Zeigler
The year of 2004 marked the 30th birthday of the miner standing proudly in the center of the town circle. His presence is also a constant reminder that 2004 also marked the 100 year anniversary of the town’s founder, Joseph Leiter, opening of his Zeigler Number One coal mine. From these humble beginnings grew a town that surpassed all growth expectations as the population soared to over 5000 people and 3500 employees, and became the place for a new beginning for many families. The statue of the Coal Miner is a symbol of the town’s prosperity, the hardships and a reminder of the national importance of the Zeigler Coal and the men that mined it. When the great depression hit the nation, it was the people who rallied behind the town that had one of the only banks in Franklin County that did not fail during the dark times of the great depression of the 1920's. It was here that the cornerstone was laid and the town became the birth place of the world famous Zeigler Coal Company. As the years passed swiftly and the 1960's arrived, new ideas began to appear on the horizon that was focusing on the environmental effects of coal. New government rules and regulations created a demise of the coal producing mines across the USA and Zeigler was no exception. The era of the coal mines in Zeigler had long last come to a close. In the early 70's and at the request of the Bank of Zeigler, a southern Illinois sculptor named Stephen Robin was called upon to sculpt and cast the coal miner statue. The finished product was dedicated in 1974 and placed in the center of the Zeigler circle as an honor for all to see and to remember our beginnings. The miner’s likeness has been used to represent the thousands of coal miners throughout southern Illinois during many coal festivals, as well as Zeigler's own festival each fall. As we stand in front of our Coal Miners statue let us always look back to the past and recognize its true meaning. Take a moment to honor the realization, that from an small itinerant encampment of poor people came a small city of 5000 plus people to the present day population of less than 2000, the residents of Zeigler continue to be a society steeped in coal history where pride of our roots run deep.
Thoughts by Raymond Null & Larry Christy
© January 1, 2007 (rev. 1)
