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No community in Franklin County can boast a more colorful, productive background and growth as can the City of Zeigler. As early as 1902, the area, which is now Zeigler, was nothing more than a wooded area and some prairie land. Zeigler's growth and enterprising independence is due largely to the vision and enterprise of one man - Joseph Leiter. About the year 1900, Leiter, a Chicago financier and wheat speculator, flushed with his past success, was casting about for new worlds to conquer. Leiter began buying up land in the Six-Mile Township area at J20 and $25 an acre and acquiring mineral rights on the property of owners who would not sell surface and underlying minerals. In this manner he acquired a tract of about eight thousand acres. In 1902, Leiter sunk Zeigler Mine No. 1 for his first coal shaft into the rich treasures below... and brought out the firsf of countless tons of the world's best bituminous coal. When the mine was sunk, Leiter set out to build a town to go with it. The same architect designed the town, taking Washington, D.C., as his model. The center of the town is a circle, with the streets running from it like the spokes of a wheel. Leiter also built a school, a small hospital, and other buildings. He gave the town his father's middle name, Zeigler. For a number of years, Mr. Leiter owned the town of Zeigler. It was unincorporated. He built a two-story white frame house facing the circular square, where he and his wife lived when he was at Zeigler, and he operated in baronial style.

The City of Zeigler was organized and incorporated under the aldermanic type of government in the year of 1914. Peter J. Slavin was elected as the first mayor and Ben Turner as the first city clerk. The first 43 city ordinances were approved and passed during the administration of Mayor Slavin. Over the next several years many businesses were established such as a bank, church and newspaper. In 1919, public utilities were started as well as a telephone system. The City of Zeigler adopted the commission form of government on April 20, 1937. James Kelly served as mayor of Zeigler from May, 1941 to May, 1949. It was during his administration that a program to improve the city streets was approved, A program was started to curb and gutter the main arterial streets in town.

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Dynamic Duo

A Doctor and a Detective Team Up to prevent the dastardly demise of a town's pictoral history

ZEIGLER - Felix and Oscar The Lone Ranger and Tonto. Lucy and Ethel. Simon and Garfunkel.

History has given us many unlikely dynamic duos, but perhaps none more unlikely than the doctor and the detective. These two local men, who were thrown together by a chance meeting at a local dining establishment, ended up solving the case of the disappearing history. Seriously, Allan Patton (the doctor) and Raymond Null (the detective) have collaborated on three books that provide a pictorial history of Zeigler.

Pulton and Null know each other as children growing up in Zeigler during the 1940s and 1950s — an era when the west Franklin County community was a bustling coal mining town. They both went their separate ways after graduating from what was Zeigler high school. Patton began his lifelong career in education in 1960 as a teacher at Zeigler grade school, ending up with an administrative job with the Franklin County Regional Superintendent of Schools where he remained for 14 years. Patton finished out his career from 1988-1999 as superintendent of the Benton grade school district. Null moved to South Florida, near Fort Lauderdale, and began a career in law enforcement. He retired as the chief investigator with the detective division of Broward County. Now he lives in Herrin. Both men are now retired and several months ago happened to meet — after more than 40 years at King's Restaurant and Lounge in Zeigler. The doctor and the detective rekindled their friendship and found a common interest in the history of their hometown "I realized right away that Ray's interest in Zeigler's history was as great as mine." Patton said. "That first meeting set the wheels in motion, and things just sort of snowballed

King's, on Illinois 148 in Zeigler, is known for good chicken, fish and conversation, and soon became a meeting place for Patton and Null as they began work on what would become, not one, but three volumes of historical pictures. "We put out fliers and notices that we were looking for old pictures of Zeigler's history." Null said. "A lot of it was just word of mouth And before long the pictures just started rolling In. At first we were afraid we wouldn't have enough. Now, we're sort of selective in what pictures we take."

The books literally tell the story of Zeigler In pictures, chronicling the rich history of the community from the days when ii was nothing more than a mining camp through the 1930s and 1940s when the community grew to more than 5,500 residents - 4,000 more people than currently live there. Null and Patton said the project proved to be a learning experience.
"I didn't know until we started this project that Zeigler had three coal mines, a company store, its own hospital, a newspaper and scores of other businesses," Null said.

Patton said he also learned during the project that the first recorded mine in Franklin County, Zeigler No 1 Mine owned by Bell & Zoller Coal, was built in Zeigler in 1904. Later, Patton said, two additional coal mines were built, giving the community the distinction of having three working mines.

The pictures, more than 250, were grouped together in categories that included mining, people, businesses, events and schools. After the images were scanned, they were returned. The photos were then stored on CD's where they will be displayed at the Zeigler Public Library and made available for copying.
The two men paid for the project themselves.

Null said the project never had a frustrating moment. He called it "a joy."
"There wasn't anybody who grew up poorer than Allan and I did, but those were still good days." Null said. "Getting together and reliving some or those times has been really rewarding to me. There was never a single second that I regretted tackling a project this big."

Patton said the historical compilation, while beneficial to future generations, is also a good example that two people in this instance, the doctor and the detective — can pool their talents and resources and work together.

"Some of the things that I couldn't get done, Ray could, and some of the things he couldn't do... I did," he said. But wait! Does the completion of the books mean the end of the line for Franklin County's newest dynamic duo — the doctor and the detective?

"No." say Null and Patton While gathering pictures for the just completed books, they also were given many tidbits of local folklore, rumor and a little bit of old fashioned gossip. So the duo says their next project will be a book titled. "Rumor Has It ..."
Stay tuned...

Zeigler Coal Company

Today, the Zeigler family of companies rank as the nation's largest independent coal producers - and the sixth largest overall. Zeigler's coal producing subsidiaries have annual sales of approximately $750 million. We have recoverable coal reserves of about 2.9 billion tons. And we have an annual production of 35 million tons. Far more important than size, though, is the quality of our people, who possess the capabilities and commitment needed to manage and operate some of the finest operations in the United States.

Through the finest skill and the strongest will, they provide the perfect blend of time-honored dedication and state-of-the-art techniques. The tradition of success that Zeigler can today reflect upon, however, was only a dream at the turn of the century. Ninety years ago, when most people viewed the coal industry as fragmented, disorganized and unprofitable, Joseph Leiter saw coal as a diamond in the rough. When most believed the only good coal was Eastern coal, Joseph Leiter declared that someday Illinois coal would supply Chicago and the nation. And when most laughed at Joseph Leiter for leaving Chicago for a rural coal field in Franklin County, he quietly constructed Zeigler No. 1 Mine - and had the last laugh. By 1908, Zeigler No. 1 Mine was the third-largest producing mine in the nation, and within 20 years Zeigler Coal was common in 14 Mississippi Valley states, from Texas to Minnesota. Zeigler had surprised the industry ... and could point to a future bright with promise. In 1910, the Bell and Zoller Company took charge of Zeigler operations under a royalty arrangement. The Zeigler Coal and Coke Company was incorporated in 1924, and grew through expansion and acquisition, purchasing the Hart Ross Coal Company and the Cardinal Coal Company in 1948 and acquiring four Illinois mines from Consolidated Coal Company in 1950. Also in 1950, Zeigler Coal and Coke Company acquired the Bell and Zoller Coal Company.

1890s Levi Zeigler Leiter acquired land in Franklin County, III.
1896 Bell and Zoller Coal Company founded.
1904 Zeigler Coal Company Incorporated. Zeigler No. 1 opens.
1910 Bell and Zoller begins management of Zeigler No. 1.
1917 The Wilmington Star Coal Company, founded in the 1870s, changes its name to Old Ben Coal Company.
1918 Zeigler No. 2 opens
1935 New prep plant begins servicing Zeigler Nos. 1 and 2.
1946 Murdock Mine opens.

KILLED BY OWN GUN
Ten Year-Old Son of Millionaire : Dies in father's Duck Blind.
SHOT AS HE PICKS UP WEAPON
Father Had Remained at His Louisiana Lodge While Boy Accompanied Hunting Party.

Special To The New York Times, NEW ORLEANS, La..
While shooting ducks from a blind on his father's game preserve at the mouth of the Mississippi River this morning, Joseph Leiter, Jr., 10 year old, son of Joseph Leiter of Washington. D.C. and Chicago, accidentally shot and killed himself. Speaking over the telephone from his hunting lodge at Chateau Cahard, Mr. Leiter tonight said that his son discharged the gun in some unknown manner. The father was not sure whether the boy dropped the gun or whether the trigger caught in his clothing. "Joseph," said Mr. Leiter "went to one of the duck blinds this morning with a party of hunters. I was not with him. According to those in the blind with him, Joseph fired at a duck, and reloaded the gun without anyone seeing him do it. He laid the gun down on the floor of the blind. Nobody knew it was loaded and therefore I suppose no particular attention was paid to it. When Joseph again picked up the gun it exploded. Just what caused it to explode I do not know."

It was in a choking voice that Mr. Leiter told of his son's death and he scarcely could be understood over the long distance telephone. It was with an effort that Mr. Leiter held himself together when he was asked his son's age. He said, "Only ten years old last July."

Then he broke down. He could be heard sobbing over the telephone. As soon as his son's body was brought in the lodge Mr. Leiter communicated with John Dymond, Jr., a close personal friend, and Mr. Dymond had a special tram made up and rushed to Duras. the nearest town to the hunting camp, about one hundred miles south of New Orleans. Mr. Dymond before leaving New Orleans at 5 o'clock Monday afternoon, made arrangements for the train 10 bring the body of Joseph Leiter, Jr. to New Orleans and thence to Washington. Several years ago Mr. Leiter acquired a large game preserve at the mouth of the Mississippi River and it was his custom to spend at least a month each year there with his family. He often had as guests at the lodge. Mayor Behrman and the city's leading professional and business men

The only business left on Oak Street