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E. Porter Products Company Brewery (Joliet, Illinois)
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| Title | E. Porter Products Company Brewery (Joliet, Illinois) |
| Creator | Williams, Adele Fay |
| Date of the Drawing | March 31, 1929 |
| Description | Drawing of E. Porter Products Company Brewery in Joliet, Illinois. This drawing is a part of the Robert E. Sterling Collection. |
| Title of Article | Castle-like Bluff street structure |
| Date of Article | March 31, 1929 |
| Transcript of the Article | From the Joliet Herald-News Sunday March 31, 1929 – "Possibly no one will recognize this so seeming medieval castle ruin standing in grim majesty on the banks of the canal. That is unless they have walked down Desplaines street, or even the tow path, the weedy embankment separating the river from the canal, south of the Jefferson street bridge. Always a picturesque structure since the time it was built in prevolstead days, never was it more massive, more picturesque and appealing than now when, the sport of fire and storm, it stands, deserted, lonely and dejected, given over to the storms of fate, its roofs eaten out by fire, and dynamite set to gnaw its vitals. Sport of Fate. For some time this building has been the sport of fate, its history dynamic, not to say tragic and none so poor to do it reverence. But whatever its history, there is no doubt that now in its massive ruin and decay, it was never more beautiful in its faded color, its big masses, and the play of light and shade over its streaked and speckled brick stone and iron walls, the spotting of blacks in its broken irregular windows. But still its turrets, its castle-like towers remain undiminished in serenity and beauty. Probably the structure will be rebuilt to some practical utilitarian purpose before long. But it is equally likely it will never be as beautiful nor as dramatic in appeal as it stands today, mournfully looking at progress that goes on around it. Build Artificial Lake. And much is doing and will continue right near the spot where the melancholy ruin stands and seems to watch. Later on, not so very long hence, so it said, the old tow path will be blown up and laid low to make way for the lake—or great pool, as waterway officials call it, which will swell to at least 300 feet wide from Jackson discreet to Brandon bridge, growing wider as it reaches the bridge, until a lake of 1, 300 to 1, 500 feet wide will occupy the river bed and valley at this point. Even now the high retaining wall under construction along the river bank is creeping up to obscure the beauty of the rugged old banks of the river, as it always the way of progress. Of course, these necessary constructions bring a beauty of their own to take the place of that which destroy or conceal. Retain Old Canal. In the engineers' office used by officials of the pool part of the waterway system contract, which stands in River Park, immediately opposite the old brewery, there is great activity and constructive activity that concerns itself with mysterious plans, instructions and their execution. G. F. Fleetwood is the resident engineer in charge of this office, with M. M. Latimer, assistant resident engineers. All told there are 10 engineers, time keepers and inspectors in this office alone, who attend to the multitudinous details of the work. It will be good news for some lovers of the old canal to learn that it will be left intact except that the water will be deeper, and it is hoped, cleaner. The small lock to take care of the old canal is already built, according to Mr. Fleetwood." |
| Subject | Williams, Adele Fay
Joliet (Ill.) -- History
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| Physical Description | 30 cm. x 22.5 cm. |
| Type | Drawing |
| Format | Image/TIFF |
| Identifier | 2011-8-ste-afwa-0015 |
| Source | Click this link for more historical information on the Joliet area - http://lewisu.edu/imcanal |
| Language | English |
| Publisher (Digital) | Lewis University |
| Rights | All rights held by Lewis University. For permission to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise use this image, please contact the Howard and Lois Adelmann Regional History Collection at Lewis University at 815-836-5665. |
| Collection | Adele Fay Williams Collection of Drawings and Prints (Lewis University) |
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