), at the corner of Scott Street and Washington, and at the old Menards that took over the Wieboldt's building at Jefferson Square Mall. The Illinois Youth Center Joliet, a juvenile correctional facility of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice , opened in April 1959. According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: The Rialto Square Theatre,

1548-535: The rate of unemployment in Joliet was around 8.6%. The city is evolving from a steel and manufacturing suburb to a commuter suburb in the Chicago metropolitan area . Some new migrants to the Chicago area are working in bordering Cook County (the nation's second-most populous county) and living in Joliet. The downtown area of Joliet has slowly attracted new businesses to the area. The main attractions in Joliet's city center are

1591-491: The state to rescind that incorporation. In 1845, local residents changed the community's name from "Juliet" to "Joliet", reflecting the original name. Joliet was reincorporated as a city in 1852. Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne was active in getting the city its first charter , and because of this, he was elected Joliet's first mayor . When the city later built a new bridge, it was named the Van Horne Bridge. According to

1634-454: The structure are constructed of red Illinois sandstone and deep red brick specially fired in Ohio (wrapped individually and shipped by barge to Joliet). A commanding three-story tower is the focal point of the structure. The structure has steel trim with slate shingles on a mansard roof. The front and side porches are single slabs of limestone. The largest stone ever quarried lies in the sidewalk under

1677-512: Was Prison Break . The prison was also used for the opening scenes in the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers , which starred John Belushi as "Joliet" Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues. The first Dairy Queen store opened in Joliet. The location is now occupied by Universal Church. Two casinos originated as riverboat casino in Joliet: the Hollywood Casino near Channahon and

1720-423: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01, and the average family size was 3.56. In the city, the population is 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males. For 2015,

1763-492: Was chosen as the county seat. Citizens on the land renamed the area Joliet in 1845 after French explorer Louis Jolliet . Thirty-two houses were constructed on the East Side between 1852 and 1873. The area was sought after because of its proximity to the railway station. The first mayor of Joliet, Cornelius Van Horn, built his residence here in 1852. Van Horn's son William became a magnate in the Canadian railroad industry. By 1873,

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1806-496: Was hit particularly hard by the Great Depression . Many mansions, including the Jacob A. Henry Mansion, were converted into boarding houses or funeral parlors . The east side failed to recover from the depression; remaining houses were converted into multiple-family homes or abandoned. The construction of Interstate 80 in the 1960s revitalized Washington Street, but did little for the residential areas. In 1975, Joliet financed

1849-530: Was the fastest-growing city in the Midwestern United States and the 18th-fastest growing city in the United States among incorporated places with more than 100,000 people. According to the official website for the city of Joliet: Joliet's diverse faith community represents over 60 denominations and offers residents services at more than 150 churches, synagogues, and houses of worship. Along with their spiritual offerings, these houses of worship enrich

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