|
 During the summer of 2004, Fever River Research conducted a Phase II
archaeological survey of the Crescent Coal Company Mine No. 2 Site, an abandoned
coal mining property that was in operation between 1918 and 1931 and was one of
the largest mines in Tazewell County, Illinois. This investigation was done for
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources prior to the site being reclaimed.
The survey of the mine site resulted in the documentation of a number of
structural features associated with this early twentieth century mining
facility. Most notably, it allowed the recordation of an extant fan engine
house and the preliminary assessment of features believed to be associated with
miners’ housing. A historic map illustrates a small mining community comprised
of thirty-four houses and one store located directly adjacent to the mine.
Company towns such as that found at Crescent Mine No. 2 have a great potential
for contributing to our understanding of miners’ lifestyles and material culture.
Unfortunately, such sites have been poorly documented archaeologically in
Illinois. |
