History of Fairmont

A special thanks to Steve Lazzara of the Will County Land Use Department for his
tireless efforts, generous use of his car and time to conduct interviews to make this
project possible. A very special thanks to all who invited us into their homes and
shared their stories about Fairmont. Without you, this project would not have been
possible.

Prepared by
Sara Ellis
Summer and Fall of 2012
Master of Urban Planning and Policy
University of Illinois at Chicago
Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................1
Early Migration........................................4
Second Wave of Migration................10
Third Wave of Migration....................23
Appendix................................................27
 Introduction

Two of Fairmont’s numerous Churches. Left: St. John Vinnay. Right: Kingdom Hall of Jehova’s Witnesses
Fairmont is a small, urban, unincorporated neighborhood located between Lockport and
Joliet in Will County, Illinois. As an unincorporated region, Fairmont does not have
direct municipal oversight such as a city does. Fairmont is under the governance of
Lockport Township and Will County. Will County is home to numerous unincorporated
areas, but Fairmont is unique because of its density, and urban-like small lot sizes.
It is predominately comprised of single family homes with 89.4% of the 824 total
homes identified as single family, detached structures surrounded by small scale
agriculture or open space and platted land that was never developed. Because
Fairmont does not have direct municipal oversight, it does not have sidewalks, storm
drains or street lights. This was not a problem when the population was small,
because the need for this type of infrastructure was not as great. Residents moved
to the area for its “county charm” in the city, but as the population continued to
grow so did the need for these services. Unincorporated areas are frequently annexed
into neighboring municipalities, which provides the sidewalks, street lights and other
amenities. In the case of Fairmont, there has never been a sufficient tax base for
surrounding cities to be interested in annexation. Since Fairmont is unincorporated,
residents pay less in taxes because they are paying just to Will County. Garabage
pickup is an additional expense. Between the early 1900’s up until the 1980’s many
residents had free water from private wells on their properties.

Fairmont has one local elementary school that serves kindergarten through eighth
grade students, housing approximately 250 total students. Many students walk to
school in the street because of the lack of sidewalks, causing a concern for their
safety. Currently Will County is piloting a project to address this issue by constructing
1,000 feet of sidewalk leading up to the school. This is part of the “Safe Routes to
School” project which is a national program that improves the safety and accessibility
around schools. Generally speaking, counties do not take on projects of this nature
for unincorporated neighborhoods because they often lack the population density to
warrant sidewalks. Despite Fairmont’s increasing infrastructure issues, residents are
very clear they are staying for better or worse. Many residents have been in the
neighborhood since the 1950’s, with some living in the homes they built upon first
arriving in the northern part of the U.S. Resident’s sense of connection to the land
and neighborhood is strong, and they are willing to stay and fight for improvements,
rather than move to a nearby municipality that has desired amenities.

1
Fairmont was platted in the early 1900’s and evidence of early residents date back
to the 1870’s. The population of Fairmont and neighboring Joliet grew in conjunction
as Eastern European and Irish immigrants moved to Illinois to work on the
construction of the Illinois & Michigan Canal (I&M Canal), the Rock Island Railroad,
and the Illinois Ship and Sanitary Canal. By the 1950’s Fairmont was growing from
uncharted territory into an established neighborhood. The Great Migration of African
Americans from Southern to Northern United States after World II contributed to this
growth. Migrants moved to work in the previously booming manufacturing industry,
and expanded the population of Joliet considerably. With access to good paying jobs
in close proximity, low taxes, and plentiful land, Fairmont was a premier destination
in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The population continued to grow and residents opened
up stores, taverns, and small businesses that served the neighborhood. Around the
late 1960’s and 1970’s, Fairmont, which until this point had experienced steady
growth, began to lose population. This was mainly due to the loss of manufacturing.
Residents began to move, or aged out of the neighborhood and many of the small
businesses went with them. In the 1960’s the United States began to see an
increase in the construction of large scale public housing developments. The City
of Joliet built two housing developments in close proximity to Fairmont that saw
problems not uncommon to any public housing built during this time. Unfortunately
the problems of the public housing combined with high unemployment rates and
population loss in Fairmont transformed the neighborhood into a very different place
from what it was in the 1950’s.

Currently, Fairmont is home to a changing population with a growing number of

Hispanic residents moving in. The housing stock has changed as Habitat for Humanity
began building homes, and new independent contractors have moved in and are
increasing the variety of homes. The Will County Land Use Department recently
developed a neighborhood plan with the assistance of the Chicago Metropolitan
Agency for Planning (CMAP) that is a guide to assist in the future growth of
Fairmont. At this time the County is in the process of implementing this plan, and
residents have organized a community group, Fairmont Community Partnership, that is
working to advocate for the needs of Fairmont. Fairmont once again is undergoing
many changes, and the following section will detail its history.

2
This document is one of the implementation steps that came out of the Fairmont
Neighborhood Plan, developed by CMAP. Presently there is little documented history
of the area, and its long legacy lives on in the memories and photo albums of
its residents. If this history is not captured, Fairmont’s long, rich legacy is at risk
of being lost. This document is the product of numerous interviews with community
residents, leaders, elected officials, and government employees familiar with the area.
This information, combined with newspaper articles, photographs generously donated by
residents, plat maps, census data and well records, helped develop this history. Will
County has taken this project on to continue the process of providing a sense of
identity for the community. While Fairmont has a rich history, and a number of long
term residents, the neighborhood is undergoing change and does not have a strong
overarching identity. This document seeks to contribute to Fairmont’s identity, and to
show that this neighborhood is a unique place in Will County with a history worth
preserving.

3
 Early Migration into Fairmont
Late 1800’s through early 1900’s

Image: Russian Grove Cemetary Headstone from 1913

4
One of the earliest documented residents of Fairmont was Isaac Nobes, an English
immigrant who owned the Oak Hill Quarry in Joliet in 1873. Nobes built his home
on what is now Nobes Avenue and Illinois Route 171, which was said to have had
a perfect view of the Des Plaines River Valley. The Nobes Mansion was just one
of the beautiful homes that existed in Fairmont and reflects the architectural influence
of the immigrants who once lived there. While some older homes still exist, many
have since been demolished after becoming vacant and falling into disrepair. The
Nobes Mansion does not exist anymore. Over time it became too much work for
Nobes and his wife to keep up by themselves, and they sold the property. The size
of the Nobes mansion was too large, and likely too expensive to be sold or rented
out as a single family dwelling, so the new owner converted it into apartments. It is
unclear what happened to the apartments, but in the 1970’s the Will County Code
Enforcement Department demolished the building after it sat vacant for 10 years.
Neglect had turned the building into an unsafe structure.

5
There is little to no documented history on the early years of Fairmont, (prior to
1940) but it can be inferred that residents worked in the same industries as Joliet
residents and were of a similar ethnic composition.

Major Industry that Attracted Immigration:

Illinois & Michigan Canal Construction 1836–1848

The I&M Canal runs for 96 miles from Chicago to La Salle, Illinois and its
construction attracted a large number of Irish, German, and Swedish immigrants
to assist in its construction. The construction of the Rock Island Railroad in 1852
provided an alternative method to transport goods that was cheaper and faster,
effectively rendering the canal obsolete. The construction of the canal did encourage
the growth of Joliet and surrounding areas when limestone was discovered. Joliet
was known as the “City of Stone” for its abundance of limestone. In the 1900’s
Indiana’s limestone was found to be superior thereby reducing Joliet’s limestone output
and total number of jobs. The most significant aspect of the I & M Canal was the
growth of the manufacturing industry for Joliet.

Illinois Ship and Sanitary Canal Construction 1892–1900

The Illinois Ship and Sanitary canal went from Chicago to Lockport and was originally
constructed to send pollution out of a growing Chicago, south to Missouri. The
construction of this canal attracted and employed many Eastern European immigrants
in the Joliet region. The canal was a prominent shipping route until the 1950’s when
the Calumet Harbor began receiving a larger volume of ships, taking a significant
amount of business away from the Illinois Ship and Sanitary Canal.

The Joliet Correctional Center 1858-2002

The Joliet Correctional Center was a large customer of the nearby limestone quarries
as it is built predominately out of limestone. The architect of the project was a man
by the name of William Boyington, who is well known for designing Chicago’s original
water tower in 1867. The correctional center currently sits vacant as a potential
tourist destination right off of route 171 in neighboring Forest Park. Its closure
resulted in a large number of layoffs which took place over an extended period of
time until the complete closure in 2002.

6
U.S. Steel 1869-1986

U.S. Steel (formerly the Joliet Steel Plant) was built in 1869 and attracted thousands
of Eastern European immigrants to the area. The nearby railroad serviced the steel
mill and contributed to its success. During this time, Joliet was becoming a center
of activity because it was in a position to export and import goods through multiple
water ways. The Illinois Ship and Sanitary Canal, the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (EJ&E)
railroad and the I & M Canal allowed for the movement of limestone, steel and
other materials used during World War II. U.S. Steel and the national steel industry
as a whole saw massive competition and layoffs during the 1970’s and 1980’s due
to international competition.

Kopper’s Coke Oven Plant 1907-1980’s

Kopper’s was acquired by U.S. Steel and worked in conjunction with it to create
wood byproducts that could be used by various wartime industries.

Joliet Arsenal 1940-1970’s

The Joliet Arsenal, otherwise known as the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, was
another large employer found in nearby Wilmington. Located approximately fifteen miles
south of Fairmont it served to produce ammunition and explosives during World War
II and was shut down after the war ended in 1945. The plant later reopened in
1951 through 1957 for production during the Korean War and again from 1965 to
1976 during the Vietnam War. The plant finally ceased operations in the late 1970’s
and officially shut its doors in 1992. These periods of on and off operations may
have contributed to unstable employment for nearby residents. The land now hosts
many uses including a military cemetary, an inland port and a national tallgrass
prarie.

Rock Island Railroad 1852-Present

The Rock Island Railroad established in 1852 in Joliet worked in conjunction with the
Joliet Steel Mill to transport goods throughout the region. Metra currently uses the
train lines for commuter trains to Chicago.

7
Fairmont is home to two cemeteries, both of which have a rich history and are the
oldest relics of history in the area.

Russian Grove Early 1900’s - Present

The Russian Grove Cemetary sits to the

northern side of A.F. Hill Park, and was
an area used for picnics by the members
of the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church which
used to be located in Fairmont. Remnants
of its old pavilion can still be seen in
the foundation of the current Bethlehem
Apostolic Church. At one time, the pavilion
was a popular location for picnics, dances
and other communal uses after residents
attended church. Today the cemetery does
not appear to be frequented, and the
upkeep is minimal. Yet, it still bears the Entrance to the Russian Grove Cemetary
mark of its Eastern European heritage which
was Russian, Greek, and Serbian. There are still grave markers in the cemetery with
Eastern European characters to denote the placement of graves. The pavilion stopped
being used in 1959 when the church moved to Joliet. St. Nicholas Orthodox Church
built a new cemetery in 1981, and many bodies were exhumed from the Russian
Grove cemetary and moved to the new Joliet location.

Images taken of the Russian Grove Cemetary

8
Mt. Cavalry Cemetery Late 1920’s–1980’s

St. Mary’s Assumption Church is the current property owner of the Mt. Cavalry
Cemetery. There is not much information available on this site, but the church,
similar to the Russian Grove Cemetery, has since moved out of Fairmont. St.
Mary’s Assumption was established in 1917 in Joliet near Fairmont, and their
cemetery was built in what is now considered Fairmont. Similar to St. Nicholas
Orthodox Church the congregation was made up of Russian, Slovakian, and Ukrainian
members and moved in the late 1980’s.

9
 Second Wave of Migration: 1950’s through
1980’s

Images of Fairmont Church & Home

10
The second wave of migration Fairmont saw was African American migrants moving
from the south for the booming industry and wide range of available jobs found
in Joliet at the time. Many residents described Fairmont as country living in the
city, and chose to live in an unincorporated neighborhood for its rural charm, and
cheap land prices. During the 1950’s through the 1970’s Fairmont was a melting
pot of cultures. Residents of different ethnic backgrounds lived on the same block
harmoniously, although there was some racial division at the time, such as Oak
Street, which historically has been a dividing line between White and African
American homeowners.

Shiloh Baptist Church 1947 – Present

Shiloh Baptist Church is, and has been, a very influential and strong organization
in Fairmont. Not only does it have its roots anchored to the community, but its
membership is composed of locals and neighboring residents. Shiloh was originally
built in 1907 in Lockport, and relocated in 1947 to be closer to its parishoners.
In 1957 the Church expanded to accommodate a growing membership. In 1963
Reverend James Walton became the pastor and pushed forth with a renovation for
the church. He was such an influential community member that “Reverend Walton
Drive” in Fairmont was named after him in 1990. In 2002 Shiloh Baptist Church
acquired 42 acres of land in Fairmont and has since rebuilt a larger church with the
capacity to better serve a greater population.

Habitat for Humanity Started Building 1988 - Present

Fairmont has approximately thirty Habitat for Humanity Homes; which are built in
communities with a need for decent, affordable housing. The program provides families
with a no interest loan to purchase the house, and requires partnership of 350 hours
of sweat equity to build the home. The reception of Habitat homes in the Fairmont
Community has been mixed. While this organization provides an essential service to
families in need of a home, the Habitat Homes are very easily identifiable as such.

11
Many of the Fairmont residents migrated to the area from the South where “shotgun
houses” are a prevalent form of architecture. These homes may be identified by their
small size and lack of hallways. They recieved their name from their construction
which would allow for a “bullet to go straight through the front door to the back
without hitting a wall”. They are remembered by many as indicative of poverty and a
life residents moved north to get away from. The Habitat Homes, as can been seen
in the picture below, are of a similar design to shotgun houses. They are modest,
simple homes that all follow the same design. Residents expressed concern about
the zoning of the Habitat Homes because the setbacks are often too relaxed or not
large enough to keep the appearance of the homes consistent with the rest of the
community. These homes may provide housing to those in need, but residents feel
they brand Fairmont as a poor community. The majority of residents in these homes
are coming from outside of Fairmont.

Image: Fairmont Habitat for Humanity Image: Example of Shotgun style home
Home Source: Wikipedia commons
Source: Will County Habitat for Humanity

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Fairmont School 1909 – Present

The Fairmont School is located in central

Fairmont, in its own school district which is
designated predominately for children from
Fairmont but captures a small portion of
residents in unincorporated Will County to the
West. The original building was two stories, but
has since been rebuilt after it burned down.
A second school, named A.F. Hill School, was
built to house the students displaced during the
fire in the 1950’s. As the population of Fairmont
continued to increase, the A.F. Hill school was
converted into a kindergarten in 1959 once
Fairmont School was rebuilt. The Fairmont
school’s enrollment dropped from its peak of 500 students in the 1960’s to about
half that number currently. Because of this drop in enrollment, the A.F. Hill School
was closed in the 1970’s. Currently Fairmont School is open and serves kindergarten
through eighth grade students.

A.F. Hill School 1959 - 1970’s

The A.F. Hill School was built as a temporary school after a fire burned down the
original Fairmont school on Green Garden Place. Once the Fairmont School was
rebuilt, the A.F. Hill School was turned into a kindergarten to house the growing
young population in Fairmont, and was later turned into a community center when
the population started to decline in the 1970’s.

Image: A.F. Hill Elementary School

Photo credit: Henry Travis

13
A.F. Hill Park 1960’s - Present

The park was named after A.F. Hill, the Superintendent of Fairmont School, in the
1940’s. The park sits adjacent to the Russian Grove Cemetery, but is owned and
maintained by the Lockport Township Park District.

Image: A.F. Hill Park

Dellwood Park 1905 - Present

Dellwood Park is located directly
north of Fairmont in Lockport. Built
in 1906 by the Chicago and Joliet
Electric Railroad Company, Dellwood
Park once thrived and could boast up
to 15,000 visitors on weekends. The
park covers a lush 150 acres, and
used to house an amusement park, Bridge leading from Fairmont
into Dellwood Park
dancehall, restaurant and boathouse .
Currently the park does not have the
same amenities. The amusement park
and dancehall are gone, but one can
still find different forms of recreation,
including playgrounds, tennis, and
basketball courts.

Outside of Dellwood Park

bridge

14
Fairview Homes 1966 - Present

The Fairview Homes are a Joliet Housing Authority property consisting of 168 units
of low income housing on Rosalind Avenue in the Forest Park neighborhood of
Joliet. Their close proximity to Fairmont, density, and lack of upkeep, has had a
large effect on Fairmont. Built in 1966 the Fairview Homes were said to be beautiful,
described as “country living in the projects”. They were a place where residents could
escape the city life and raise their children with a backyard. A resident described
Fairview Homes by saying that “when you first moved in, you would be so careful
to keep up your apartment you wouldn’t even put a nail in the wall to hang a
picture”. Currently the Fairview Homes are facing numerous challenges, as is the
Joliet Housing Authority. The crime rate is high, and the Joliet Housing Authority is
having a hard time with rent collection and non residents loitering on the property
and committing crimes.

The Joliet Housing Authority has experienced a tumultuous period recently, and
in August of 2012 the manager of Fairview Homes resigned. We were unable to
make direct contact with the Executive Director of the Joliet Housing Authority, as
administrative capabilities may have been limited. As of 2009 the Housing Authority
has been planning to “demolish and dispose” of the Fairview Homes to replace them
with mixed income housing. No action is being taken on this at the current time.

Additionally, the Fairview Homes are not very integrated, and seem to have
concentrated poverty, as did many of the housing projects built in the 1960’s, many
of which have been torn down in the 2000’s. The demographics of the Fairview
homes are as follows:

Occupancy by Household
of Fairview Homes:
Single Mothers 140
Single Fathers 5
2 Parent Households 4
1 Person Household 3
Total Households 152

To put the Fairview Homes in context with Fairmont, they have contributed to the
perceived or real crime problem in Fairmont. The outside of the buildings and the
grounds in which they sit on are in poor physical condition, and the perception of
crime to nonresidents is that they are a dangerous place to visit. Fairmont residents
refer to the Fairview Homes as “the rail”, because there was a guard rail put in
on Rosalind Avenue. This guard rail was put in to stop traffic from passing through
the Fairview community into Fairmont and to stop people from committing crimes in
Fairview then driving through Fairmont towards Illinois Route 171.

The residents of Fairmont were very clear that they did not want this guard rail put
in.

15
 J.A.C.O.B Public Assembly
Image courtesy of Henry Travis

In response to the guard rail a group of churches and concerned residents got
together to form the Joliet Area Church Organization Basement or J.A.C.O.B.

This group included pastors from churches in Fairmont and Joliet to fight against the
guard rail with a march, and protested with a large prayer group at the site of the
guard rail. Despite strong community opposition, Mayor Arthur Shultz of Joliet and the
Joliet Police Department put the guard rail in. The community feared that this guard
rail would obstruct a direct route for emergency vehicles to the highway. Residents
were very clear about the effort against the guard rail, there was not a lack of
exertion on residents’ parts.

Poole Gardens or Spring Bluff 1966 - Present

Poole Gardens was another housing project in the Forest Park neighborhood of
Joliet that had an impact on Fairmont. Built in 1966 Poole Gardens was a 106 unit
housing project located directly southwest of Fairmont. While residents do not mention
Poole Gardens as having a strong negative impact on Fairmont as Fairview Homes
did, it was part of the changing character of Forest Park at the time. Poole Gardens
was torn down in 2007 and is currently being replaced by single family homes. The
Joliet Housing Authority will construct 114 new housing units called Liberty Meadows.
The style of these homes is very different from their dense predecessors, Poole
Gardens. Liberty Meadows will be a single family home community with large yards
and quiet streets.

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Forest Park Neighborhood 1870’s - Present

Forest Park is a neighborhood located directly south of Fairmont in the City of Joliet
and has a demographic makeup similar to Fairmont. The neighborhood was settled
in the 1870’s and is part of what residents call “The Hill”, which includes a portion
of Fairmont. This designation can be attributed to a noticeable increase in elevation
along Illinois Route 171, and describes a small geographic region. Forest Park grew
in a similar manner to Fairmont, with the surrounding industry and the large influx of
African American residents in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Though different from Fairmont,
Forest Park has been more of a transitional community where residents could
purchase starter homes. Forest Park residents moved away while many of Fairmont’s
residents stayed, and did not seek larger homes. A large difference between the
neighborhoods is the presence of the Joliet Housing Authority. While Forest Park is
predominately single family homes, the majority of their rental housing is owned by
the Joliet Housing Authority. Forest Park has faced similar problems to Fairmont, with
the main difference being that Forest Park is incorporated into the City of Joliet,
giving them some more municipal oversight. The areas are closely related, and
residents refer to the Forest Park/Fairmont border as part of “The Hill”.

Forest Park Community Center Example of Forest Park Home

Source: Forest Park Community Center Website Source: Trulia

17
A.F. Hill Community Center 1970’s - Present

The Fairmont Community Center was established

in the 1970’s, and is housed in the old A.F. Hill
elementary school building on Barry Street. The
Fairmont Community Center previously housed
numerous activities for residents. The Community
Center has the capacity to support numerous
activities, and staff who are long term residents of
the community and familiar with its needs. Around
ten to fifteen years ago the Community Center
began to lose a lot of its programming.

Stories were told about how the wrestling instructor

was no longer able to successfully perform his duties. He was eventually asked to
leave and took his equipment with him. The African Dance instructor moved away
and a replacement was never found. The Lockport Township Park District provided
$3,000 to purchase games for the center. Vandals came in and destroyed them, and
there was not enough money to replace what was lost.

The hallways of the building still display black and white photos reminiscent of a
time long since passed when the Community Center was bustling with activity. Local
law enforcement patrols the park near the center, but since Fairmont has Sheriff
protection, as opposed to the police, their enforcement powers are limited at best.
The Will County Sheriff’s Department patrols the park in front of the Community
Center once a night, which residents say is not sufficient.

Currently, the Community Center has All My Children Daycare, a playground, an

open gym, a food pantry, and the Nation of Islam Church meets in their gym.
The Community Center is available to be rented out for birthday parties and baby
showers, but there is not much activity going on there currently. The Community
Center is looking to expand their activities, but are constrained by a tight budget.

A.F. Hill Community Center & adjacent playground

18
Four Neighborhood Grocery Stores
Zanzola’s, Grohar’s, Salbego’s (Owners retired in the late 1970’s)

In the 1960’s there were four grocery stores in the Fairmont neighborhood. Over time
these grocery stores closed because their owners aged out of the neighborhood, and
they appear to have been ‘mom and pop’ type shops. There is currently one small
store that sells simple items such as nachos and candy. One resident described it
as “things kids like”. While this store used to be a gourmet restaurant, it has been
transitioned into a small store. Currently the closest full service grocery store is the
Super Walmart located three miles to the east in Lockport.

Neighborhood Taverns:
Fairmont Tavern, Oasis Club, Pheasant Club, Big 10, Rock Inn, Daw’s Tavern

Fairmont was home to numerous taverns back in its heyday. However, taverns
closed as a result of the decreasing populations and the aging owners. When these
businesses were still in operation they served as social centers for the neighborhood.
Residents spoke of these taverns with fond memories as places they would go to
visit with their neighbors to relax after work. In their absence, residents have very
few places that foster a sense of community or where they can gather for social
purposes. While the Community Center still exists, there is nowhere else that gives
residents an opportunity to spend time together and get to know each other. That
“friendly neighborhood bar”, which was around the corner, acting as a comunity
gathering space, no longer exists.

19
”The Hill”

“The Hill” is a cultural reference to a

section of Fairmont and Forest Park
where the majority of the African
American residents lived. To outsiders
“The Hill” may have just been known
as Riley’s Hill, a street with an incline
that passes through the southern end
of Fairmont. “The Hill” bares great
significance and was indicative of the
outside reception of Fairmont. While
residents spoke of the neighborhood
being racially integrated in the 1960’s,
interviews revealed that White residents
lived North of Oak Street, and African
American residents to the South. Currently Newspaper article courtesy of Henry Travis
“The Hill” is still a stigma that has been
placed on Fairmont and Joliet. Anyone not from “The Hill” would consider it to be a
dangerous area with a high concentration of poverty. While elements of this may be
true, the crime does not appear to be coming from Fairmont itself, but from outside.
The problems this neighborhood is facing are similar to that of any predominately low
income neighborhood in the country right now. A look into the actual neighborhood
will reveal a number of hard working families with a strong commitment to a
neighborhood that once thrived, and due to economic disinvestment is currently
struggling.

Reception of Neighborhood
Fairmont has a reputation among people outside of the community as being a low
income, disinvested neighborhood with some crime problems. Census data on Fairmont
will show that it is predominately lower income, and ethnically mixed with an
increasing Hispanic population. Long term residents have noted that crime in Fairmont
is coming from the outside, and that residents are just homeowners who want a
safe environment for their families and a reasonable standard of living. Fairmont
has faced years of neglect and a lack of municipal oversight that has allowed the
neighborhood’s problems to continue to get worse.

20
Segregation or Integration?
The Fairmont neighborhood in the 1950’s and 1960’s was comprised of African
American and Eastern European immigrants. In the 1970’s the White population
declined substantially, but not due to “white flight”. Interviews with previous residents
of Eastern European descent revealed positive memories of Fairmont as a place
where people of different ethnicities lived harmoniously side by side. The out-
migration of white residents can be attributed to the aging population needing different
types of housing that Fairmont did not offer at the time, including larger homes
to raise a family or senior housing. Fairmont did not lose all of its White Eastern
European population. North of Oak Street has many larger homes where long term
residents have remained. Fairmont, South of Oak Street, does not have a varied
housing stock. The majority of homes are what today’s standards would consider
‘starter homes’ built in the 1960’s. The combination small square footage and size,
the homes were likely not suitable for the second generation of Fairmont residents:
people whose families immigrated there, were born in the neighborhood and raised
there. Many of them reside in nearby areas, but have since left Fairmont with a
fond memory of it.

Image credit: Henry Travis

21
Loss of Industry 1970’s – 1980’s

Neighborhood Begins to Change

By the late 1970’s the economic downturn was hitting Joliet hard and Fairmont
was feeling the effects. The loss of industry left many laborers unemployed.
Residents who could afford to relocate for work did. Many of the Southern African
American residents that migrated to Fairmont and Joliet to work in the once bustling
manufacturing industry were left with few options for future employment because
their skills were in businesses that no longer existed. Even in the 1960’s when the
population of Fairmont was at its peak, its density never matched the surrounding
suburbs. However, the density was always high for an unincorporated community.
Fairmont has always been a rural community, so much so that certain plots of land
were never platted for development. These lands are vacant, but not due to the
abandonment of the property owner, as there never was a property owner to begin
with. In addition to this, some of the lots were platted for development, but never
developed. The zoning was never changed from agricultural, presumably because the
lots were platted prior to the implementation of zoning codes. Some lots in Fairmont
are too small for agricultural uses, because they were platted to be residential, but
the zoning may be acting as a barrier to their development. In the 1990’s Fairmont
began to see an increase in the Hispanic population and the newer residents did
not put down the strong roots that older residents had and the neighborhood became
more transitional. One resident described Fairmont as a place where she knew all
of her neighbors. Now she may know her newer neighbors but was very clear that
the neighborhood reception of newer residents is very different than that of long term
people. One example of this can be found in two households on the same block.
An aunt and niece live on the same block and have been there for over 80 years
combined.

Image credit: Henry Travis

22
 Third Wave of Migration
1980’s-Present

23
1980’s - Present

Elevated Water Tower Construction 1987

The elevated water tower was put into Fairmont

in 1987. Fairmont experienced problems with their
water delivery governance. Residents were having
trouble paying their water bills and the City
of Joliet, who previously handled the water for
Fairmont, shut off service to the neighborhood. As
a result, the Lockport Township Water Department
had to take over and started providing water to
Fairmont.

Well Capping in 1996/1997

The majority of Fairmont homes were on private wells until 1996 when a joint project
was taken on between the Will County Department of Health and Lockport Township.
This project identified about 150 cross connected wells in the neighborhood. This
meant private wells were still being used in conjunction with the Lockport Township
wells, which posed a risk of cross contamination if the private wells were to get
contaminated. This was a particular threat because Fairmont has a lot of vacant
lots and dumping became a problem. This dumping could potentially contaminate the
abandoned wells, thus contaminating the entire water system. Representatives went
door to door to attempt to convince residents to close their private wells. Since
a private well is essentially free water, many were not interested in participating
and only 1/3 of the wells were closed. Additionally the Lockport Township Water
Department does not have the authority to close the wells without consent, therefore,
many were left open.

This became a serious problem when the Lockport Township Water Department had
two community wells that were contaminated, presumably due to cross contamination.
There was a concern that abandoned wells on vacant properties were being used as
sewers. Currently the cross contamination of wells in Fairmont is still a concern, as
it is very expensive to decontaminate the water system.

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Stormwater Flooding
Due to the lack of infrastructure in Fairmont, flooding has become a problem, mainly
because the community does not have sidewalks, or an adequate drainage system to
accommodate the relative density. In a community with sidewalks there are generally
storm water drainage systems that connect to underground infrastructure. In the
case of Fairmont, the roads are built in such a way that storm water runs off
into ditches located at the edge of property lines. When these ditches are not well
maintained (i.e. plants growing in them or being paved over) the storm water has
nowhere to go and will pool up in front yards or on the road, contributing damage
to both.

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Outside Perception
One of the problems Fairmont has experienced since the increase in vacant land
is the transient population moving in and the increase in crime causing a less
positive perception of the neighborhood by outsiders. Fairmont has a reputation as
a “tough” neighborhood. Some consider the neighborhood not to be a safe place to
walk or drive in, and the perception of crime in Fairmont is high. While residents
acknowledge crime is a problem, they also mention that crime is coming from outside
influences and are not from the neighborhood itself.

Call to Action
The Fairmont Community has been undergoing an increase of community activism,
and a few projects are underway due to a partnership between the Will County
Land Use Department and the Fairmont Community Partnership. In 2008 a planning
process began with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in which
the Land Use Department applied for a Local Technical Assistance Grant. This grant
allowed the Land Use Department to get the assistance of a planner from CMAP
to put together a neighborhood plan for Fairmont that plans for the future growth of
the community. The plan was put together with the help of Fairmont residents and
community leaders through a series of workshops to identify the wants and needs of
the residents.

To date, some projects have been completed. CMAP has completed the visioning
process which resulted in the neighborhood plan, as well as using Fairmont as a
study area showing how infrastructure improvements can have a positive effect on
the community for the Future Leaders in Planning Program (FLIP). A “safe routes
to school” grant has been secured to allow for the construction of a segment of
sidewalk leading to the Fairmont School, and a community garden has been started
next to the Fairmont Community Center.

Images: Left private backyard garden. Right: Fairmont Elementary School

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Appendix:
A non-exhaustive list of local churches and businesses.

Churches:

Bethlehem Apostolic Church

Shiloh Baptist Church
City of Refuge Church
Mt. Ebal Baptist Church
Christ United Methodist Church
Jehova’s Witness Kingdom Hall
St. John Vianney Church
Bethlehem Healing Temple
Mt. Moriah (Although this church is technically in Joliet, multiple residents identified it
as a Fairmont Church)
Nation of Islam (Meets in the Fairmont Community Center)
(church in grade school)

Businesses:

S&S BBQ
Granite Tile Company
Conway’s Barbershop
Norma’s Cafe

S&S BBQ located in Fairmont

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