Editing Lemont, Illinois (section)

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2013}}
Before European settlers arrived in Lemont, Native Americans traveled the [[Des Plaines River]] in birch bark canoes on trading trips between the [[Mississippi River]] and [[Lake Michigan]]. The native [[Potawatomi]] lived off the land in this area, directly using natural resources for food, shelter, clothing and medicine. In the 18th century, French [[voyageurs]] traveled down the Des Plaines River, trading Native Americans metal, beads and cloth for animal furs.

Lemont was originally known as ''Keepataw'' (after a [[Potawatomi]] chief) and a post office was established in 1840 as ''Keepatau''. After that, it was named ''Athens'' and then ''Palmyra''. The name ''Lemont'' (literally, 'the mountain' in French) was chosen in 1850 at the suggestion of Lemuel Brown, the postmaster and justice of the peace, or perhaps by his brother Nathaniel Brown.<ref>{{cite book |last=Callary |first=Edward |year=2009 |title=Place Names of Illinois |location=Champaign |publisher=University of Illinois Press |page=197 }}</ref>

Established in 1836, the village of Lemont stands as one of the oldest American communities in northeastern Illinois. It is historically significant for its role in transforming the northern region of the state from a sparsely settled frontier to a commercial, agricultural, and industrial region that supplied Chicago and areas beyond with commodities. Lemont is also unique in boasting an authentic historic district that remains intact and has been continually used since the 19th century. In 2016, the Lemont Downtown Historic District was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/16000582.htm|title=Lemont Downtown Historic District|website=www.nps.gov|access-date=March 9, 2020}}</ref>

Both Lemont's history and architectural uniqueness connect to the [[Illinois and Michigan Canal]] (I&M Canal). Construction of the I&M Canal began in 1837 and stands as one of the last major canal undertakings in the United States (the [[Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park|Hennepin Canal]] opened in 1907). When it was completed in 1848, it provided a continuous waterway stretching from [[New York (state)|New York]] (through the [[Erie Canal]], [[Lake Erie]], [[Lake Huron]] and Lake Michigan to Chicago, then through the I&M Canal for {{convert|97|mi}} entering the [[Illinois River]] at [[LaSalle, Illinois]], to the Mississippi River, to [[New Orleans]]) to the [[Gulf of Mexico]].

Immigrant workers, mostly [[Irish people|Irish]], settled in Lemont to work on the canal and later moved along the corridor of the canal, improving farms within the many communities that sprang up along it.

In digging, workers discovered Lemont yellow [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]], a harder and finer grained version of [[limestone]]. This delayed digging of the canal, but was the start of the area's second industry, [[quarrying]]. By the mid-19th century, limestone quarrying took over as the main economic factor in Lemont and sustained its growth. The town's important major buildings were faced with the Lemont limestone, abundant in local quarries. Today, 38 of those buildings remain as the Lemont downtown district. Lemont limestone was used to build the [[Chicago Water Tower]], a building that "gained special significance as one of the few buildings to survive the destructive path of the [[Great Chicago Fire]] of 1871".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/city_gallery_in_thehistoricwatertower.html/| title=City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower| publisher=City of Chicago - Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events| access-date=October 13, 2013}}</ref> In the early years, this stone was known as "[[Sugar Run Dolomite|Athens Marble]]" as a nod to its place of origin.<ref>{{cite book |title= Southern Cook County and History of Blue Island before the Civil War |last= Schapper |first= Ferdinand |year= 1917|publisher= Manuscript |page= 103 }}</ref> An 1859 item in the ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' had this to say: “The Athens and DesPlaines quarries, situated on the Illinois and Michigan canal, embrace 335 acres of the finest stone in the West, known as “Athens Marble”.  This stone has a high reputation for color, durability and beauty, which renders it quite an article of commerce”.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Stock Quote|journal=The Chicago Daily Tribune|date= January 1, 1859|page=3}}</ref>

Cargo and passengers were transported on the I&M until the early 20th century, when the wider, deeper [[Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal]] was built parallel to it. The Sanitary Canal is still used today as part of the [[Illinois Waterway]] system.

Lemont's motto is "Village of Faith", and its church spires reflect the many ethnic groups who came here to quarry stone, dig the Sanitary and Ship Canal and work in other industries.

Lemont is credited with being the largest recruiting station for the [[Union Army]] during the [[American Civil War]], and the Old Stone Church, built in 1861 of limestone, was used as a recruiting depot. It served as the Lemont [[Methodist Episcopal Church]] for 100 years, from 1861 until 1970, when it became home to the Lemont Area Historical Society. The oldest building in Lemont, it now serves as a museum and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

During the Civil War, Lemont was required to sign up 33 soldiers, the village recruited 293 soldiers; only 63 returned. The Lemont Civil War Memorial Committee was formed to build a memorial to honor Lemont's Civil War veterans. The monument was dedicated in 2008 in Legion Park at the east end of Main Street, opposite the Metra Station. Of the 293 soldiers sent to fight in the war, only 243 names of the enlisted soldiers are known. Among them is Cpl. John Warden, the only Lemont resident ever awarded the Medal of Honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2009/03/12/5-things-to-know-civil-war-memorial/zi64qe3/|title=5 Things to Know: Civil War Memorial|last=Sauder|first=Erin|website=www.mysuburbanlife.com|language=en|access-date=March 12, 2020}}</ref>

By 1854, railroads transported goods faster than water, and the I&M became obsolete as Lemont evolved into a railroad community; the village was incorporated on June 9, 1873.<ref>{{cite web| url =http://www.ilsos.gov/isa/localgovnameindexsrch.jsp| title = Name Index to Illinois Local Governments| author = Illinois Regional Archives Depository System| work = Illinois State Archives| publisher = [[Illinois Secretary of State]]|access-date=September 11, 2013}}</ref>

Increasingly, the canal was used to carry wastes away from Chicago. In 1900, the larger Sanitary and Ship Canal went into operation, carrying both wastes and larger, more modern [[barge]]s. All use of the I&M Canal ended in 1933, with the opening of the canal's modern successor—the Illinois Waterway.

By about 1920, the quarries declined as styles changed and builders began to use [[Indiana Limestone|Bedford limestone]] from [[Indiana]] and less expensive materials like concrete.

During [[World War II]], the [[Metallurgical Laboratory]] of the [[University of Chicago]] moved into the nearby [[Palos Forest Preserves|Argonne Forest preserves]] to carry out [[Enrico Fermi]]'s work on nuclear reactors for the [[Manhattan Project]]. After the war, [[Argonne National Laboratory]] was designated as the first national laboratory in the United States on July 1, 1946.<ref>Holl, Hewlett, and Harris, page xx (Introduction).</ref>

In 1984, President [[Ronald Reagan]] signed legislation establishing the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor as the nation's first [[National Heritage Corridor]]. The status recognizes the historic importance of this region and the waterway that connected Lake Michigan and the Illinois River. Today, it is a {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} cultural park between Chicago and LaSalle/[[Peru, Illinois|Peru]], representing an ongoing partnership between the public and private sectors created to achieve a successful mixture of preservation, public use and industrial activity.

[[Sacred architecture]] is a strong suit of Lemont, whose skyline is dominated by two landmark religious edifices:  the [[Hindu]] Temple of Greater Chicago and [[SS. Cyril and Methodius in Lemont|SS. Cyril and Methodius]] church in the [[Polish Cathedral style]]. Both are situated on the sides of hills, giving an even more dramatic backdrop to their monumental architecture.{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}}

===Tornadoes===
On June 13, 1976, at 5:18 PM, a killer [[tornado]] struck Lemont and took three lives. 23 were injured, 87 homes were destroyed and 82 more were damaged. Damage to the high school alone was estimated at $500,000 ({{Inflation|US|500000|1976|fmt=eq|r=-4}}{{Inflation/fn|US}}). Many people reported watching neighbors' homes explode, implode, shattering before their eyes. Cited as an unusual tornado, it backed up on its path before heading North, somewhat parallel to its path of origin.<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20190924120303/http://www.lemonthistorical.org/pics/1976tornado/index.html |archivedate= September 24, 2019 |url= http://www.lemonthistorical.org/pics/1976tornado/index.html |title= 1976 Tornado |website= lemonthistorical.org |access-date= June 8, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=June 13, 1976 Tornadoes |url=http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/1976/6/13/table |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012153938/http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/1976/6/13/table |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 12, 2015 |website=Tornado History Projects |publisher=Storm Prediction Center |accessdate=July 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url= https://www.weather.gov/lot/13Jun1976_tornado |title= June 13, 1976 Lemont Tornado  |publisher= NWS Chicago |accessdate= February 20, 2023 }}</ref> See [[Tornadoes of 1976#June 13|Tornadoes of 1976]] for more information on the outbreak.

On March 27, 1991, Lemont was again hit by a tornado.<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20180930135506/http://www.lemonthistorical.org/pics/1991tornado/index.html |archivedate= September 30, 2018 |url= http://www.lemonthistorical.org/pics/1991tornado/index.html |title= 1991 Tornado |website= lemonthistorical.org |access-date= June 8, 2016}}</ref> See [[Tornadoes of 1991#March 26–29|Tornadoes of 1991]] for more information on the outbreak.