ZEIGLER – Nestled away in the rolling hills of the Franklin County area of southern Illinois lays the forgotten town that in 1904 was only a breath away from being the nation’s capitol. It was here that in 1901 a Chicago multi-millionaire named Levi Zeigler Leiter, and his son Joseph brought the family fortune and began building a small empire. After buying 8000 acres of land, Joseph began sinking the coal mine that would become the original headquarters for the nationally known Zeigler Coal Company.
Arial shot of Zeigler (Legends of America photo)
Leiter was so sure that his mine would be the largest and the most modern, he used champagne instead of water to mix the cornerstone concrete with. For good measure he threw in a couple expensive diamond rings and his gold watch into the mix. Engraved in the cornerstone was the date of 2004, because Leiter claimed his mine modernization would be a hundred years ahead of its time.
Please click on the link below from Raymond D. Null of Legends of America.
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/il-zeigler.html
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.