Dellwood Park - Lockport

History:

Dellwood Park was built in 1905-06 by the Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway Company to help promote ridership on the line.  Cost nearly $300,000 to build, Dellwood Park officially opened July 4, 1905, and quickly became one of the most outstanding and beautiful park sites in the state.  During the peak years, as many as 15,000 persons visited the park on weekends during company picnics.  A grandstand was built at a cost of $10,000, and as many as 5,000 spectators sat in the stand to watch many events, including baseball games and sulky races. For over 30 years, Dellwood Park, just north of Joliet in Lockport, was one of the finest amusement, recreational and picnic areas in the region.  Thousands of people came to the park each year by rail from Chicago and other surrounding communities. The top postcard photograph shows a view of the lake and dam at Dellwood Park.  During the summer months, visitors would use the lake to swim and boat.  During the winter months, visitors would enjoy ice skating on the frozen lake.  The bottom postcard shows a view of the main entrance from the railroad tracks.

Source Credit:

These photographs are part of the Local History Project digitization project at Minooka Community High School.

We Need Your Help:

David Belden is a history teacher at Minooka Community High School and is currently publishing local postcard books with Arcadia Publishing in his Local History classes, including Grundy County, Joliet, Will County, Princeton and I&M Canal.  He and his students are currently looking for I&M photos and postcards and Joliet photographs. If you are interested in contributing a postcard image, please email him at: dbelden@mchs.net or localhistory@mchs.net call 815-467-2140 x260. To view more postcards and images, visit www.localhistoryproject.org or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/localhistory