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Taylorville Kiwanis Club Hears From Coal Mine Museum Executive Director At Weekly Meeting

 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about the Christian County Coal Mine Museum, during their weekly meeting Tuesday at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.  

 

Chuck Martin is the executive director of the Museum, which was founded 17 years ago.  Martin told the Kiwanis members that it's had several different locations in those 17 years, and recently moved into a 7,000-square-foot building that formerly housed the Matrix Gym on East Park Street next to the Driver's License Office.

 

Martin shared with Kiwanis members on how the Museum got the new building.

 

 

Martin said the Museum celebrates Christian County's rich coal mining history, which began in 1885 with the first mine located at the intersection of East Market and East Franklin.  Martin added that in 1910, Illinois had over 800 active coal mines, compared to just over a dozen statewide today.

 

Martin added the Museum will highlight the people that were part of the county's coal mines, as well as how safety improvements came to the mining industry, and the history of coal mining in the county.  Martin plans to take part of the space to build a simulated coal mine for grade school children to experience.  

 

Martin told the Kiwanis Club the new Museum location will hold a Grand Re-Opening in May.

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