I&M Canal Gifts

By Kay Norfleet

Mary, Louis, and little Anna Eberhart arrived in the farming country of Illinois from the economic unrest in Germany in the late 1800s. They came to northern Illinois because, they were told by knowledgeable people, that it was one of the most settled, and conducive for farming. Farming was how they made a living.

However, when they got here they still had no idea where exactly they could find rich farmland. But the I&M offered a chance for them to see the land they were considering. And it also had a stop on the canal in Lemont, where they could load their produce (corn) and send it to markets. The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico offering many market possibilities.

The I&M barge ride gave them a chance to view the grounds from the barges that went up and down the waterway, from Bridgeport to LaSalle-Peru. The acreage surrounding it was good earth. They boarded at Lemont and paid the fare for a ride on the I&M which would be 22 hours, then prepared to watch for an area to be their home.

The mules were hitched up and pulled the barge, Queen of the Prairie. Their journey began. At three miles an hour being the top speed Louis and Mary were able to carefully assess the surrounding country. When they saw a promising piece of land, they were able to get off the barge and look more. What they saw certainly offered possibilities: a lot of flat lands that would be relatively easy to plow and which would be open to rain and sun. God certainly had been kind. They settled on a piece of land near both the Canal and Lemont and reaped the benefits.

Not quite seventy years later, my husband and I moved to Lemont, I&M area. It was my idea since Mary and Louis were my grandparents and I knew how they liked the area. However, we did not farm. Instead, we started a newspaper-well, newspapers. One of the papers served the town of Lemont, and was called the “Lemont Met.”

Such Lemonters as Mike Galati and Sonia Kallick wrote for the paper. Both were local high school teachers and they used their inquiring minds. Sonia knew and wrote about the history of Lemont and Mike added his thoughts on the town. His experience in Lemont was unique. He was a very very introspective person, as was Sonia, who diligently let all of us know what had shaped the politics and people here by the Canal. The paper also sponsored golf outings and Little League games.

My husband joined the Rotary and several Village committees. I was able to use my proofreading and writing knowledge. Our kids honed their skills in writing and publishing and became accomplished in the news business. The oldest son is |the editor of another paper, my daughter, is a pretty accomplished photographer, and the youngest is a man of many talents. Unfortunately, my husband got sick and we had to sell, but I think that the Lemont area has given us so much...so thank you.