Route 66Trip Guide

See it on the map

White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works near Joliet, IL
Photo: Wikimedia Commons — see author and license on the file page.

White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

DirectionsOpenStreetMap

This archaeological site marks where White and Company made drainage tile inside Goose Lake Prairie near Morris, IL, about 8 miles off the old road. From 1855 to 1865 the tile works here was one of the earliest efforts in Illinois to produce drainage tile on a large scale. Added to the National Register in 1998, it tells a small but real story of pioneer-era industry on the prairie, close to the stoneware site run by the same company.

What it is

The tile works belonged to a sizable plant, run by White and Company, that turned out both tile and stoneware. The company picked this spot because of the plentiful clay around Goose Lake. What remains on the ground today is mostly production waste: broken tile pieces and kiln furniture, the supports used to stack wares during firing.

The stoneware side of the operation has its own separate site nearby.

A bit of history

The tile works ran for about ten years, from 1855 until 1865. So many people worked for the company that a settlement called Jugtown grew up nearby, and by 1860 it had 114 residents. The site gained National Register status in August 1998.

Visiting tips

This is an archaeological site, not a museum; expect fragments rather than buildings, and never collect anything. The stoneware site is about 0.3 miles away, Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area about 1.8 miles, and the main prairie area about 1.8 miles.

Practical info

On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated.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

Where to eat nearby

All diners on Route 66 →

On the map

Full map

White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works with the 6 closest stops and a place to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

Nearby stops

All of Illinois
White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury in Morris, IL

White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

Morris, Illinois · 8.1 mi from Route 66

An 1850s stoneware plant site in Goose Lake Prairie that gave rise to a village called Jugtown.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

0.3 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

Aux Sable, Illinois · 9.6 mi from Route 66

A 1,300-acre lake dug to cool a power plant, now an Illinois state fish and wildlife area.

Nature & parks

1.8 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area in Divine, IL

Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area

Divine, Illinois · 8.1 mi from Route 66

A 2,537-acre state natural area where more than half the land is protected tallgrass prairie.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

1.8 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

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

4.2 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

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

6.5 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

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

7.1 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

Own or run White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works? Send us a photo or a correction.

See it on the map