Ladd
Illinois
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Village of Ladd
History :
In writing a history of the Village of Ladd, it will be necessary to cover briefly, many of the events which loomed as momentous occasions at the time they occurred, and to mention only briefly, some of the early settlers who played an important part in the development of the community.
In speaking of the early settlers, it will be possible to take into consideration only those who came here in the late 1880's or early 1890's. Since this time, there have been many prominent people in Ladd who have helped to build the community, but to give all of them credit for what they have really done, would require more space than is available.
The history of Ladd must necessarily start a little before the incorporation of the village which was on July 1, 1890. The first settlement at the site of the present village was known as Osgood and was really a construction camp for either the CB&Q Railroad, which completed its line through Ladd in 1888, or the Illinois Valley & Northern Railroad, which built into Ladd in 1887, primarily to serve an elevator which was erected about that time by George D. Ladd of Peru. It was from Mr. Ladd that the village took its name.
The discovery of coal in this section had attracted the attention of mining men, and in 1888, the Whitebreast Coal Company of Iowa brought a number of employees here and started the work of sinking a shaft May 26, 1888. Among these men was Isaac Morgan, who assumed charge of the sinking, and his son, William.
Much difficulty was encountered in sinking the mine and five attempts were made before the first vein was finally reached. After operating with a varying degree of success for a couple of years, it was decided to go deeper and tap the third vein. On account of shifting sand, this proved to be a gigantic task, but finally the goal was reached. In 1889, Michael Conway came to Ladd from Oglesby, to accept the position of stationary engineer, and to him goes the distinction of hoisting the first car of coal from the new mine, and he was also at the throttle when the last car was brought up in 1924.
The White Breast Fuel Company continued to operate the mine, but with not a great deal of success, until 1901, when it disposed of its interest to the Illinois Third Vein Coal Company, and Charles Sherrard was placed in charge. This company immediately rebuild the mine equipment and a real era of prosperity for Ladd began. The number of men employed in the mine steadily increased until there were approximately 700 men employed. The average daily output was around 1200 tons, but a record of 1800 tons was established in one day's hoisting.
While mining continued as the village's main industry, the railroads played an important part in the economic life of the community. With the large amount of tonnage produced by the mines, it attracted railroads and five companies built into the village. With approximately 300 railroad men and 700 miners, the payroll was enormous and the village enjoyed a great era of prosperity.
This condition continued until 1924, when the mine was closed and it became necessary for many families to move to new fields where work was more plentiful. The railroads continued to operate, but with greatly reduced business so, naturally, many of the railroad men was also forced to leave.
The closing of the mine and the slump in railroad business caused the younger generation to look about for other lines of employment and many have succeeded in entering the nearby industries and Ladd has continued to thrive despite the gloomy outlook in 1924.
The mining industry attracted a large foreign population to Ladd and the Italian people, particularly, have had an important part in the development of the village. Many of the leading business establishments have been operated by Italians who continue to play an important role in the commercial and social activities of the village.
In writing a history of the Village of Ladd, it will be necessary to cover briefly, many of the events which loomed as momentous occasions at the time they occurred, and to mention only briefly, some of the early settlers who played an important part in the development of the community.
In speaking of the early settlers, it will be possible to take into consideration only those who came here in the late 1880's or early 1890's. Since this time, there have been many prominent people in Ladd who have helped to build the community, but to give all of them credit for what they have really done, would require more space than is available.
The history of Ladd must necessarily start a little before the incorporation of the village which was on July 1, 1890. The first settlement at the site of the present village was known as Osgood and was really a construction camp for either the CB&Q Railroad, which completed its line through Ladd in 1888, or the Illinois Valley & Northern Railroad, which built into Ladd in 1887, primarily to serve an elevator which was erected about that time by George D. Ladd of Peru. It was from Mr. Ladd that the village took its name.
The discovery of coal in this section had attracted the attention of mining men, and in 1888, the Whitebreast Coal Company of Iowa brought a number of employees here and started the work of sinking a shaft May 26, 1888. Among these men was Isaac Morgan, who assumed charge of the sinking, and his son, William.
Much difficulty was encountered in sinking the mine and five attempts were made before the first vein was finally reached. After operating with a varying degree of success for a couple of years, it was decided to go deeper and tap the third vein. On account of shifting sand, this proved to be a gigantic task, but finally the goal was reached. In 1889, Michael Conway came to Ladd from Oglesby, to accept the position of stationary engineer, and to him goes the distinction of hoisting the first car of coal from the new mine, and he was also at the throttle when the last car was brought up in 1924.
The White Breast Fuel Company continued to operate the mine, but with not a great deal of success, until 1901, when it disposed of its interest to the Illinois Third Vein Coal Company, and Charles Sherrard was placed in charge. This company immediately rebuild the mine equipment and a real era of prosperity for Ladd began. The number of men employed in the mine steadily increased until there were approximately 700 men employed. The average daily output was around 1200 tons, but a record of 1800 tons was established in one day's hoisting.
While mining continued as the village's main industry, the railroads played an important part in the economic life of the community. With the large amount of tonnage produced by the mines, it attracted railroads and five companies built into the village. With approximately 300 railroad men and 700 miners, the payroll was enormous and the village enjoyed a great era of prosperity.
This condition continued until 1924, when the mine was closed and it became necessary for many families to move to new fields where work was more plentiful. The railroads continued to operate, but with greatly reduced business so, naturally, many of the railroad men was also forced to leave.
The closing of the mine and the slump in railroad business caused the younger generation to look about for other lines of employment and many have succeeded in entering the nearby industries and Ladd has continued to thrive despite the gloomy outlook in 1924.
The mining industry attracted a large foreign population to Ladd and the Italian people, particularly, have had an important part in the development of the village. Many of the leading business establishments have been operated by Italians who continue to play an important role in the commercial and social activities of the village.