Elwood Arsenal, originally known as the Elwood Ordnance Plant, played a massive role in American history and significantly altered the path of Route 66 in Illinois. Located just south of Joliet, this former munitions manufacturing site was once considered the largest and most sophisticated in the world.
Built in 1940 as the United States prepared for World War II, the facility consisted of two major sections: the Elwood Ordnance Plant, which loaded shells and bombs, and the Kankakee Ordnance Works, which produced high explosives like TNT. In 1945, these two sites were combined to form what became known as the Joliet Arsenal (and later the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant.
Wartime Powerhouse: During peak production, over 10,000 people worked here. The Elwood site alone loaded nearly a billion units of ammunition, including aerial bombs and artillery shells.
The “West Point” of Munitions: Because of its advanced training programs for personnel from all over the world, the Elwood plant was nicknamed the “West Point of Ammunition.”
Legacy of Transformation: The plant remained on standby or active through the Korean and Vietnam Wars before finally being declared inactive in 1993.
The construction of the arsenal was so massive that it physically forced Route 66 to change. The original 1926-1939 road went directly through the village of Elwood. However, the heavy truck traffic and security needs of the arsenal led to the creation of Alternate US 66.
Road Realignment: To accommodate wartime traffic, the road between Elwood and Joliet was widened to four lanes. A newer, straighter alignment was eventually built to the west, which became the main US 66, while the original path through Elwood became Alt 66.
Preserved Pavement: One can still visit a segment of the “”genuine Mother Road”“ on Douglas Street in Elwood, where original pavement has been restored alongside worker statues and historical wayside exhibits.
We became aware of this stop after the Historic Route 66 Navigation app prompted us about it. But it didn’t tell us about the story, and we didn’t visit the preserved pavement, unfortunately.
Centennial Route 66 Tour: Introduction
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