by Anne Holub
5/2/10 

"JOAAP" by Flickr user istorija from our pool.

Our featured photo this week is of the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, long since closed, the plant is actually now a part of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie located outside in Joliet, IL in Will County.  It operated during the 1940s to supply ammunition and explosives during World War II, and was officially closed in 1993, though most production ceased in the late 1970s.  The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie was established in 1995 and continues to grow as land, once a part of the Army's arsenal land, is transferred to the park. I like how the prairie is taking over this structure, and the capture of the weathered wood beams alongside the rapidly greening spring plants.  To learn more about Midewin and to plan a visit, check out their website.