Eagarville, Illinois

	E a g a r v i l l e Eagarville, Illinois - Macoupin County Illinois, - State of Illinois - USA

Village of Eagarville Macoupin County, Illinois Named for James Eagar Population of 2000 Census = 128 Latitude = 39° 6' 38" North Longitude = 89° 47' 3" West

The land for Eagarville was owned by James Eagar and he laid out the village.

James Eagar
      Born about 1842 in Cary, Ireland
      Married Marguerite Danahee in 1865 in London, England
      Died April 12, 1919 in Litchfield, Illinois at the hospital.

1953
Eagarville
      The first school was built in 1900. It consisted of two rooms. The Village Hall and Post Office are the buildings which composed the school. The school was sold in 1920, when a new school was built. This school consisted of four rooms was sold in 1951.
      Eagarville has never had an established church. However, Sunday School classes were conducted in the school building from early 1900 to 1947 by Miss Day and Mrs. Jennie Thero.
      teh village was incorporated November 16, 1915. They have had five mayors up to the present day. Mr. Joseph Frew, the first mayor, served for 20 years. Trustees of the first village board were John Frew; John Ranger, Gillespie resident; Frank Gerardini, Gillespie resident; Frank Dana, Gillespie resident; Martin Huges, and Victor Prenedil.
Source : 1853 - 1953 History of Gillespie, Illinois and Centennial Program, June 25, 26, 27, 1953

From the Past Memories by : Erin & Becky Berghold

            In 1902 the Superior Coal Company began to open mines in the area.
      The Superior Coal Company was owned by Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company,
      which had three of the largest coal mines in world for the first half of the twentieth century.
            The coal mine at Eagarville was sunk during 1901 and was commonly known as # 1.
      "Number 1" at Eagarville was opened August 1903 and closed in 1951.

Superior No. 1 Coal Mine
Eagarville, Illinois
Superior Coal Company Mine No. 1

Photograph furnished by : George Vincent

The legal description lists this as
      Macoupin County - Township 8 North, Range 6 West, Section 29, 1100 FSL, 1200 FEL, NW,
which encompasses the area under Gillespie and east also under Eagarville, and was in Cahokia Township.

      An underground mine with a depth of 320 - 348 feet and
an average coal seam thickness of 6½ - 9 feet,
Superior No. 1 Mine was at Eagarville, and operated by the Superior Coal Company
It opened August 1903 and closed in 1951
Coal production was reported from 1904 through May 1951
      [Source - No. 1, Index 413]

As a Tribute & Memorial to the coal mining industry that provided the livelihood for this geographical area of Illinois; the following photos have been graciously furnished by :Jack & Georgia Ferry The photographs here show some of the housing that the mine company built for the miners and their families to live in. These homes were demolished during the mid 1990's.
Photographer : Georgia Ferry	Photographer : Georgia Ferry
Photographer : Georgia Ferry