Will County Historical Museum and Research Center

Will County Historical Museum and Research Center The Will County Historical Society exists so that people and organizations may be connected to the rich history of Will County, Illinois.

On August 28, 1990, between 3:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. CDT, a violent F-5 tornado ripped through a portion of Kendall and W...
08/28/2026

On August 28, 1990, between 3:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. CDT, a violent F-5 tornado ripped through a portion of Kendall and Will counties, taking the lives of 29 people and injuring 350. The tornado left a 16.4 mile-long damage path which ranged from 600 yards to a half a mile in width. An estimated total of $160 million dollars in damages was added up with a total of 470 homes destroyed and 1000 damaged.


Not only was this F-5 tornado disastrous, it was also very unusual for several reasons:

The Plainfield tornado was the first tornado with a rating greater than F-3 to occur during the month of August in the state of Illinois (official NWS tornado records date back to 1950).

It was the second killer tornado since 1950 to occur during the month of August in Illinois.

This tornado remains the only F-5/EF-5 rated tornado documented in the United States during the month of August.

The tornado had low clouds and rain surrounding it, making it difficult to see. Because of this, no known photographs or videos of this tornado exist.

The tornado approached from the northwest; most tornadoes approach from the southwest.

Photo 1: Will County Historical Museum
Photos 2-4: National Weather Service

from the Illinois Sesquicentennial Celebration and Homecoming, Lockport-Homer Townships, October 18-20, 1968 Paper - S...
08/26/2026

from the Illinois Sesquicentennial Celebration and Homecoming, Lockport-Homer Townships, October 18-20, 1968 Paper - Supplement to the Lockport Herald October 17, 1968

Photo of the Old Moose Home from 1918 to May 14, 1955. The Lockport Moose Lodge 1557 occupied this building from 1918 to 1955. This is a historic structure. Earliest available record dates ownership to Jonathan McDonald whose newspaper, originally The Phoenix, was edited and published by his son, Leon, in 1895, then village president. This was the origin of the great fire that year when a pot of charcoal set the building afire during a roofing repair. It was rebuilt and owned by McDonald's widow until 1918.

After the fire, John R. Pitt's grocery store and jewelry repair occupied the first floor until Joseph Donahue, formerly clerk at Norton's Store, purchased the business in 1907. After rebuilding, the second floor was occupied by Northwestern Telephone Exchange beginning in 1897 and continuing until the company suspended business about 1917. Moose now owns a new building to the East. Moose Lodge was organized in White Cross Hall, August of 1914.

This hall was the second floor of the Woock building on 10th street, recently torn down. Hall was earlier occupied by the Will County Advertiser, a weekly, where Thomas A. Cheadle was first employed in 1892 by Allan Hawley who owned the printing plant there.

For , as we're in the midst of the Crosstown Classic, we have a photo linking Babe Ruth to Joliet. On August 1, 1922, f...
08/19/2026

For , as we're in the midst of the Crosstown Classic, we have a photo linking Babe Ruth to Joliet. On August 1, 1922, following a series against the White Sox, Babe Ruth and several New York Yankees teammates attended an underground Prohibition party featuring a ham and cabbage dinner at the E. Porter Brewing Company on South Bluff Street in Joliet, Illinois. Unbeknownst to the players, a companion named Lloyd Kelly was actually an undercover private detective hired by the team to document their illicit nightlife. Babe Ruth, Wh**ey Witt, Lefty O'Doul, Bob Meusel, a local police officer, and the undercover spy Kelly. Kelly convinced the group to pose for a group photo at the brewery. Management later used this very photograph and Kelly's notes to discipline the players for breaking curfew and drinking during Prohibition.

this week is a fun artifact in our front hallway of the museum. It's a Philco Model 90 Highboy radio that was released...
08/12/2026

this week is a fun artifact in our front hallway of the museum. It's a Philco Model 90 Highboy radio that was released in 1931. It's a great piece of history we use to demonstrate that before the Internet or social media, this was the gathering place of the home for entertainment and news. Imagine sitting in front of this great piece and listening to President Roosevelt announce the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and a few years later hear about the final surrender of the war on the same set? Come in and see this great piece of American history.

. From the Joliet Illustrated, The Daily Republican, 1897"Photo of Frank W. Dewey, Superintendent of the Joliet Water W...
08/05/2026

. From the Joliet Illustrated, The Daily Republican, 1897
"Photo of Frank W. Dewey, Superintendent of the Joliet Water Works, proved himself to be the right man in the right place, for never have the water works been better managed and the supply of water given with less friction than since he took charge. He was appointed to the position in 1893 and is a thorough engineer and understands perfectly every detail of machinery. He was born in Meadville, PA on August 6, 1862. In 1884 he started working at the electric company where he remained for three years, he was an engineery of the fire department once year and of the water works for three years. He was engineer of the Pontiac Reform School for one year."

Alice M. Green was born July 21, 1871, in Braidwood, Illinois. She began teaching in Joliet in September 1896, transf...
07/22/2026

Alice M. Green was born July 21, 1871, in Braidwood, Illinois. She began teaching in Joliet in September 1896, transferred to Lincoln School in 1899, and became principal in 1907. She remained in that position until her death on January 14, 1936.

The museum will be closed today.
07/17/2026

The museum will be closed today.

1925. No. 8 cow, record producer for a three year old. Shown are John Frederickson, Arthur and Adolf Nystrom, DuPage ...
07/16/2026

1925. No. 8 cow, record producer for a three year old. Shown are John Frederickson, Arthur and Adolf Nystrom, DuPage Township residents.

Because of the 4th of July holiday landing on the first weekend of July, we decided to have the Heritage Village open th...
07/11/2026

Because of the 4th of July holiday landing on the first weekend of July, we decided to have the Heritage Village open this weekend so more people could find the time to come out and join us. The Village will be open this weekend from noon to 4:00 both Saturday and Sunday. And if you love mulberries, the time to grab some, he's winding down for the summer. Please come out and visit us both at the village and at our main Museum 803 South State Street.

Address

803 S State St
Lockport, IL
60441

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 3pm
Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm
Sunday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

(815) 838-5080

Website

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