Lemont Quarries depth contour maps

[Danpat1983]

Dan,

He is talking about the triangle shaped area listed as private property on the 2nd page here: http://www.lemont.il.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=90

As for Amato's Quarry, the very clear one, I've had my pond prowler on it a few times now. A police officer said it was fine to be on it. I don't know what the story is with that house on it. It'd be kinda cool to live there though. Big bass are present there, just very picky eaters with the clear water.

[Dan S]

Thanks for the post Dan! That's the piece I was thinking about



The Village paid like 16k per acre about a year ago for a whole mess of land over there. Here's the thing... U have a piece of land that is 99% water and ur holding out for more money??!! I just don't get it at all... What r u trying to do man?




Edit: Added Text.



I also just now read the other posts this guy made on the same subject. Sry to light another fire guys. LMFAO @ Firetool2!! or whatever his name is! HA

[The Fishnut]

Hey Firedick, why don't you just donate the property yourself "like a real sportsman". This is what you talked about in another post. You wanted someone to buy it and donate it to the village. Well, cut out the middle man and DO IT!

[Firerock2]

Express...your comment well taken. I may just be getting to be a crabby old man!

In your plats...the first one shows a parcel labeled "100" which is the upper corner of a section line. A triangle. That parcel is 6.17 acres and is our holding. I do have it for sale and need to get $48,000 per ac to break even after 25 years of acquisition, insurance, property taxes, some legal costs and the time value of money.

It is the only private owned parcel adjoining the "park". Some of the other plats show smaller lots, and a lot of them. That parcel/s were recently bought by the Village in a land cash deal with a developer for some $33,000 per acre and certain zoning concessions as he plans to build condo's right across from the quarries on New Ave. here in lemont.

I am, have become, hyper over the trespass after some 25 years because the "park" has brought a lot of folks to the area. I never bitched before because there was less pressure and resultant liability on the area.

[Firerock2]

Fishnut...It makes some sense to donate property when your income is great enough to warrant a tax write off...you imissed the part where I said I was 74 and need to sell the property. Developpers get $150,000 per acre from the Village on Land Cash donations. A smart developer could pick up this parcel for 48 and donate it for a 150 credit. A smart Village could buy it and then lease the entire quarry out for fish egg production and earn some $5,000 per water acre for the rest of it's existance. But then, govenrments know how to spend money...not make it. And then there is the Mitigation Bank pportunity...an acre is worth about $62,000 filled to a tapered bank and reclaimed to it's natural state...plus the tipping fees. Result, the land is paid for and the Village actually makes money with the purchase. Why don't I do it? I am 74 and "tired"...we would fight with the Village over use of their road in...the F word sets people off in the wrong direction...the fish project is great only if you own or control ALL the water.

[Firerock2]

Somebody asked about the house on Amato's quarry. Actually that house is occupied by an amato. They owned some fifty acres there years ago and lost it to a foreclosure. Old man Amato built the house on the canal right of way and really was a squatter on that long narrow strip of I&M canal bank. Why he did that is a mystery to me. Anyway, many years later the State decided to sell the I&M Canal...with it came some ninety feet of canal bank and Amato became a trespasser. He now leases his house from the village of Lemont. Most probably, when the last Amato passes away...the lease will not renew and the house will be torn down. I went to school with the current occupant and hope he pumps on for a long time to come.

[OZ]

Somebody asked about the house on Amato's quarry. Actually that house is occupied by an amato. They owned some fifty acres there years ago and lost it to a foreclosure. Old man Amato built the house on the canal right of way and really was a squatter on that long narrow strip of I&M canal bank. Why he did that is a mystery to me. Anyway, many years later the State decided to sell the I&M Canal...with it came some ninety feet of canal bank and Amato became a trespasser. He now leases his house from the village of Lemont. Most probably, when the last Amato passes away...the lease will not renew and the house will be torn down. I went to school with the current occupant and hope he pumps on for a long time to come.

That's pretty wild, I was always wondering that myself. I may actually try ice fishing that quarry this year although all I ever caught was dink gills in open water (no surprise as I am king of the dink gills LOL).

Thanks for the history write up, interesting stuff!

[Firerock2]

Just readling all the posts and responding. You are mixing up quarry names so it is hard to be exact but...the far east most quarry north side of the I&M Canal, with the round island, is Great lakes Quarry and it has a dept of 12 to 45 ft. There is a road down from the north bank in the middle of the quarry but it is underwater. Dept there to the island is about 5 ft. There are two other islands but they are small and submerged. One in on the private property mentioned. The other is on the north east end of the quarry...good casting area. This quarry is said to have a crane in it. This is also known as the "cat lady quarry"...she was a squatter who lived on the south bank about a football field from the west most edge...had a pier and there is a cut off power post visable from the road when you drive into the area. Her name was Josaphine...she was austrian and her husband brough in the striped bass that exist in a milk can on his back years ago. Most all the cars were pulled a few years ago...one is still down there. The north half is leased by Lemont for public use. The south half,excluding a 6ac private owned parcel, but including the I and M Canal is owned by Lemont and open for fishing along with Quarry One ( the clear quarry also knows as Amatos quarry) and Ice House Quarry and Clingion Quarry. Ice house is on the south side of the I and M...Clingon is the smaller one on the north Canal bank just before you get to Great Lakes but past Consumers Quarry which is the first one by the chemical company as you drive in. The trailer you saw was on the six acre private parcel and was used by a chap until the Village made us move it for zoning restrictions. This six ac parcel is for sale at 33K per acre and is zoned residential. Would be a great place for a bait and boat rental operation, a cabin or even a house...fishing club as well. Area rules do not apply to this parcel and owners could fish at night when fishing is the best here. Rumors of walleye and northern in this quarry are myths. A few may have been carried in by fisher men from the Forest Preserve but that is doubtful. Village can't stock because of the private ownership and and budget concerns, frankly, the place is now fished out. I know a lot about the area so ask away and i will try and answer.

[musky7]

and M...Clingon is the smaller one on the north Canal bank just before you get to Great Lakes but past Consumers Quarry which is the first one by the chemical company as you drive in.

I almost sure this one is Cat Lady Quarry.
And i know one of the quarrys holds some nice northerns.One of them ate my 14"bass.

[Dan S]

FR,

Now that is some good information! Thanks for sharing. Do you have any old pictures of the quarries laying around by chance?!

[Firerock2]

I am 77 years old so pictures would have been possible only before my time. I was first "introduced" to the quarry in 1952...it was already full of water. They tell me it filled in one day because they hit an acqufer. I believe that because there is an underground river that flows through the area and several artesian wells I know of have been flowing for years and years.
Now, as to your picture question...you might try the Lemont Historical Society. I would bet that they have a lot of quarry pictures.

[Firerock2]

Parcel 100 6.14 Ac @ $33,000 per.

[mherron2213]

This is a very interesting thread. I am wondering if anyone has the names of all the lakes. I see Consumers Quary, Icebox - to the South, Amanto next to Icebox, and Great Lakes Quarries. Does anyone have the names to the collection of lakes in the Great Lakes group?

Thanks
Mike

PS - We are going down this weekend from Palatine. Any suggestion where Crappie and Blue gills can be found?

[Firerock2]

Amatos quarry is also known as Quarry One. You have the rest of them right except for the little quarry east of Consumers. That Quarry, for years, has been known as The Clingon Quarry. It was so named for the squatters who lived on it for many years...the Clingon family. The property was actually owned by a bank that obtained it in a foreclosure many years ago (long story). Eventually they evicted the Clingons and sold the fifty acre parcel to Terry Regan who intended to build a marina on it and Great lakes Quarry opening it up to the canal. The Village fought that and Regan sold to another developer who eventually sold the fifty acre parcel to the Lemont Township people who leased it to Lemont for their Heritage Corridor Park. The north half of Great lakes is leased to Lemont by MWRD. There is a six acre parcel still privately owned on Great lakes Quarry...which is for sale at this time. It is the last private property in the entire park area. Now, there are a few smaller quarries in the area and they simply do not have a name. One has been filled with duck weed for years and was often called just that...Duck Weed Quarry. For some years Great Lakes was called Cat Lady Quarry...so named for Josie who was a squatter and had thirty cats...more or less.

[Firerock2]

[quote="mherron2213"]This is a very interesting thread. I am wondering if anyone has the names of all the lakes. I see Consumers Quary, Icebox - to the South, Amanto next to Icebox, and Great Lakes Quarries. Does anyone have the names to the collection of lakes in the Great Lakes group?

Thanks
Mike

PS - We are going down this weekend from Palatine. Any suggestion where Crappie and Blue gills can be found?[/quote]

Crappie...tri west side of round island...in the stumps and branches. Bluegills should be all over the place. Bass fishing was good but the place may be fished out thanks to the "bucket fishermen" ...I have begged the Village to make this a catch and release for Bass...to no avail!