Elm Mine and Dad
I have talked about this mine before and I will always have a link
to it since my father Bill May worked there from 1968 til it shut down
in 1984. I know he quit the International Harvester in Canton to go
work for the mine or so that's what he said. It probably paid better
would be my guess. Dad told me stories one how they got snowed in
and was there for like a week either 1978 or 1979. He said both years
were hellish. I was like three when the mine closed so I don't have much
memories. I do remember getting my ass spanked for waking my Dad up
as he was sleeping after work. I don't remember what stupid thing i did
but it was stupid enough to get my ass spanked. Serves me right. I do
remember he had a white ford pick up and later on a 1978 Ford truck.
He took me with him to pick my mom up from work at Sydney Harrison
Company in Peoria (closed 1990). I remember tracks crossing the highway
and crossbuck at trivoli as mom took Route 116 on the way home from
visiting her mom in the 1980's. I think that is where it crossed the highway
and went up to Dad's old mine but they had yet to tear out the tracks.
I think they tore those out around 1987 or 1988. I could be wrong but
I do remember the image of crossing them it was a rough crossing.
The picture with My Dad and I at the Elm Midland Coal mine near Trivoli
I do not even remember. I was like 2 in 1983 but my half sister and probably
grandparents with her since they babysitted me while mom and dad worked.
Dad held me looking like he had pride in his eyes smiling at me. Pfft he wouldn't
now with all the health issues I have and such. Haha. It is what it is. I can take
humor in my life but that is one of my favorite pictures of him. I remember the
story when the mine found a cemetery and had the bodies moved to the Elmwood
Cemetery and I guess the mine paid for burials. I'm not sure if they got stones but
probably. I know mines have moved cemeteries before in Fulton County. I know
of two. One was at Civer west of Canton which was a train stop that had a merchant
and a post office. The cemetery was moved to Shield's Chapel cemetery back in 1975.
Dad and I in 2007 went to the Peoria dump to dump a bunch of wood and stuff from
the back of his pick up and we took Cottonwood road and he showed me the area
of his mine and a lake they dug. My sister said he was a mechanic at the mine at
the time the 1983 picture was taken. The mine would close the following year which
pissed off Dad and others with good reason. I remember when he was gone working
at the mine i'd hear the International Harvester whistle blow. These are the few
memories I have.
One story is kind of nasty and probably shouldn't be told but it's funny in a way
because some asshole deserved it but I guess what both Mom and Dad told me is
that Dad shit his pants and took off his underwear. I can't remember if it was on the
way to the mine or going home but a guy got impatient Dad was going not as fast as
he would like and honked and flagged him down in road rage and came up to Dad's
truck window to confront him. Dad took the shitty underwear and rubbed it in the
guy's face and drove off. Karma! If he tried to do more though I know Dad would
have gotten out to beat his ass. I thought it was funny he told that story quite a few
times. I do know this I'm going to go up there and investigate the area one of these
days. I'd like to drive up Texas Road where he went to work also look for the lake
they created off Cottonwood Road in Peoria County.
Here's us again in 1983 at the Elm Midland Coal mine northwest of Trivoli, Il:
Google Earth images of the mine area northwest of Trivoli, Illinois:
Chicago & Northwestern R-O-W & Wye plus maps of the line:
Map of the Mine and area:
to it since my father Bill May worked there from 1968 til it shut down
in 1984. I know he quit the International Harvester in Canton to go
work for the mine or so that's what he said. It probably paid better
would be my guess. Dad told me stories one how they got snowed in
and was there for like a week either 1978 or 1979. He said both years
were hellish. I was like three when the mine closed so I don't have much
memories. I do remember getting my ass spanked for waking my Dad up
as he was sleeping after work. I don't remember what stupid thing i did
but it was stupid enough to get my ass spanked. Serves me right. I do
remember he had a white ford pick up and later on a 1978 Ford truck.
He took me with him to pick my mom up from work at Sydney Harrison
Company in Peoria (closed 1990). I remember tracks crossing the highway
and crossbuck at trivoli as mom took Route 116 on the way home from
visiting her mom in the 1980's. I think that is where it crossed the highway
and went up to Dad's old mine but they had yet to tear out the tracks.
I think they tore those out around 1987 or 1988. I could be wrong but
I do remember the image of crossing them it was a rough crossing.
The picture with My Dad and I at the Elm Midland Coal mine near Trivoli
I do not even remember. I was like 2 in 1983 but my half sister and probably
grandparents with her since they babysitted me while mom and dad worked.
Dad held me looking like he had pride in his eyes smiling at me. Pfft he wouldn't
now with all the health issues I have and such. Haha. It is what it is. I can take
humor in my life but that is one of my favorite pictures of him. I remember the
story when the mine found a cemetery and had the bodies moved to the Elmwood
Cemetery and I guess the mine paid for burials. I'm not sure if they got stones but
probably. I know mines have moved cemeteries before in Fulton County. I know
of two. One was at Civer west of Canton which was a train stop that had a merchant
and a post office. The cemetery was moved to Shield's Chapel cemetery back in 1975.
Dad and I in 2007 went to the Peoria dump to dump a bunch of wood and stuff from
the back of his pick up and we took Cottonwood road and he showed me the area
of his mine and a lake they dug. My sister said he was a mechanic at the mine at
the time the 1983 picture was taken. The mine would close the following year which
pissed off Dad and others with good reason. I remember when he was gone working
at the mine i'd hear the International Harvester whistle blow. These are the few
memories I have.
One story is kind of nasty and probably shouldn't be told but it's funny in a way
because some asshole deserved it but I guess what both Mom and Dad told me is
that Dad shit his pants and took off his underwear. I can't remember if it was on the
way to the mine or going home but a guy got impatient Dad was going not as fast as
he would like and honked and flagged him down in road rage and came up to Dad's
truck window to confront him. Dad took the shitty underwear and rubbed it in the
guy's face and drove off. Karma! If he tried to do more though I know Dad would
have gotten out to beat his ass. I thought it was funny he told that story quite a few
times. I do know this I'm going to go up there and investigate the area one of these
days. I'd like to drive up Texas Road where he went to work also look for the lake
they created off Cottonwood Road in Peoria County.
Here's us again in 1983 at the Elm Midland Coal mine northwest of Trivoli, Il:
Chicago & Northwestern R-O-W & Wye plus maps of the line:
Map of the Mine and area:
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