Illinois Heritage Corridor
Tue, Jun 11
|Lemont
Lemont, the "Old Athens"
Date, Time, & Location
Jun 11, 2024, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Lemont, Lemont, IL, USA
About the Event
Before the current French name was applied to Lemont “The Mountain”, IL, it was named after ancient Athens. Join us to learn why!
The Illinois Heritage Corridor runs aproximately 100 miles from Chicago down to Starved Rock. This guided tour will focus on the original peoples and subsequent settlers in the Lemont area. Included are the Slovenian Catholic Mission, featuring a former seminary-turned-retreat-grounds, a charming chapel, cultural center, cemetery and a walkable outdoor mini-verson of the beautiful Lake Bled of the Julian Alps. Another hilltop stop is a church built at the heights of Lemont in honor of two brothers, St Cyril and Methodius (d. Theselonica 869). You will also discover much in the thorough tour of the church and cemetery grounds at St James Sag Bridge. Particularly notable for the Irish influence on Chicago and the upper northeastern IL, it is an astounding little fortress for the faithful…