St. David Coal Mine
The Saint David , Illinois area has a long history of coal mines over a hundred and some years. Coal mines popped up, prospered for either a short period time but the luckier ones lasted a few decades. When I say luckier mines the ones who were loaded with coal. The smaller mines worked until they ran out or the mines became to unsafe afterwards they were abandoned. This county has alot of coal mines some of which i'll cover in my blog in the future. So we'll start this off covering some of the history of the Saint David Coal mine aka Big Creek Coal Mine.
The St. David Coal Mine was located north of the town of Saint David in section 16 of the township. It was north of the town and just north of My Aunt Edna's house which I once played there quite a few times as a kid unaware of the history just feet away. I'll post a picture later the trees in the background was where the mines were beyond that nearby. There was a CB&Q spur that came up here in the early 1910's. There is a street in Saint David that headed north and is a dead end n\called Burlington street which I assume was named because the spur came up in the exact area up to the mine. Towards the mainline it split off in both directions heading back onto the mine. The land is all private property so no chance of exploring anywhere near it and probably for good reason who knows if there is pits still back there or you can stumble into or over something so just as well. Okay blabber mouth here will shut her trap and let;s get back to the history of this mine and enough of my trying to be friendly chit chat. :)
The St. David coal mine in section 16 lasted into the 1940's by what I found so far. If I find
more out I'll be sure to add later. It was Big Creek Coal mine No. 2 and the Big Creek Coal Company from 1905-1920. From 1920-1924 it was Big Creek Coal mine 22, operated by Big
Creek Coal Company. In 1924 Saline County Coal Company took ownership of it naming it Saline County Coal Mine No. 22 and it ran from 1924 until 1928. After 1928 Truax Traer Coal Company
took over and the mine name was changed to Saint David Coal Mine 1 which was a strip mine.
It ran from 1929-1943.
** This info is from the hinton-gen website which gives information on various mines in Fulton County**
1912 annual report:
"Big Creek Coal Company has sunk a new air shaft near the face of the working, also increased
the number of refuge places on haulage road way."
1914 annual coal report:
"On the evening of April 5, 1913, fire destroyed the tipple and office and the greater portion of
the power house and boiler room at Big Creek mine No 2 at Saint David. They began rebuilding
and mining operations resumed about Dec 1, 1913."
1915 Annual report:
"Big Creek Coal Company at mine 2, in the reconstruction of the Tipple after the fire. They made some important changes. A new and larger shaker screen has been installed,the width of the upper portion of the tipple building being increased by four feet, giving considerable more room
for handling of the coal and also facilitating repair work around the shaker screen. A number of
improvements were also made in the reconstruction of the power house, a blower fan was installed for use in the engiene and boiler house, a 1 horsepower motor running 1,725 revolutions per minute, and a driving a No. 4 Champion blower was built in, the air conducted through the main lines t drop a connection at the front of each boiler for the use of the firemen. There also was a connection for each generator to prevent the dust from collecting and for cooling purposes. An
exhaust steam condensing system has been put in operation to be used in connection on with the softening plant. A 50 pound power hammer was installed for sharpening machine bits and other tools."
1916 annual report: Improvements!
"At mine No 2., the company is putting in a passing parting, 500 feet long for the motors to pass.
This is a drift mine and two ton motors pull the coal from inside to outside."
This is all the information at the moment i have on this mine. My Aunt Edna ( May) Murphy in the 1980's and 1990's lived here in a house on the northwest corner of St. David and the coal mines were nearby to the north of her property. Hell at one time the mines might have owned the property. I'm including a picture of me as a kid on her property in the late 1980's. Behind me where the woods are and beyond that would have been the Mine. I had no idea at the time of the history i was running and playing about around. I am also adding a picture I took of the area looking northward where the property would have been as well as an old map i got offline showing the CB&Q spur up to the mine. I wonder how ling they used rail to ship. If I find anything more i'll add later to this.
The St. David Coal Mine was located north of the town of Saint David in section 16 of the township. It was north of the town and just north of My Aunt Edna's house which I once played there quite a few times as a kid unaware of the history just feet away. I'll post a picture later the trees in the background was where the mines were beyond that nearby. There was a CB&Q spur that came up here in the early 1910's. There is a street in Saint David that headed north and is a dead end n\called Burlington street which I assume was named because the spur came up in the exact area up to the mine. Towards the mainline it split off in both directions heading back onto the mine. The land is all private property so no chance of exploring anywhere near it and probably for good reason who knows if there is pits still back there or you can stumble into or over something so just as well. Okay blabber mouth here will shut her trap and let;s get back to the history of this mine and enough of my trying to be friendly chit chat. :)
The St. David coal mine in section 16 lasted into the 1940's by what I found so far. If I find
more out I'll be sure to add later. It was Big Creek Coal mine No. 2 and the Big Creek Coal Company from 1905-1920. From 1920-1924 it was Big Creek Coal mine 22, operated by Big
Creek Coal Company. In 1924 Saline County Coal Company took ownership of it naming it Saline County Coal Mine No. 22 and it ran from 1924 until 1928. After 1928 Truax Traer Coal Company
took over and the mine name was changed to Saint David Coal Mine 1 which was a strip mine.
It ran from 1929-1943.
** This info is from the hinton-gen website which gives information on various mines in Fulton County**
1912 annual report:
"Big Creek Coal Company has sunk a new air shaft near the face of the working, also increased
the number of refuge places on haulage road way."
1914 annual coal report:
"On the evening of April 5, 1913, fire destroyed the tipple and office and the greater portion of
the power house and boiler room at Big Creek mine No 2 at Saint David. They began rebuilding
and mining operations resumed about Dec 1, 1913."
1915 Annual report:
"Big Creek Coal Company at mine 2, in the reconstruction of the Tipple after the fire. They made some important changes. A new and larger shaker screen has been installed,the width of the upper portion of the tipple building being increased by four feet, giving considerable more room
for handling of the coal and also facilitating repair work around the shaker screen. A number of
improvements were also made in the reconstruction of the power house, a blower fan was installed for use in the engiene and boiler house, a 1 horsepower motor running 1,725 revolutions per minute, and a driving a No. 4 Champion blower was built in, the air conducted through the main lines t drop a connection at the front of each boiler for the use of the firemen. There also was a connection for each generator to prevent the dust from collecting and for cooling purposes. An
exhaust steam condensing system has been put in operation to be used in connection on with the softening plant. A 50 pound power hammer was installed for sharpening machine bits and other tools."
1916 annual report: Improvements!
"At mine No 2., the company is putting in a passing parting, 500 feet long for the motors to pass.
This is a drift mine and two ton motors pull the coal from inside to outside."
This is all the information at the moment i have on this mine. My Aunt Edna ( May) Murphy in the 1980's and 1990's lived here in a house on the northwest corner of St. David and the coal mines were nearby to the north of her property. Hell at one time the mines might have owned the property. I'm including a picture of me as a kid on her property in the late 1980's. Behind me where the woods are and beyond that would have been the Mine. I had no idea at the time of the history i was running and playing about around. I am also adding a picture I took of the area looking northward where the property would have been as well as an old map i got offline showing the CB&Q spur up to the mine. I wonder how ling they used rail to ship. If I find anything more i'll add later to this.
Your photo is on Western Street not Burlington ave. About a thousand yards from the red building in picture is a large (50’) hole that appears and fills in during rainy summer downfalls! There are several entrances, (4’) air shafts along big creek hillside that runs parallel to mine shaft that are there today. As a kid that lived on Burlington, we explored several air shafts and found several items from mine. There was old hooch bottles that were hid during probation.
ReplyDelete