Lemont

Located within the Des Plaines River valley in Illinois, Lemont became a village in 1873. The Illinois and Michigan Canal opened transportation opportunities and led to the discovery of dolomite limestone (known locally as Athens marble). Quarrying limestone became Lemont’s leading industry, and it was used for buildings throughout the region, including Chicago’s famous Water Tower. Canal workers made Lemont a capital of vice in the 1890s with bars and brothels located in the area known as ...