When were the...

What school's up?

Who decides what the next...

Where's that story?

Why they give the look?

What is this?

It's a curious city.

Where WBEZ answers your questions about Chicago, the region, and its people.

I'm multimedia producer Logan Jaffe, here with reporter Katie Clarkson.

Katie, what did you major in again?

English, the most useful major of all.

Yep, I actually got to dig up one of my old English major books for this.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare.

I weighed it. It's

5.8 pounds. What? Okay, well, today on Curiosity, we'll consider whether Shakespeare is responsible

for two town names in the Chicago area. And maybe even show that an English degree actually

can be useful. Let's go. All right.

Our tale begins southwest of Chicago in Will County, in the city of Joliet and the village of Romeoville, to be exact. Our question asker, Paul Kaiser, lives in Joliet, and he's heard rumors.

I believe the city of Joliet previously was called Juliet,

and the current Romeroville was previously called Romeo,

and I just want to know what gives with the names

and what's the relationship between the two.

...