1954 Map of Wilmington

About this map

The Joliet Arsenal dominates the center of this mid-century landscape, a massive military installation bounded by extensive rail lines including the Wabash RR. To the west, the Des Plaines River and Kankakee River converge, framed by the industrial legacy of the Michigan and Illinois Canal and the Des Plaines Wildlife Conservation Area. This era marks a peak in the region's extraction economy, evidenced by the extensive Strip Mines and mine dumps surrounding Braidwood and Diamond. Local life is anchored in several small school districts and cemeteries, such as the Chicago Road Cem and the Wilmington High Sch. Significant river engineering is visible through features like the Kankakee Cutoff and various levees, while the Soldiers Widows Home in Wilmington reflects the community's established civic character.