Ledford is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in the
Harrisburg Township,
Saline County,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
situated between
Carrier Mills and
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
, Illinois. It was named after a well known Ledford family in the area.
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
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
on
US 45
U.S. Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south United States highway and a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as .
US 45 is notable for incorporatin ...
. At one time, it had a population of 1,100 to 1,400 people. According to an early edition of the ''
Harrisburg Daily Register'', there was a time during the first 10 years of the 20th century that the population of Ledford was larger than that of
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
, the county seat. In 1905, Saline County had numerous small slope mines and 15 major shaft mines. Thirteen of these larger mines were along the Big Four Railroad that traveled through Ledford.
Around these mines were small
communities of company houses that were called patches. In Ledford alone there was a 2 patch, 5 patch and a 14 patch, all named for the mine number that provided the company housing. Just south of Ledford was another patch of housing built by the
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
, called "Hunky Row" by the locals.
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
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
. Around 1900 to 1910, 1,536 immigrants came to Saline County. Most came to work in the coal mines. Most had come from
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, and
Lithuania.
The town was known for its lavish gambling, partying, and nightlife. Notorious gangster
Charlie Birger, who lived in Ledford, shot and murdered "Crip" Yates in Ledford on December 4, 1917.
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 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
Harrisburg, Illinois
Harrisburg () is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Illinois, United States. It is located about southwest of Evansville, Indiana, and southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2020 population was 8,219, and the surrounding Harrisb ...
. Almost all signs of the mining industry are gone. The mines' air shafts and fans are gone as well as the many
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when ...
tipples and mine ponds that dotted the area. The smoke stacks are missing and the air is clean. Gone are the sounds of the tipples hoisting coal, the steam whistles signaling the men, and the occasional snorts of a steam
locomotive or the groaning of a
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
motor. Ledford is a quiet community with a population of only 100 people.
Demographics
External links
*
Harrisburg, Illinois
Harrisburg () is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Illinois, United States. It is located about southwest of Evansville, Indiana, and southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2020 population was 8,219, and the surrounding Harrisb ...
*
Carrier Mills, Illinois
Carrier Mills, formerly Carrier's Mills and Morrilsville, also known as Catskin, is a village in Saline County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,672 at the 2020 census. Carrier Mills was named after George Washington Carrier's saw ...
*
Charlie Birger
References
History of Saline County, 1995, Genealogy Department
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Hungarian-American culture
Lithuanian-American culture in Illinois
Unincorporated communities in Saline County, Illinois
Unincorporated communities in Illinois
Coal towns in Illinois
Populated places established in 1880
Polish-American culture in Illinois
Russian-American culture in Illinois
1880 establishments in Illinois