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Millsdale, Illinois

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Millsdale is an abandoned village in Channahon Township, Will County, near Joliet, IL, close to the old road. It was always tiny: records count 25 people in 1903 and 20 in 1946. Santa Fe Railway trains called at its station. Little is left to see, but for ghost-town fans it is a reminder of the small rail stops that dotted the land along the route south of Joliet.

What is Millsdale?

Millsdale was a very small settlement that grew around a railroad stop, Millsdale Station, on the Santa Fe line. Its population stayed in the twenties through the first half of the 20th century before the village was abandoned.

Visiting Millsdale: tips

Expect little or nothing on the ground; treat this as a place to note rather than a planned stop. Better detours are nearby: Briscoe Mounds is about 3.1 miles away, Channahon State Park about 3.4 miles, and the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area about 3.7 miles.

Practical info

Address
Joliet, IL 60421

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Millsdale

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On the map

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Millsdale with the 6 closest stops and places to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.

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Stops near Millsdale

All of Illinois
Briscoe Mounds in Channahon, IL

Briscoe Mounds

Channahon, Illinois · 5.6 mi from Route 66

Two Mississippian-era mounds on the Des Plaines River, the biggest mound site in northern Illinois.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

3.1 mi from Millsdale

Channahon State Park, Illinois

Channahon State Park

Channahon, Illinois · 6.0 mi from Route 66

A riverside state park at the junction of three rivers, named for a Native word about meeting waters.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

3.4 mi from Millsdale

Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area near Joliet, IL

Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area

Joliet, Illinois · 4.3 mi from Route 66

A 5,000-acre state wildlife area on the floodplain where two rivers meet to form the Illinois River.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

3.7 mi from Millsdale

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Joliet, IL

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Joliet, Illinois · 0.7 mi from Route 66

The country's first national tallgrass prairie, on a former ammunition plant, now home to bison.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

4.8 mi from Millsdale

Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL

Route 66 Raceway

Joliet, Illinois · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A NASCAR-owned drag strip and dirt oval in Joliet that carries the Route 66 name.

Route 66 sitePhoto credit

5.0 mi from Millsdale

Dresden Island Lock and Dam Historic District

Morris, Illinois · 8.0 mi from Route 66

A 1930s lock and dam on the Illinois River, finished by Washington after the state ran out of money.

Historic district

6.5 mi from Millsdale

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