LMT66
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- Joined
- Jun 18, 2008
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This sign is a marker I use to hike back to an old camp between two canals. Bargehands use it in summer months to unwind while tied up for repairs near a terminal in Lemont. About every large tree along these canals have rope in the wood. They scout out certain fast growing strong species of trees, wrap them tight with heavy rope and then wait a few years to tie the barges to. The ropes grows into the tree.
It's quite a hike thru dense wooded areas to get there but there are plenty of things to cut/chop/see enroute. The hiking staff helps as there are numerous berms with dense foliage that were made when these canals were dug out long ago. The smaller I&M Canal (mules pulled the barges) is one and the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal is the other. When I was in my late teens, we just drove our Jeeps back to these areas. They arrest you now if you are caught doing this.
The area I hiked that day was a shanty town set up in the early/mid to late 1800's outside Lemont, Illinois. The shanty town residents were mostly Irish immigrants and worked all along the canals from Joliet to Willow Springs. They either worked on the I&M canal, the construction of a larger one running parralel to it or worked in quarries extracting dolomite (limestone). This limestone has a heavy presence to this day in Chicago and in these canal towns. The old Joliet Prison (Blues Brother Movie) used much of it as did the new one called Stateville. A little info on it here> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joliet_Correctional_Center
During/after a labor strike by quarry workers, some immigrants went back to work and a melee ensued among them resulting in a few deaths and many injured people. It was dubbed the Lemont Massacre.
I grew up along these canals and have been hiking these areas since i was a kid. I enjoy finding things from times long gone. Old house foundations, cars, industrial equipment long ago abandoned. I haven't found Jimmy Hoffa yet or anyone else deceased. There are two missing women from Chicago (if you watch CNN or FOX, you've heard about them) that i keep in the back of my mind. If I see something strange, i investigate reluctantly.
I like the slogan "Protecting our water Environment" underneath the list of warnings of the sign picture. Although the greater Chicago area waterways have come a long way, there are still very dangerous levels of industrial pollutants and carcinogens.
Heres a little history about Lemont. http://www.canalcor.org/Quarry.html And a few pictures. Here's the main page of that site....very interesting reading in the history part. > http://www.canalcor.org/
It's quite a hike thru dense wooded areas to get there but there are plenty of things to cut/chop/see enroute. The hiking staff helps as there are numerous berms with dense foliage that were made when these canals were dug out long ago. The smaller I&M Canal (mules pulled the barges) is one and the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal is the other. When I was in my late teens, we just drove our Jeeps back to these areas. They arrest you now if you are caught doing this.
The area I hiked that day was a shanty town set up in the early/mid to late 1800's outside Lemont, Illinois. The shanty town residents were mostly Irish immigrants and worked all along the canals from Joliet to Willow Springs. They either worked on the I&M canal, the construction of a larger one running parralel to it or worked in quarries extracting dolomite (limestone). This limestone has a heavy presence to this day in Chicago and in these canal towns. The old Joliet Prison (Blues Brother Movie) used much of it as did the new one called Stateville. A little info on it here> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joliet_Correctional_Center
During/after a labor strike by quarry workers, some immigrants went back to work and a melee ensued among them resulting in a few deaths and many injured people. It was dubbed the Lemont Massacre.
I grew up along these canals and have been hiking these areas since i was a kid. I enjoy finding things from times long gone. Old house foundations, cars, industrial equipment long ago abandoned. I haven't found Jimmy Hoffa yet or anyone else deceased. There are two missing women from Chicago (if you watch CNN or FOX, you've heard about them) that i keep in the back of my mind. If I see something strange, i investigate reluctantly.
I like the slogan "Protecting our water Environment" underneath the list of warnings of the sign picture. Although the greater Chicago area waterways have come a long way, there are still very dangerous levels of industrial pollutants and carcinogens.
Heres a little history about Lemont. http://www.canalcor.org/Quarry.html And a few pictures. Here's the main page of that site....very interesting reading in the history part. > http://www.canalcor.org/
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