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Lemont’s first settlers arrived in 1833. The town, then called Athens, began its development along the site of the Illinois & Michigan Canal that flows through the town. The canal, begun in 1836 and completed in 1848, linked the Illinois River and Lake Michigan to make a direct waterway to the Mississippi River. Almost all the early town pioneers came to work on the canal, either as contract holders or laborers. The contractors were mostly from New England or the Ohio border towns. The unskilled laborers were the newly immigrated Irish, German, Scandinavians, along with French and English Canadians who came looking for a new life, fleeing poverty and political persecution. By 1848, Lemont’s population reached 3,000 people.
While digging the canal, an exceptionally fine grade of dolomite limestone was discovered near the surface. This discovery led to the development of the stone quarries. During the period from about 1850 to 1900 this stone, known as Joliet-Lemont limestone and locally as Athens Marble, became one of the chief building materials used in many landmark buildings both locally and in the surrounding area. The Chicago Water Tower, the gate to the Stockyards, Holy Name Cathedral, part of the Auditorium Building in Chicago, Old Main at Northwestern University and part of the Capitol building at Springfield are some of the structures constructed of Lemont stone. The quarry industry, like the canal before, attracted more immigrant groups, mainly from southern and south central Europe: Poland, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Italy. Work was hard and the pay low. Lemont made pages of labor history with the struggles between the quarry workers and the owners. In 1885, the Illinois Militia was ordered to Lemont to break a strike. Three people were killed and scores injured. In 1893, Governor Altgeld came to Lemont personally to mediate a strike after a fight between Sanitary Ship Canal contractors and quarry workers led to three more deaths.
Population: 16,000 (2010 Census)
Median Age: 38.3 (2000 Census)
Median Household Income: 70,563 (2000 Census)
Detailed 2000 U.S. Census Data
Area: 8.18 sq miles (5,238 acres)
County: Cook (95%), DuPage and Will
Government: Village President (Mayor), six Trustees elected at-large, Village Administrator
Residential Households: 4900
Police: 29 sworn Police Officers
Fire Protection: Lemont Fire Protection District
Municipal Water Supply: Village owned and operated Water System
Sewer Treatment: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) treatment
Utilities: Commonwealth Edison (electricity), Nicor (natural gas), AT&T (phone, internet, cable), Comcast (phone, internet, cable), Waste Management
Public Schools: 2 school districts, one high school and one elementary
Release ID: 145247