Hickory Creek in the 1830's

Hickory Creek in the 1830's. . This mural portrays the early mills of Joliet along Hickory Creek. Images of the original Red Mill and the Cagwin Saw Mill, as well as the old Richards Street stone bridge, are combined with serene scenes portraying the Hickory Creek area. Pioneers (and later generations) used the site for recreation. Early settlers were attracted to the area because of its rivers, streams and woodlands. Water was harnessed to power mills, and trees provided building materials. In any settlement, grist (flour) and saw mills were among the first indicators of pioneer enterprise, as bread and lumber were important staples of frontier life. The construction of the mill involved damming a stream and digging a millrace - the current that drove the wheel., The first mill to appear in the Hickory Creek settlement was the Red Mill Company. It was built in 1830 by Col. Sayre, one of the area's earliest settlers. The mill supplied lumber for Hickory Creek's and Joliet's first frame houses and also served farmers who came in wagons with grain for grinding. The first of several early sawmills built in town was constructed by A. Cagwin in the 1830's, also on Hickory Creek. The mural pictures early workings of the Cagwin Saw Mill, which also sawed lumber for early houses in the area. James McGee built the first mill in Joliet proper (then known as Juliet) on the Des Plaines River in 1834. , Also in the 1830's, the Joliet area's first bridge was built across Hickory Creek. Like many early bridges, they were often threatened by flooding that plagued the area and eventually washed them away. Such early bridges were followed by more durable structures like the Richards Street stone bridge shown here., Lead artists: Kathleen Farrell, Kathleen Scarboro. Assistant artist: Carla Carr, Javier Chavira, Sergio Gomez. Mural sponsored by the City of Joliet. Plaque sponsored by the Joliet/Will County Center for Economic Development Foundation. Copyright Friends of Community Public Art 1996