Ledford, Illinois
Ledford | |
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618 |
Ledford is an
History
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the peak of the coal boom in Saline County, it was a thriving mining center home to more than 1000 people.
It lies three miles South of
Around these mines were small
In the early 20th century, these coal mine settlements made up most of the population of Ledford. Prior to the opening of the coal mines, which began around 1870, the families that were scattered around Saline County were pioneer stock. Most came from New England. Around 1900 to 1910, 1,536 immigrants came to Saline County. Most came to work in the coal mines. Most had come from Hungary, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania.
The town was known for its lavish gambling, partying, and nightlife. Notorious gangster
At one time, Ledford had a jail, a post office (opened September 30, 1880 – January 30, 1882; reopened Feb. 20, 1892 – Oct. 31, 1935), two catholic Churches, a Baptist church, a parish school, East and West Ledford Schools, several grocery stores, a restaurant, a boarding house, and a pool room. Some[who?] say there was a roller skating rink and a movie house. Ledford even had its own movie star by the stage name of Frances McIntyre, a local actress. Her real name was Stella Stevers. Ledford also boasted large mining factories and industries that left a distinct fog throughout the town.
Ledford today has a cemetery, an abandoned Hungarian cemetery, and the Ledford Baptist Church. Ledford spreads across a 4-mile stretch of land along Rt. 45 between Carrier Mills and Harrisburg with several roads shooting off to the left and right of the highway.
Today, Ledford is considered part of
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1900 | 1,200 | — | |
1910 | 599 | −50.1% | |
1920 | 673 | 12.4% | |
1930 | 462 | −31.4% | |
U.S. Decennial Census |
External links
- Harrisburg, Illinois
- Carrier Mills, Illinois
- Charlie Birger
References
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
History of Saline County, 1995, Genealogy Department