Cardiff is a former coal-mining town that thrived when coal was the main source of energy in the USA and the rest of the world. Located in Livingston County of Illinois state, Cardiff grew at un-imaginable levels both in infrastructure and population. It was later abandoned and deserted after the closure of the principal mine.  

History of the mining town 

Cardiff ghost town has a lot of history that one would expect from any former boomtown. In 1899, the time when coal mining was at its peak, White Breast Fuel Company saw the opportunity that the region portrayed and decided to give it a try. They arrived in the region the same year with money at hand ready to buy land and invest in the region. This was never easy as they thought, most of the residents knew the potential of their land and were not ready to sell their lands. 

After several failed attempts, the company was lucky to get a man, Patrick Collopy who was ready to sell his more than 35 acres. With a sigh of relief, White Breast Fuel Company established a coal mining camp in the area and immediately commenced coal production. Soon the coal mine which was renamed to Cardiff mine became the only and richest coal producing mine in the region. 

This attracted several other mining companies and investors not forgetting miners. Homesteads, business premises, hotels, schoolhouses, and churches sprawled the promising region. By 1902, the town which was now Cardiff (named after the principal mine) had a new mine and a population of more than 2500 with 80% being non-miners. Railroad services served a major role in the transportation of coal to various parts of the country.

Desertion and afterlife

Misfortune after misfortune struck the town in 1903 making it extremely hard to recover. 12th March of the latter year, an explosion occurred at the principal mine (Cardiff mine) killing 3 miners who were working overnight. At the end of the same week, another explosion would strike again but this time killing at least 5 miners and injuring one. As if this is not enough, a third explosion occurred the next day killing one company employee. 

This series of explosions hit the company real bad giving it not only several lawsuits to deal with but financial decline. Most miners boycotted work and resigned while the rest who remained behind were not allowed to operate deep in the mine where there was quality coal. Due to substandard coal from the company, Wabash Railroad ceased doing business with the company taking it into further financial debt.  The company was sold on an auction not long after this but it closed down officially in 1927. By then, all the residents except the miners resided in the town. After it was deserted, the townsite lay unoccupied for several decades until it was in 1983 when the state filled the mines in its reclamation project. No one resident in the town at this time. You can visit the townsite at your own convenience. All the mine threat was eliminated when the land was reclaimed and the mines filled.