Mining Incidents
Abandoned mine inventory

Abandoned mines in Williamson County, Illinois

Williamson County, Illinois has 124 mine and prospect features on USGS topographic maps published 1961–1996, including 18 mine openings (shafts, adits and air shafts); 8 of the features carry a name on the map. OSMRE's abandoned mine land inventory lists 585 problems in the county, 109 of them not yet reclaimed. MSHA's register carries 56 mines in the county with status Abandoned or Abandoned and Sealed.

Every mine and prospect feature the USGS digitized from historical topographic maps covering Williamson County, every OSMRE abandoned mine land problem in the county, and every MSHA-registered mine here with status Abandoned. Named features are listed below; unnamed ones are counted by type. Locations are deliberately not shown: this page says what abandoned workings are in the county, not where to find them. They are dangerous and should not be entered.

Mapped mine features (USGS)
124
Mine openings
18
OSMRE problems unreclaimed
109
MSHA mines marked abandoned
56
8 features carry a name0 prospect pits20 quadrangle maps, published 1961–1996 585 OSMRE problems, 476 reclaimed 7 MSHA mines abandoned and sealed
What the features are
  1. Mine openings
    shafts, adits, air shafts, portals and vertical openings: the ways into underground workings
    259 36.5%
  2. Mines and surface workings
    labelled mines, open pits, strip mines, placer and hydraulic workings
    91 12.8%
  3. Quarries, gravel and borrow pits
    construction-material and industrial-mineral extraction
    3 0.4%
  4. Dumps, tailings, spoil and gob
    what mining left above ground
    117 16.5%
  5. Mills, tipples and facilities
    processing plants and hazardous structures
    34 4.8%
  6. Other reclamation problems
    highwalls, subsidence, polluted or clogged water, fires, slides and gases in OSMRE's inventory
    204 28.8%
  7. Other
    symbols outside the classes above
    1 0.1%
Named features on the maps8 named · from the USGS compilation
Name on map Feature
Barbara Kay Mine Adit
Blue Bird Mine No 7 Mine Shaft
Carmac Mine Mine Shaft
Delta Mine Mine
Freeman No 4 Mine Mine
Freeman No 4 Mine Mine
Freeman No 4 Mine Mine
Ziegler No 4 Mine Mine Shaft

A name is the label printed beside the symbol on the map. "First mapped" is the earliest topographic edition that shows the symbol, which bounds the feature's age from above; it is not the date it was worked. Unnamed features (most prospect pits, adits and shafts carry no label) are in the counts above but not this list.

OSMRE abandoned mine land problems585 on inventory
Problem area Problem Status
Aikman Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Amax Nixville Road Bridge Reclamati P1 Hazardous Equip & Facilities In Reclamation
B & J New Black Diamond #5 P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
B & J New Black Diamond #5 P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
B & L Coal Company P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
B & L Coal Company P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Baltimore Pit-yates C.c. P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Barbara Kay Mine P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Barclay Pit Subsidence P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Basin Cream C.c. P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Basin Cream C.c. P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Basin Cream C.c. P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Basin Cream C.c. P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Completed
Basin Cream C.c. P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Basin Cream C.c. P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Basin Cream C.c. P3 Water Problems Reclamation Completed
Bell And Zoller #3 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Bell And Zoller #3 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Bell And Zoller #3 P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Bell And Zoller #3 P3 Slurry Reclamation Completed
Bell And Zoller #3 P3 Slurry Reclamation Completed
Bell And Zoller #3 P3 Water Problems Reclamation Completed
Beltz C.c. No. 2 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Beltz C.c. No. 2 P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Beltz C.c. No. 2 P3 Water Problems Reclamation Completed
Biehl Pit Subsidence P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Big Muddy Coal Company P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Pending
Big Muddy Coal Company P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Pending
Black Banner C.c. P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Black Briar #2 P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Black Briar No.1 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Black Briar No.1 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Black Crystal C.c. P2 Portals Reclamation Pending
Black Crystal C.c. P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Black Crystal C.c. #2 P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Black Crystal C.c. #2 P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Blaine C.c. P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Blaine C.c. P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Blairsville Mining Co. P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Blue Belle C.c. P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Blue Belle C.c. P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P1 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P1 Portals Reclamation Completed
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities In Reclamation
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Completed
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P3 Gobs In Reclamation
Blue Bird - Turner C.c. P3 Slurry Reclamation Completed
Blue Blaze C.c. P2 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Blue Ribbon #3 P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Blue Ribbon #3 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Brewster Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Brown Property Sinkhole P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Buckhorn Mine P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Buckhorn Mine P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Buckhorn Mine P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Buckhorn Mine P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Buckhorn Mine P3 Slurry Reclamation Completed
Buckhorn Mine P3 Water Problems Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine P3 Slump Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Brookhouse P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Brookhouse P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Hall P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Hall P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Hall P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Hall P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Hunter P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Hunter P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Ladd P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Ladd P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Mine - Ladd P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Pending
Burr Mine - Ladd P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Burr Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cambria Shafts P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cambria Sunkhole Group P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carbondale Coal and Coke P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Pending
Cardinal Lane Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cardinal Lane Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cardinal Lane Pit III P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Cardinal Lane Pit III P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carter Coal Company P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carter Coal Company P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Pending
Carter Coal Company P3 Slump Reclamation Pending
Carter Street Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carter Street Sinkholes P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carterville Black Diamond No. 3 P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carterville Black Diamond No. 3 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carterville District No.6 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Carterville District No.6 P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Carterville District No.6 P3 Mine Opening Reclamation Completed
Carterville District No.6 P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Carterville Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Carterville ROW Pit P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Carterville ROW Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cavitt Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cedar Grove Church Pit Subsidence P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cedar Hill C.c. P1 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Cedar Hill C.c. P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Cedar Hill C.c. P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Cedar Hill C.c. P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cedar Hill C.c. P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Cherry Hill C.c. P2 Portals Reclamation Completed
Cherry Hill C.c. P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Completed
Cherry Hill C.c. P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Cherry Hill C.c. P3 Other Reclamation Completed
Chi., Wilm. & Franklin A P1 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Chi., Wilm. & Franklin A P1 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Completed
Chicago,wilminton P1 Surface Burning Reclamation Completed
Chicago,wilminton P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Chicago,wilminton P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Chicago,wilminton P2 Industrial/Residential Waste Reclamation Completed
Chicago,wilminton P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Childers Pit Problem type not recorded In Reclamation
Coal Stripping Co. 'scottsboro Mine P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Completed
Consolidated Coal No.8 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Pending
Consolidated Coal No.8 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Pending
Consolidated Coal No.8 P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Completed
Consolidated Coal No.8 P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Consolidated Coal No.8 P3 Other Reclamation Completed
Consumer C.c. P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cosgrove Meehan #1 P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Cosgrove Meehan C.c. #3 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Cosgrove Meehan C.c. #3 P2 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard (sm-43) Country Rd 325 P1 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard (sm-43) Country Rd 325 P2 Dangerous Highwalls In Reclamation
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments Reclamation Pending
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Pending
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P3 High Wall Reclamation Pending
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P3 Pits In Reclamation
Crab Orchard Sm-15 P3 Spoil Area Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard/liberty C.c P3 Bench Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard/liberty C.c P3 Equipment Facility Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard/liberty C.c P3 Gobs Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard/liberty C.c P3 Pits Reclamation Completed
Crab Orchard/liberty C.c P3 Slurry Reclamation Completed
Crenshaw Crossings P2 Dangerous Highwalls Reclamation Pending
Crenshaw Crossings P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments In Reclamation
Crenshaw Crossings P3 High Wall Reclamation Pending
Curry Pit P1 Vertical Openings Reclamation Completed
Deer Run Sag P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed
Deer Run Sag P1 Subsidence Reclamation Completed

…and 435 more problems not listed here.

Problem types carry OSMRE's priority prefix: P1 and P2 are threats to health, safety and property, P3 is environmental. A problem area is a cluster of problems reclaimed as one project; several rows can share one location.

MSHA-registered mines with status Abandoned56 on register
  1. Ace Mine No 1
    Surface coal · Ace Diggin Inc · MSHA ID 1102778
    Abandoned
  2. Barbara Kay Mine
    Underground coal · Barbara Kay Coal Corp · MSHA ID 1100626
    Abandoned
  3. Blue Blaze Prep Plant
    Facility coal · Southern Illinois Mineral Corp · MSHA ID 1102580
    Abandoned
  4. Blue Flame Coal Co Mine (Culm)
    Surface coal · Blue Flame Coal Company Inc · MSHA ID 1102612
    Abandoned
  5. Brier Creek 1
    Surface coal · Brier Creek Mining Company Inc · MSHA ID 1102776
    Abandoned
  6. Cambria # 1
    Surface coal · S. Coal Company · MSHA ID 1103092
    Abandoned
  7. Carmac Culm Mine
    Surface coal · Thunderbird Mining & Reclamation Corp · MSHA ID 1102638
    Abandoned
  8. Central Shop
    Facility coal · Old Ben Coal Company · MSHA ID 1101915
    Abandoned
  9. Coal Carbon Inc #1
    Facility coal · Triad Engineering Inc · MSHA ID 1102944
    Abandoned
  10. Coal Valley Mining Inc
    Underground coal · Coal Valley Mining Inc · MSHA ID 1102857
    Abandoned and Sealed
  11. Coldwater Strip
    Surface coal · Cold Water Coal Company · MSHA ID 1101783
    Abandoned
  12. Corinth (Strip)
    Surface coal · E & B Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102715
    Abandoned
  13. Corinth Coal Mine No 1
    Surface coal · Corinth Coal Company Inc · MSHA ID 1102862
    Abandoned
  14. Cottonwood Dba Tiger #1
    Surface coal · Cottonwood Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102870
    Abandoned
  15. Crab Orchard Pit And Mill
    Surface metal/non-metal · Crab Orchard Materials · MSHA ID 1102654
    Abandoned
  16. Crenshaw Mine No 1
    Surface coal · Crenshaw Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102629
    Abandoned
  17. Crenshaw No 1 (Strip)
    Surface coal · E & B Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102625
    Abandoned
  18. Delta Mine
    Surface coal · Delta Mine Holding Company · MSHA ID 1100625
    Abandoned
  19. E & B Coal Company
    Surface coal · E & B Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102081
    Abandoned
  20. E And B #2
    Surface coal · E & B Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102568
    Abandoned
  21. Energy Strip Mine
    Surface coal · Forsyth-Energy Inc · MSHA ID 1100632
    Abandoned
  22. Globe Fuel Processing Plant
    Facility coal · Globe Fuel Inc · MSHA ID 1102643
    Abandoned
  23. Illinois Coal Oil & Gas Co (Coal Mine No
    Surface coal · Illinois Coal Oil & Gas Company · MSHA ID 1102682
    Abandoned
  24. Jader No 2 Strip
    Surface coal · Jader Fuel Company Inc · MSHA ID 1102047
    Abandoned
  25. Little Dutchman No 1 Surface
    Underground coal · Roger Moody Material Corp · MSHA ID 1102660
    Abandoned
  26. Lone Star Reclaiming Company
    Underground coal · D L White Company · MSHA ID 1102575
    Abandoned
  27. Malone No 1 Mine (Strip)
    Surface coal · Donald Malone Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102570
    Abandoned
  28. Marion #2 Slurry Pit
    Surface coal · Mid-Continental Fuels Inc · MSHA ID 1102884
    Abandoned
  29. Mid-Continental Fuels Inc Mine #2
    Facility coal · Mid-Continental Fuels Inc · MSHA ID 1102942
    Abandoned and Sealed
  30. Mine #1
    Surface coal · Williamson Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102345
    Abandoned
  31. Mine #2
    Underground coal · Addington Enterprises Inc · MSHA ID 1102621
    Abandoned and Sealed
  32. Mine #3
    Surface coal · S Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102909
    Abandoned
  33. Mine No 1
    Underground coal · Harrisburg Coal Company · MSHA ID 1100629
    Abandoned and Sealed
  34. Morris Mine No 7
    Underground coal · Morris Coal Inc · MSHA ID 1102600
    Abandoned and Sealed
  35. Morris No 6 Mine
    Underground coal · Classic Coal Corp · MSHA ID 1102637
    Abandoned
  36. No 1 Reclaiming Mine
    Surface coal · Royal Mining Company · MSHA ID 1102559
    Abandoned
  37. No 1 Strip
    Surface coal · Illinois Coal Oil & Gas Company · MSHA ID 1102443
    Abandoned
  38. No 1 Strip Mine
    Surface coal · Western Mining Corp · MSHA ID 1102381
    Abandoned
  39. North Side Strip
    Surface coal · Claude White · MSHA ID 1102558
    Abandoned
  40. Orient #4 Mine
    Surface coal · Pittsburgh Energy LLC · MSHA ID 1100628
    Abandoned and Sealed
  41. Oxford Mine No 2 Strip
    Surface coal · Oxford Constuction Company · MSHA ID 1102543
    Abandoned
  42. Oxford No 4 Strip
    Surface coal · Oxford Constuction Company · MSHA ID 1102607
    Abandoned
  43. Parks Mine #1
    Surface coal · Parks Coal Company · MSHA ID 1103081
    Abandoned
  44. Peacock Coal Processing Plant
    Facility coal · Peacock Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102589
    Abandoned
  45. Peacock Mine No 2 Strip
    Surface coal · Peacock Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102675
    Abandoned
  46. Phoenix Mine No 1
    Surface coal · Phoenix Mining Company Inc · MSHA ID 1102908
    Abandoned
  47. Pittsburg Carbon
    Surface coal · Springfield Coal Company, LLC · MSHA ID 1103161
    Abandoned
  48. Recycle Plant No 1
    Surface coal · Ideal Energies Inc · MSHA ID 1102623
    Abandoned
  49. Riggs No 2 Mine
    Surface coal · Riggs Mine Company · MSHA ID 1102644
    Abandoned
  50. Thomas Mine
    Surface coal · D D Thomas Company · MSHA ID 1102540
    Abandoned
  51. Thunderbird Mine
    Facility coal · Allied Minerals Inc · MSHA ID 1102850
    Abandoned
  52. Utility Coal Corporation
    Surface coal · Utility Coal Corp · MSHA ID 1102795
    Abandoned
  53. Weslo - U S Minerals
    Surface coal · Cottonwood Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102987
    Abandoned
  54. Williamson Coal Company Mine #2
    Surface coal · Williamson Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102783
    Abandoned
  55. Zeigler #4 Ug
    Underground coal · Zeigler Coal Company · MSHA ID 1100627
    Abandoned and Sealed
  56. Zeigler No 4 Culm Bank
    Facility coal · Old Ben Coal Company · MSHA ID 1102754
    Abandoned

Status and date are as reported to MSHA by the operator. Each mine's own page carries its accident, citation and inspection record.

By source vocabularythe publishers' own terms
Feature type Features
P1 Vertical Openings 121
Strip Mine 78
P2 Vertical Openings 71
P3 Gobs 58
P2 Portals 36
P2 Hazardous Equip & Facilities 30
P3 Water Problems 25
P2 Dangerous Piles & Embankments 25
P3 Equipment Facility 24
P2 Dangerous Highwalls 23
P3 Spoil Area 20
P3 Pits 19
P1 Subsidence 16
P3 Mine Opening 14
P1 Portals 13
P3 Other 12
P3 Haul Road 10
P3 Slurry 9
Adit 9
P2 Clogged Streams 8
Disturbed Surface 7
P3 High Wall 7
Mine Dump 7
P2 Industrial/Residential Waste 6
P1 Dangerous Highwalls 6
P3 Slump 5
Tailings - Pond 5
Mine Shaft 5
P2 Clogged Stream Lands 5
Mine 4
P2 Hazardous Water Bodies 4
P1 Hazardous Equip & Facilities 4
Air Shaft 4
P2 Subsidence 3
P1 Surface Burning 3
P1 Dangerous Piles & Embankments 2
Strip Mine 2
P1 Industrial/Residential Waste 1
P3 Bench 1
Problem type not recorded 1
P1 Dangerous Slides 1
Quarry 1
Sand Pit 1
P2 Surface Burning 1
Gravel/Borrow Pit - Undifferentiated 1
P1 Underground Mine Fires 1
Other counties in IllinoisAll counties →
How to read these numbers

A USGS feature is a symbol on a historical topographic map, there when the map was surveyed; it may since have been sealed, reclaimed, built over or reopened as a working mine, and the map does not say which. An OSMRE row is a problem the abandoned mine land program tracks, not a mine. An MSHA mine is a registered operation whose operator reported abandonment, a record that starts in the 1970s. The three overlap and are never added together. The county is assigned from each feature's coordinates against the Census 2023 county boundaries. The full method is on the national page.

Sources
  1. USGS, Consolidated Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps of the United States (USMIN)
    597,612 point and area features digitized from about 106,350 historical topographic maps published 1886–2006; public domain (CC0). A feature is a map symbol, not a field-verified site, and the map does not say whether it was still worked.
  2. USGS Fact Sheet 2025–3003, The Abandoned Mine Inventory of the United States
    States that as of 2025 there is no comprehensive national inventory of abandoned mine features, and that the detailed national database now being built will not be published.
  3. OSMRE, Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System (e-AMLIS), public Problems layer
    One row per abandoned mine land problem in a problem area, with its type, funding program and reclamation status; mostly coal mined before the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Coordinates are the problem area's.
  4. MSHA, Mines dataset (Mine Data Retrieval System)
    Every mine registered with MSHA since the 1970s; a mine reads Abandoned or Abandoned and Sealed when its operator reported that status. Refreshed weekly.
  5. US Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic county boundaries (1:500,000)
    Each feature's county is assigned by its coordinates against these boundaries, not copied from the source file.
  6. GAO-20-238, Abandoned Hardrock Mines (March 2020)
    Federal agencies had identified at least 140,000 abandoned hardrock mine features on federal land and estimated more than 390,000 more not yet captured in their databases.
  7. Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation (AHMR) Program, US Department of the Interior
    The program the USGS inventory is compiled for. Its appropriations and the 674,000 field-confirmed feature count on this page were provided by the program manager, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, and are cited with permission (2026-09-08).
  8. IMCC-NAAMLP Hardrock AML Report
    Page 48 carries the two figures this page leans on: USGS estimates 633,181 of the 725,690 mine features it recorded from historic topographic maps, 87 percent, are hardrock; and state and federal agencies have submitted more than 724,000 AML features to the national database being built, already more than the historic maps hold. Year-by-year AHMR funding is on page 35.