The Bloomington Coal Company closed in 1928 and eleven years later the entire area lay in ruins. An unidentified Pantagraph reporter took this series of photos in April of 1939. The coal mine and the brick works were situated between Washington and Market Streets on the west side of Bloomington but identifying exactly where these photos were taken may not be easy.
A group of boys are scavenging at the filled in entry to the coal shaft. The shaft had been filled with bricks and debris to prevent entrance into the dangerous shafts.
A wide view of the coal company area. The smokestacks were part of the power plant of the coal mine.
The dilapidated horse's barn at the coal company.
The remains of the engineers' hoist building. The location of the elevators is a good clue!
The same boys scavenging in the rubble. The boy on the right is holding the wheel of one of the carts the ponies pulled.
The foundations of an unidentified building.