Shelbyville Quadrangle

The oldest known mining near Shelbyville took place before 1875, about a mile south of Shelbyville along the Kaskaskia River when the water was low. The location of that mine is not known more precisely, and it is not shown on the accompanying map. The Worthen report also states that by 1875, the mines had moved away from the river banks to the bluffs, where Sam Kelly worked a shaft that had two other shafts nearby, and J. J. Cline worked a drift that was a mile south of the railroad and four miles to Shelbyville. There were at least three mines operating in 1882 (see the unlocated mines at the back of this report). The oldest mine shown on the accompanying map is near Robinson Creek in 21-T11N-R3E (mine index 7484). The oldest mine whose location and production are known is the Root No. 1 Mine (mine index 3462), which operated from 1917 to 1936 and worked out approximately 45 acres. Many of the oldest mines are now covered by Lake Shelbyville.

Coal Mines In Illinois Shelbyville Quadrangle