Coal was king for generations in Christian County and a prince of a small museum pays homage to that heritage.
The Christian County Coal Mine Museum is worth a short trip to Taylorville, but you also can take in an historical museum with ties to Abraham Lincoln and a surprising amount of water for such a landlocked county.
Founded in 2003 by Will Stone, the coal museum got its own building in 2021, which allowed an expansion and a bigger collection of memorabilia. Executive Director Chuck Martin dedicates his time and energy to preserving Christian County’s coal mining history.
“My father was a coal miner and I worked in the mines during my college summers,” Martin said. He left after college to work in northern Illinois but came back in retirement. He and wife, Mary Jo, are eager to share the industry’s story.
More than 600 photos of mining, a simulated underground mine shaft, an exhibit on coal mine wars, a coal miners’ wall of fame and artifacts as old as 100 years help tell that story. Dozens of miners’ hats, lanterns, lunch pails, tools and newspaper clippings fill the museum, which is in a former fitness center at 1324 E. Park Street.
One of the more impressive displays is a large check-in/check-out board with actual tags miners used when entering and exiting a mine. A coal car replica and mannequins outfitted in miners’ clothing add interest.
Christian County’s coal mining history stretched from 1883 to 1995, with yield estimates close to 1 billion tons. The world’s largest underground mine, Peabody #10 between Pawnee and Kincaid, and the state’s deepest mine, 1,000 feet, in Assumption, were part of that history. Both mines are closed, with the power they generated now fueled by coal shipped from western states.
The old Christian County courthouse in Taylorville features the room where Abraham Lincoln practiced law while riding the circuit. Photo by Brent Bohlen
Museum visitors learn that coal mining was a tough living as photos show harsh working conditions and exhibits highlight some of the tragedies that claimed 296 lives in the county.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays or by appointment by calling 217-526-4408. Donations are welcomed. More information is on the Christian County Coal Mine Museum Facebook page.
A few blocks away, at 325 Abe’s Way, is the Christian County Historical Museum, also worth a stop. The highlight is the first official county courthouse, built in 1840 and used for 12 years until the county outgrew it. It was moved to the museum grounds along with other historical buildings and restored.
“Twice a year for one to three days, Lincoln tried cases in the courthouse while a circuit-riding lawyer,” according to Ray Gates, museum coordinator. In those days, the building sat on pilings to raise it off the muddy ground and animals roamed freely downtown. During one trial, pigs under the building made so much noise that Lincoln asked the judge to issue a “Writ of Quietous.” The judge complied, Gates said, and the sheriff chased the pigs away.
Wooden cutouts of pigs on the old courthouse’s porch commemorate the episode, as does a statue of Lincoln with a pig outside the current courthouse downtown.
Other buildings significant to Christian County’s history and part of the museum include the Morrison House, built in 1854 by a wealthy businessman whose descendants donated the house in 1967, his “Bee Castle” for gathering honey and thought to be unique in Illinois, and Buckeye School from a rural area 12 miles away.
Manners Park in Taylorville is a good place to walk, picnic, play sports, walk a dog or relax. Photo by Brent Bohlen
Visitors also can poke their heads into a railroad depot from Owaneco, a log house moved from near Assumption and the Woodall Building, a more modern structure housing displays dedicated to military history, dolls, musical instruments, farm tools, office machines and medical devices. The original Christian County jail cells include furnishings and carvings by prisoners.
The museum operates on donations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday from April 1 to Nov. 30, on Saturdays only from Dec. 1 to March 30 or by appointment. The grounds contain many persimmon trees, and volunteers process the fruit and sell eight-ounce containers of pulp for $5.
An annual persimmon party happens on the first Saturday of November and includes a persimmon bakeoff, lunch and bake sale.
For a break from the museums, head to Manners Park in the south end of Taylorville. The park’s rolling hills, massive oak trees, covered shelters, playground, ponds, dog park, tennis courts, basketball court, frisbee golf course, ball fields and soon-to-be renovated swimming pool are good places to relax. An outdoor light display is fun during the holidays.
Lake Taylorville, a 1,200-acre reservoir, has two parks, a marina, public beach, seasonal campsites and four cabins to rent. Boating and fishing are popular.
That also is true at Sangchris Lake State Park, in western Christian County. The 3,000-acre park has 120 miles of shoreline with plenty of spots to cast your line for bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish. Visitors can camp at two sites; hunt deer, dove and waterfowl during their seasons; hike or ride horses along trails and spot birds and wildflowers. Scattered about are plenty of picnic areas.
A statue of Abraham Lincoln and a pig on the courthouse square in Taylorville commemorates a trial where Lincoln complained about squealing pigs drowning out his words. In his day, the courthouse sat on pilings and animals roamed in the mud underneath. Photo by Brent Bohlen)
If you prefer your water activities indoors and are a YMCA member, you can make use of the Christian County Y in Taylorville. Children will love the water slide while adults swim laps or float in the lazy river.
In the southeast corner of Christian County, Pana has a lake featuring catfish and muskie and Kitchell Park with a pool, sports fields, a fishing lagoon and a 1911 round Chautauqua Pavilion that hosted famous speakers in its heyday. The park is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pana also has the restored log Coal Creek Pioneer Village at the fairgrounds, the 1941 Roseland Theater with artwork and Art-Moderne style touches and a small history museum (open by appointment) that explains how Pana became known as the “city of roses.” The town was a major rose producer and distributor with more than 100 greenhouses at one time.
Pana hosts the Tri-County Fair at the end of summer and a popcorn festival in late July. For fall festivals, you can head to Taylorville for its annual Chillifest Oct. 4 and 5 this year. And don’t forget that persimmon festival Nov. 1 at the Christian County Historical Museum.
Lake Sangchris is a 3,022-acre reservoir, built in 1964 as a cooling lake for a power plant. It’s surrounded by Sangchris Lake State Park, which offers boating, hiking, equestrian trails and camping. PHOTO BY FLETCHER FARRAR
Mary Bohlen of Springfield enjoys traveling and writing about her discoveries. A former wire service reporter, she taught journalism at the University of Illinois Springfield for 30 years.
This article appears in REGEN Fall 2025.
