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Centennial Mural

Coal City Centennial Mural – Slideshow Descriptions

  1. Coal City – The First 100 Years – A History Told Through Mural Art

 

  1. The Centennial Mural was designed by Donna Gervase for the 1981 Coal City Centennial Celebration. The mural covered the north wall of Matteson’s True Value, now Rolando’s Furniture. The Centennial Committee purchased the paint and brushes.  Seventy volunteers who ranged in age from five to over eighty years, worked on the project under Donna’s direction. We, as a community, appreciate Donna’s dedication in researching, designing, and leading the volunteers in creating this historical work of art.

 

  1. In 1881, our community was primarily a farming and mining area. The man behind the plow is Gene Bianchetta’s grandfather. He first farmed near Carbon Hill and later owned a farm on Spring Road.

 

  1. The Wilmington Star Mine #3 was located near the railroad tracks in the area of Oak and Vermillion Streets. The Wilmington Star Mine #4 was located near South Broadway and East Spring Road.  The Wilmington Star Mine #5 was located near Maple and Mazon Streets. 

 

  1. The miners in the painting show the everyday conditions that they worked under. The coal seams in our area were very small, about three feet high. Miners had to work hunched over or on their knees for their entire work shift.

 

  1. Before the automobile, the main source of transportation was the horse. This livery, a place where horses were boarded, was located near the corner of Broadway and Chestnut. 

 

  1. At the turn of the century, our area was host to the World Championship Title Soccer Game between the Coal City Maroons and the Great Britain Pilgrims. The game was played in the area west of the current Coal City Intermediate School.  It ended in a zero to zero tie.

 

  1. This hardware store was located on the 600 block of Broadway and is no longer there. The white building in the background was the Coalfield Hotel. It was built on the hopes of attracting tourists to use Sulphur Springs for medicinal purposes.  The hotel was located on the southwest corner of Chestnut and Broadway in the vicinity of today’s Advanced Auto Specialists.

 

  1. Castle Hall is located in the 500 block of South Broadway at Park Street. The large hall was located upstairs. It was the only hall available in Coal City for meetings, graduations, and the like until the Bohemian Hall was built around 1900.

 

  1. The bicycle was an early means of travel. People from town could bicycle down Spring Road and enjoy an afternoon at a favorite spot, Sulphur Springs.

 

  1. The Bohemian Hall was located at 175 S. Broadway. It was originally known as the New Opera House. When searching for financing, a wealthy brewer from Morris was approached. The agreement gave the brewer permission to have a beer store in one of the rooms and that only his beer would be sold at special occasions.  To pay for the hall, each Bohemian family made a weekly payment of whatever they could afford, often 25 to 40 cents per week.

 

  1. The Coal City United Methodist Church moved to a new building located on McArdle Road in 2000 – 2001.  The old church building at 405 S. Broadway now houses Phylmart Services and The Music Loft.  During the 1930’s, this building was raised and a basement was poured making the building several blocks higher. Later an education wing was added.

 

  1. The town’s early mail truck was an enclosed wooden cart pulled by horses.

 

  1. The South Side School was located on the 400 block of South Broadway near the current Village Hall and Post Office.

 

  1. This was our City Hall in the early 1900’s. A pump house stood to the south of the main building.  A round marble drinking fountain was in front of the pump house, and people came from miles around to fill their jugs with wonderful artesian water.  The water was always good and cold, but the real trick was drinking the water while holding your nose.

 

  1. Coal City was the home of an aeroplane factory in the early 1900’s. Its owner was William Somerville, a local citizen and engineer. He also built and owned the first motor car in Coal City. He was responsible for many inventions.  In 1912, the airplane factory, which was located at the south end of town, burned to the ground and was never rebuilt.

 

  1. Shaft mining was nearly obsolete in our area by the mid-1920’s. Strip mining moved into the area in the late 1920’s.  Huge shovels called a Mucker and a Drag were used in the process. The Drag was used to remove the overburden and expose the coal.  The Mucker was used to scoop the coal out of the ground. The boom on the Drag was between 150 and 200 feet long.

 

  1. This area is well known for the Mazon Creek Fossils. They are found in the area drained by the Mazon Creek and in the former strip mine areas. Mazon Creek Fossils are displayed in several museums, including the Field Museum in Chicago.  The Illinois State Fossil “Tully Monster” was found in the Mazon Creek.

 

  1. The Diamond Mine Monument is in memory of the 74 men and boys who were killed in the mine disaster in February, 1883. Surface water caused the mine to flood and the miners were unable to reach the surface. The monument is placed at the highest level that the mine tunnel would have reached. It is thought that the miners tried to make it there in hopes of being rescued. The monument is located on Route 113 in the Village of Diamond.

 

  1. Presidents and Mayors of Coal City: James Short; Montgomery Sharp, Eli Stocker, Percival Clark, Andrew McKean, John Baskerville, William Somerville, Frank Albrecht, James Pavlis, Gabriel Longmuir, William Somerville, Edward Pierard, Thomas Jisa, William S. Brown, Joseph Phillips, James Kriz, Donald Koerner, J. Leroy Brown, Gerald Pierard, and Marcus Marketti.  Mayors who have served since 1981 are: Richard Roseland, Thomas McKinney, Gerald Pierard, Phillip “Leo” Middleton, James Micetich, Neal Nelson, Terry Halliday and David Spesia.

 

  1. The Assumption Catholic Church on Kankakee and Church Street is near the former Assumption School on Kankakee and Carbon Street. There were great rivalries between the three grade schools in Coal City:  South Side School, North Side School and the Assumption School.

 

  1. The North Side School was also known as the Suffernville School. It was located near First Street and Shabbona. Today the Major School of Dance is at this location.

 

  1. Clothing factories were always a source of employment for the women of Coal City. This factory was the Hyman’s Clothing Factory. The first building burned and a watchman lost his life. It was rebuilt in 1932, but no longer exists. It was located in the vicinity of the tennis courts at North Broadway near McArdle Road. 

 

  1. The Presbyterian Church has been remodeled several times. Brick was added in the 1950’s and an addition was added in the 1990’s. The beautiful stained glass window was imported from Italy.

 

  1. Broadway Ford was one of several car dealerships in Coal City. Located at Broadway and Division, the building was demolished on December 6, 2012.

 

  1. The A.B.C. Club was a local “for men only” club. A.B.C. stood for Athletic Brotherhood of Christians. It was said that on the hottest day of the year, the A.B.C. Club was the coolest spot in town. It was located on Broadway and Division near the current McDonalds.

 

  1. Advertising on the outside walls of local stores became popular as can be seen on Trotter’s Store in the 700 block of South Broadway south of Meece’s Engineering.

 

  1. This building was once a post office and music store in the 700 block of South Broadway. It is currently home to Meece’s Engineering.

 

  1. We believe that this was Boggio’s Grocery Store which served the community for over 60 years. When times were hard, Charlie Boggio opened up the door, the books and his heart and carried many a family through hard times. The building is still at 335 S. Broadway, currently Onorato’s Real Estate.

 

  1. For many years, Mrs. Bennett’s Store was the local distributor for every newspaper in the area. She also had penny candy, chips and pop. When the Intermediate School on East Division St. was the High School, students would run to Mrs. Bennett’s at lunch break for candy. This store is no longer there. The store was located on East Division between Shabbona and Lincoln Streets.

 

  1. The Atlas Wall Paper Mill was an important employer for many years. When it shut down, there was a certain sadness associated with it. An era had come to an end. In its heyday, the Atlas employed 170 people, had two eleven hour shifts and produced 22 million rolls of wallpaper a year. It was located at the end of Oak and Vermillion Streets near the railroad tracks.

 

  1. April 3, 1948, the south end of town heard roaring and people looked out to see Phillips farm disappear with a tornado heading for Coal City. Suddenly, the dark cloud veered off to the east and the community was spared.

 

  1. In the 1950’s, the Santa Fe Super Chief was a regular sight through our town. For many years, the “Doodle Bug” was the only way out of town. It stopped at all the small towns right up the line. You always knew when the “Bug” was coming by the sound of its whistle.

 

  1. The Mazon Farmer’s Elevator was located next to the railroad tracks and was necessary for the farmers to get their grains to market.

 

  1. Our World War Monument has the name of every veteran in Coal City who served their country, the locations of the big battles and the men who made the supreme sacrifice. The monument is located on the Intermediate School grounds at Division and Baima St.

 

  1. Our Elementary School on North Broadway was built in 1955 and has since had several additions.

 

  1. The First National Bank of Coal City was a mainstay in the lives of our towns people. It helped build our homes, send our children to college, and kept our everyday lives on a firm foundation. Located at 660 S. Broadway, it is now the Centrue Bank. 

 

  1. The Rialto Theater first brought silent movies to the area. Later, talking movies came to entertain the community. The movie theater closed in the 1970’s. The building still stands in the 600 block of South Broadway.

 

  1. To the north of the Rialto was Sam’s Snack Bar, the place everyone went to have coffee and see friends. It was not uncommon for a group of teenagers to go to Sam’s and order four cokes, a small bag of chips and a bottle of ketchup. When they cleared the tables, there would be 5 empty bottles.

 

  1. The Coal City Emergency Squad was founded in 1953. The squad consisted of a 1954 Chevy panel truck, a boat, a resuscitator, two stretchers, a few splints, some bandages and 18 very willing and civic minded men. Never did they dream it would develop into one of the best equipped and most reliable volunteer organizations in the state. Since its initiation, the Coal City Emergency Squad has served as a model of humanity.

 

  1. Testa’s IGA was the newest and most modern supermarket in our town when Mr. Testa, a former driver for Rainbo Bread, built it in 1966.  The store was sold to Berkot’s Super Foods on October 5, 2002.

 

  1. Five geese are shown to represent “Goose Alley” and the group of people who were located around Marguerite, Virginia Streets and Gordon Ave. The Bohemians raised geese in their back yards and used the feathers for comforters and bedding. These geese were better watch dogs than the ones that barked. Goose Alley is an interesting part of our heritage.

 

  1. The strip mines destroyed the landscape but our area has taken this wasted land and, with the help of Mother Nature, turned it into a water recreational area for private clubs and beautiful homes.

 

  1. The Volunteer Fire Department has done an outstanding job since it was first formed as a “Bucket Brigade” in 1887. The Coal City Fire Protection District was organized in May, 1967.  Fire Station #1 opened on DeWitt Place in February 1971 where an addition was added in 1980.  Fire Station #2 on South Berta Road was opened on December 6, 2010.

 

  1. The Police Department has grown from a part time force to a complete 24/7 staff that serves and protects our growing community.

 

  1. Goose Lake Prairie State Park is located north on Pine Bluff Road. The land was purchased in 1968 and the park officially opened in 1979. It is the largest tall grass park in the state. They lease the Commonwealth Edison cooling lakes which are open for fishing and duck hunting. A public interpretive center is open 364 days a year.

 

  1. Dresden Nuclear Power Station, the first privately financed nuclear plant in the world, was opened in 1959. Owned by Commonwealth Edison (now Exelon), Unit 2 opened in 1970 and Unit 3 in 1971.

 

  1. This concludes your tour of Coal City’s First One Hundred Years from 1881 – 1981 as shown on the mural. For more information on local history, visit the Coal City Public Library District.