In digging , workers discovered Lemont yellow 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 " . In the early years , this stone was known as " Athens Marble " as a nod to its place of origin . 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 ”
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Lemont, Illinois