Ledford, Illinois

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Ledford is an unincorporated community in Saline County, Illinois, United States. It was named after a well known Ledford family in the area. In the late 1800s, and early 1900s at the peak of the coal boom in Saline County, it was a thriving mining center home to more than 1000 people.

Three miles South of Harrisburg on US 45. At one time it had a thriving population of 1,100 people; some writers have reported a population of 1,400. According to an early addition of the Harrisburg Daily Register, there was a time during the first 10 years of the 20th century that the population of ledford was larger than that of Harrisburg, the county seat. But then coal was king and Saline County was booming. Saline County in 1905 had numerous small slope mines, and 15 major shaft mines. Thirteen of these larger mines were along the Big Four Railroad that traveled through Ledford. A lot of coal came out of these mines, and a lot of miners worked in them.

Around these mines were small communities of company houses that were called "patches". In Ledford alone there was a "2 patch, "5 patch" and a "14 patch", all named for the mine number that provided the "Company" housing. Just south of Ledford was another patch of housing built by the Hungarians, slangly called by the locals "Hunky Row."

In the early 1900s, a collection of these coal mine settlements were largely the population of Ledford. Prior to the opening of the coal mines, that began around 1870, the families that were scattered around Saline County were pioneer stock. Most coming from New England. Around 1900 and 1910 1,536 immigrants came to Saline County. Most came to work in the coal mines. Most had come from Hungary, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania.

The town was known for its lavish gambling, partying, and night life. Notorious gangster Charlie Birger, who lived in Ledford, shot and murdered "Crip" Yates on December 4th 1917.

At one time Ledford had a jail, and could boast of a Post Office, two catholic Churches, a parish school, a Baptist Church, East and West Ledford Schools, several grocery stores, a restaurant, a boarding house, and a pool room. Some say that there was a roller skating rink and a movie house. Ledford even had its very own movie star by the stage name of Frances McIntyre a local actress. Her real name was actually Stella Stevers. Ledford also boasted large mining factories and industries that left a distinct fog throughout the town.

Ledford holds a cemetery, a historic and rumored haunted Hungarian Cemetery, and the Ledford Baptist Church. Ledford spreads across a 4 mile stretch of land along Rt. 45 between Carrier Mills and Harrisburg with several roads shooting off to the left and right of the highway. It is all considered part of Ledford.

Almost all signs of the mining industry are gone. The mines' air shafts and fans are gone as well as the many coal tipples, and mine ponds that dotted the area. The smoke stacks are missing and the air is clean now. Gone are the sounds of the tipples hoisting coal, the steam whistles signaling the men, and the occasional snorts of a steam whistles signaling the men, and the occasional snorts of a stem locomotive or the groaning of a streetcar motor. Ledford is a very quiet community with a population of only 100 people.

Today, Ledford is in the school district of Harrisburg, Illinois.