The Gerlach Barklow Company was organized in 1907. The construction of the factory building in Joliet began and was completed that same year. The prime movers in the organization of the company were Theodore R. Gerlach, Edward J. Barklow, and K. H. Gerlach. Over the next decade, the company quickly grew into one of the largest calendar and advertising companies in America. A leading employer in Joliet for several decades, the company sponsored many sports teams as well as an annual picnic for its employees. This book, through vintage photographs and calendar prints, offers a unique view of the Gerlach Barklow Company's rich history. It includes calendar prints from the many artists employed by Gerlach Barklow, photographs of the various departments that made up the factory, photographs of company-sponsored sports teams, Volland books, as well as examples of Rust Craft greeting cards.

Since 1991 the city of Joliet, Illinois, has commissioned painters for a series of public murals. Free to use their own styles and follow their particular visions, the artists gave Joliet a diverse and dramatic body of public art that is also a statement of civic pride and a revival of a venerable midwestern tradition. Arrayed with color plates of the murals and accompanied by biographical sketches of the artists, this impressive volume documents the rich ethnic, racial, and cultural heritage that informs the art. An old industrial city thirty-five miles south of Chicago, Joliet has a mixed ethnic population. The murals of Joliet reflect this diversity, featuring the experiences of African Americans, Mexican Americans, Italian Americans, German and Irish immigrants, and the city's Slovenian community. Bold, colorful pieces acknowledge industrial and natural resources, including the Illinois and Michigan Canal, the Des Plaines River, the region's limestone quarries, and the Sauk trail. They pay tribute to the area's farmers as well as to individuals such as labor leader Samuel Gompers and the dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist Katherine Dunham. Above all, Murals: The Great Walls of Joliet documents the profound transformation in the local mentality wrought by the development of public art in the city. Underwritten by a community group, Friends of Community Public Art, the Joliet murals project stands as a model for modern municipal patronage, evidence of a population's decision to invest in public art to enrich its environment and express the ideals of the whole community.

In 1673, Louis Jolliet and Fr. Jacques Marquette were the first Europeans to explore the Mississippi and the Illinois River valleys. Their explorations took them through what is now Joliet. Founded in 1834 as Juliet, the settlement's future was shaped by several important developments. The Des Plaines River provided an early waterway, and its power gave rise to mills and manufacturing. Native limestone rock beds helped build a 19th-century city, while Joliet quarries employed thousands of men. From the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848, to the building of the Illinois Central and Rock Island Railroads in the 1850s, to the intersecting of the Lincoln Highway and Route 66 in the 20th century, Joliet became an important hub between rural towns in Will and Grundy Counties and Chicago. Over 200 vintage postcards of Joliet reveal a unique city with a sense of community pride.

Includes Part 1A: Books and Part 1B: Pamphlets, Serials and Contributions to Periodicals

Plainfield is Will County's oldest community. The area along the DuPage River was originally home to the Potawatomi Indians. By 1830, a small settlement called Walker's Grove was developed along the DuPage River south of where the village is located today. During the Black Hawk War, these settlers constructed and took refuge at Fort Beggs, named after Rev. Stephen Beggs. In 1834, the village of Plainfield was platted by Chester Ingersoll. This book spans the early settlement, the Civil War years, and the commercial development of the 19th century well into the 20th century and includes a chapter on the 1990 tornado. Tim and Michelle will share the many images taken from early glass negatives in addition to a collection of rare documents and paper items from early Plainfield. These images lend the opportunity to reflect upon Plainfield's rich history.

Later that same year, workers broke ground for the nearly 100-mile-long Illinois and Michigan Canal between the Illinois and Chicago Rivers. The opening of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the movement of industry away from Chicago caused manufacturers to turn their attention to Will. As the countys population grew, the unincorporated area between Joliet and Chicagos southern suburbs continued to shrink. The transportation ties linking Chicago with the communities of Will Countytraces, paths, wagon roads, canals, rail lines, plank roads, and highwayshelped create an expanding metropolitan region. The early history and unique growth of Will County is showcased in this book. Over 200 vintage postcards provide an interesting glimpse into the social, material, and cultural history of Will County in the early 20th century.