Toluca Coal Mine, Toluca, IL
Posted by: 
KG1960
N 40° 59.970 W 089° 08.540
16T E 319819 N 4540912
This coal mine was active in the early part of the 20th century, and it closed in 1924. Now it is part of a city park.
Waymark Code: WM15JC
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 01/22/2007
Views: 138
This site is now a city park, but was the site of the Devlin Coal Company where the coal production peaked in 1905 and ended in 1924 with the closure of the mine. All that remained of the mine were two slag piles. This area including the slag piles was made into a city park offering picnicking, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities. There is a viewing platform on top of one of the slag piles.
If you like watching trains, this park is a good place. It offers a clear view of the BNSF RR mainline (formerly the Santa Fe RR).
When arriving in Toluca, follow the signs, "Toluca Coal Mine Jumbo." It is located on the south side of the railroad tracks. The only obvious sign at the parking lot for the park is the Illinois Historical Marker titled, "Toluca Coal Mine".
In 1893 the Santa Fe Railroad authorized Charles Devlin, their manager of mining properties, to purchase the mineral rights here to 11,000 acres. The Devlin Coal Company sank two shafts and began producing coal using the longwall method, extracting coal from a seam as work progressed along a continuous working face. At its peak in 1905, 771 workers produced 379,000 tons of coal.
The mine attracted hundreds of immigrants, especially Italians. Toluca boomed until the mine closed in 1924, unable to compete with mines that produced coal at greater efficiency. These two slag heaps, “The Jumbos,” are memorials to the region’s coal industry and its workers.
The slag heaps were climbed by children until constant erosion made them unsafe. An agreement between the City Council of Toluca and the Ill Department of Natural Resources promoted the repair and restoration of the Jumbos, and now they are part of a city park.
Mine Type: Abandoned Mine
Mineral Collecting: Not Known
Material Mined: Coal, Lignite
Operation: Underground Mine
Surface Features: Yes
KNOWN DANGERS:
None, except perhaps some possible steep slopes if one gets off of the hiking trails to the top of the slag pile.
Any associated website: [Web Link]
Any Other information:
The mine shafts no longer exist. The only remains are the two slag piles. There is also a restored mine car displayed at the edge of the parking lot.
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Visit Instructions:
Optional photograph welcomed.