Joliet is a city
in Will county in the U.S. state of Illinois, located
40 miles southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat
of Will County.[2] As of the 2000 census, the city had
a total population of 106,221. Its estimated population
in 2007 was 145,800. It continues to be Illinois' fastest
growing city and one of the fastest growing in the United
States.
Joliet was first settled as a
town in 1834 and originally bore the name Juliet.[3]
Some historians believe the town was named Juliet in
honor of settler James B. Campbell's daughter.
Other possible sources of the
name include the Shakespearean character (the nearby
village of Romeoville was named as a companion; see
Romeo and Juliet) or a corruption of the name of French
Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet, who visited the area
in 1673. The name was eventually changed to Joliet in
his memory in 1845, and the city was incorporated in
1852.
Maps from Joliet's exploration
of the area placed a large hill or mound on what is
now the southwest corner of the city. That hill was
named Mound Jolliet, and was made up entirely of clay.
The spot was mined by early settlers and is now a depression.
That depression was settled soon after and became known
as the town of Rockdale.
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