Simmons Coal Mine north of Canton, Illinois

North of Canton off 4th avenue and  just south of Cypress Road lies a hill that was part of an old coal mine that prospered for a number or years.  The  property it was on belonged to Thomas Simmons who created The Simmons Coal Company and the Simmons Coal mine.  This mine started building around 1906 and from 1908 until 1926 the mine prospered employing some people.
I have wondered about this hill which by the way is right along the old CB&Q ROW.  The railroad tracks were removed in 2017 but it appears the CB&Q shipped for them.  Sadly in September 1916  a  39 year old man was killed here.  He was a mule driver for the mine and got crushed by a car of coal.  Thomas Simmons the creator of this mine died 4 years after it closed  on January 1st, 
1930. 

The 1906 annual report which my source comes from Hinton-gen.com website dedicated to the coal mining in this area shows Simmons Coal Company has begun the opening of a new mine one and a half miles north of Canton.  The main shaft struck No.5 seam at the depth of 120 feet.

The 1907 annual report shows it has opened a new mine  1 1/2 miles north of Canton on the 
CB&Q Railroad and began mining for shipment Jan 1, 1907.  The No. 5 seam has reached a depth
of 130 feet.  The mine is equipped with all the modern improvements and when fully developed will
add materially to the Output of Fulton County.

The 1908 report shows a new mine from which reports has been recieved for the first time is the 
Simmons Coal Company of Canton.

The 1912 annual report:
Improvements:  Mr. Thomas Simmons, president of the Simmons Coal Company of Canton has
invented a very simple and inexpensive automatic device to lock the surface landing gates. When
the gates are away when the cage is at the surface landing the gate is unlocked, when the gate is moved the gate is locked and cannot be opened until the cage is stopped at the landing.  The
purpose of this invention is to prevent the possibility  of pushing a car, or a person falling down the shaft.  Mr. Simmons has secured no patent on this invention.  He says that if it will save a life
and limb, he desires that all shall have the privalege of using it.

In the 1915 annual report:

Improvements:  The mine has recently installed mining machines at their mine which was providing
to be very satisfying.  They have been bothered at this mine with the fire clay shooting up while firing shots but the use of the machine will eliminate to a great extent.

1916 annual report:
Improvements:  The mine has added four new mining machines to the underground equipment.

* In 1916 a man was killed at this mine  as he was a mule driver and he was crushed by a car of coal.  He was 39 years old. Out of respect will not list the name for him and any family.


The mine closed I have no idea why yet in 1926 and the president of it Thomas Simmons died four years later in 1930.  That hill off the CB&Q ROW off 4th avenue and south of Cypress road north of Canton is the only traces of it.