Joliet in Will County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Roswell P. Flower
Rock Island Lines Seventieth Anniversary
| | 18521922 | |
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 27, 2026
1. Roswell P. Flower Marker
The memorial tree planted nearby is dedicated by the Rock Island in affectionate memory of Roswell P. Flower who by his industry courage and loyalty through every vicissitude signally aided in the development of the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railway into a great transportation system devoted to the public service
Erected 1922 by Rock Island Lines.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.
Location. 41° 31.486′ N, 88° 4.904′ W. Marker is in Joliet, Illinois, in Will County. It is at the intersection of Chicago Street and Jefferson Street, on the right when traveling south on Chicago Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14 West Jefferson Street, Joliet IL 60432, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: World War I Memorial Tree (here, next to this marker); Nelson D. Elwood (here, next to this marker); Bartleson Post No. 6 Memorial Tree (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named World War I Memorial Tree (a few steps from this marker); Samuel Benedict Reed
this page online
More about this marker. This memorial is embedded into a crushed concrete base just below another marker about a tree dedicated in honor of the local dead of World War I. These markers, along with several other plaques, seem to have been added to this site sometime between after 2020, when the previous courthouse was closed and Chicago Street reopened to traffic. It could not be immediately determined where this memorial was original located.
Regarding Roswell P. Flower. Roswell P. Flower was the 30th governor of New York. Born in Upstate New York, he first succeeded as a businessman and later as a financier and businessman. Among his investments was a western expansion of the Rock Island Lines railroad; he does not have any other apparent connection to Joliet. Flower died of a heart attack in 1899. He was the namesake of Roswell, Colorado, a coal mine settlement that was located in
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 27, 2026
2. Markers for Roswell P. Flower and WWI dead
Also see . . . Denver Gazette: Caboose Cobwebs: Does the name Mr. R. P. Flower ring a bell?.
Excerpt: "He was Roswell P. Flower, and the town of Roswell, Colo. is named after him. One of his investments was in the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroads extension into the west, and Colorado. A town named Roswell City was laid out east of a station on the railroad. Soon after, it was annexed by Colorado Springs and is the area north of Fontanero, west of Interstate 25, south of Fillmore."(Submitted on June 29, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 27, 2026
3. Three plaques along Chicago Street, near the former site of the Will County Courthouse
It appears that these markers were added to the landscaping around 2021, around when Chicago Street (on the left) was reopened to automobile traffic. It is not known where these markers had previously sat. The green field in the background is the site of Will County's fourth courthouse, a brutalist-style building that closed in 2020 and was torn down in 2024.
Artist unknown; courtesy of the State of New York, circa 1892
4. Roswell P. Flower
Flower served as New York's governor for three years, from the start of 1892 until the end of 1894.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 29, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
