Oakford Quadrangle

Mining in the Oakford Quadrangle

Mining began in this quadrangle in 1903 when the Becker mine opened at a site somewhere near Cuttington Creek west of Petersburg. Production was 510 tons in the first year and the property was mined until 1917, when it was abandoned. In 1923 a mine was opened nearby by the Tebrugge Brothers and operated until 1943. In 1969-1970 several test pits were put down by the Piamco Company, but these sites were then abandoned.

The Springfield Coal is the only seam mined in this quadrangle. It is approximately 84 feet deep and averages 5.5 feet in thickness. Many mines in the Springfield Coal in this part of Illinois have encountered numerous clay dikes.