Everything New Lenox is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near New Lenox.
15 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
Pulling into this Joliet neighborhood is like stepping back in time, a time when limestone built the city, and Joliet built the nation. Joliet was founded in 1831, chosen for its abundant natural resources, especially…
Check out that stunning building! Joliet Union Station stands as a monument to the glory days of rail travel. In 1912, this Beaux-Arts masterpiece was built to consolidate six different railroads converging here, making…
Prepare to be amazed! This isn't just another building; it's the Rialto Square Theatre, a dazzling movie palace that once reigned supreme during the Roaring Twenties. Opening its doors in 1926, the Rialto was designed…
Get ready, because right up ahead looms Joliet Prison, a place that's held some of the toughest criminals in Illinois for over a century. Built by convict labor starting in 1858, Joliet Prison housed inmates for nearly…
This spot whispers tales of Joliet's glory days, when steel forged the city's identity. From 1869 to 1936, the Joliet Iron Works roared, eventually becoming the Joliet Steel Works. It was the second-largest steel mill…
Joliet, Illinois, a city carved from limestone and ambition, owes its name to the French-Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet. While he never settled there, his expedition down the Mississippi River in the late 17th century,…
You're driving near a spot that once changed the fate of the Midwest! This is where the Illinois and Michigan Canal played a pivotal role in connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. Construction started in…
This unassuming lock and dam is a watery crossroads, a vital link connecting the Great Lakes to the mighty Mississippi. Built during the Great Depression between 1927 and 1933, the Brandon Road Lock and Dam was a key…
Ever wonder how Chicago avoided becoming a stinky swamp? This powerhouse is a big part of the answer. In the late 1800s, Chicago's waste was flowing into Lake Michigan, the city's drinking water source. To fix this,…
Pull over and step back in time! This 14-block area is the heart of Lemont, a downtown that’s been buzzing since the mid-1800s. The opening of the Illinois & Michigan Canal in the 1850s kicked off a boom here. Suddenly,…
Imagine Chicago drowning in its own waste – that's what led to this incredible feat of engineering. In the late 1800s, Chicago was growing rapidly, and its sewage was contaminating Lake Michigan, the city's drinking…
Imagine escaping the Chicago heat to a sprawling summer home, built for one of the guys who literally invented mail-order retail. This is the George R. Thorne House. In 1899, George R. Thorne, a co-founder of Montgomery…
Ever wonder how a small town like Wilmington thrived back in the day? This house, the Small–Towle House, holds a clue. It reflects Wilmington's milling boom in the 1850s, especially after the Chicago and Alton Railroad…
Completed in 1933, the Dresden Island Lock and Dam helped tame the Illinois River. Before this, the river was prone to flooding and difficult to navigate, hindering commerce and development in the region. The lock and…
This unassuming house holds a key to understanding how Blue Island, Illinois, came to be. It was built for a man named Joshua P. Young. In 1852, Young, a land developer, built this house. He wasn't just developing Blue…