Joliet Army Ammunition Plant

The day began with checking out some old refineries in Lockport. We drove out and looked over the area. The old tanks were still there but the refinery had been demolished. We could also see the top couple feet of soil had been removed for environmental purposes.

We decided to move on to the next target without investigating the tanks much further. We got back onto the highway and went to the Arsenal. The first impression was its size. This place is BIG. We drove along the road and turned off onto a dirt road. As we went along, we saw buildings past the fence. We decided to go a little further and check that out on the way back. About a half mile further up the road, we came to a guard post, abandoned. Although the chain and lock were somewhat new, it was obvious this installation had not been used in years. We got out of the car to check it out on foot. Gothariel noticed a break in the fence. We went over and, low and behold, the fence had been pulled down in a section. A building was directly on the other side of the fence, with the door slightly ajar.

We wandered around this building for a bit and then found the exit. We were now on the base. Weeds were almost up to our waist and popping out of the road. We checked out a couple buildings but didn't enter them. We then noticed the mess hall and entered. We heard a banging and that scared us (we thought it was somebody), but turned out to be a fan rotating in to the ventilation system. The ceiling had collapsed near the kitchen, exposing the building to the weather (very moldy inside). The dishwashing system was still there, along with some stainless steel sinks.

We moved to the next building, which was the boiler house. Three very large tanks rested on concrete cradles with pipes zigzagging all over the place. Otto saw that the plate on the tanks noted the manufacture date of 1949. We looked around some more and saw a bunch of electrical breakers for the compound. Otto took some more pictures and then we went on our way.

We walked over to what appeared to be the officers residences (judging by their size and amenities). We entered one home and immediately noticed a mass amount of paint chips on the floor. We seemed to be pretty far from the entry point, for we didn't notice any beer bottles or cigarette butts. The home was medium size, two story. The bathroom was a total wreck with the sink and mirror smashed. The dining room still had a lighting fixture hanging. The kitchen still had the cabinets and counter tops (the counters being that lovely 70's yellow). The sink was still there, engulfed in spider webs. The upstairs was pretty much the same. In one room, we saw the carcass of a small animal that had been eaten by another animal. Blood stained the wood floors.

We looked at a couple other homes but the smaller ones looked very unstable. One home had slid about three feet off its foundation, leaving the stairs behind. From a distance, we could see a couple buildings about 100 yards from the residential area (how would you like to have a shipping and receiving area in your backyard?). We looked for a break in the gate to enter the next compound.

Further along the road, we found another guard post with the fire station next to it. Again, the buildings were completely empty. We walked along the road and noticed the signs for the base. One announced the name and function of the base, another was a speed limit sign, and another was a warning. We walked along the road until we came to another compound. One building seemed to be a shipping and receiving area, judging by all the tracks and depots along the building.

Two buildings, facing each other, had doors opened and structurally sound. Otto entered one while Megan entered another. The first building was just a large empty space with a couple offices attached. The furniture had been removed so Otto left.

The second building, the one that Megan entered, proved to be much better. We entered through a doorway and immediately noticed the dampness of the room. An old compressor, most likely for air conditioning, sat rusting in one corner. The tiles on the floor had come unattached and we had to be careful with our footing. We then saw a sign informing us we were in the laboratory.

We wandered around the front of the building, going through the offices. All the paper and furniture, like the others had been removed. When we entered the work area in the back, we could tell it might have been a motor pool. Moss was growing in selected spots on the floor, adding an eerie green to the room. We entered the men's locker and bathroom.

Most of the lockers had been emptied but we found a few that still had items inside. We found a pay stub, a bottle of Bayer aspirin, sandals, and a safety manual dated from 1969. We looked around some more and noticed the urinals were wrapped in plastic, looking brand new. We went into the women's bathroom but didn't find anything of interest.

As we went further into the building, we entered the tool storage area, but everything had been removed (a growing theme with this place). At the rear of the building, we found a workshop with a few vices and heavy cranks. We found a couple small signs and a blue warning light.

The sun was setting quickly and we decided to leave so we could make sure we knew how to get back. We made our way back and checked out the fence for another entrance point. We could see yet another compound about 200 yards away.

We then drove around the fenced area and realized how big this place really was. Its about two to three square miles.