The mining history around Camp Drake is a difficult thing to pin down. I constantly find conflicting dates from various Geological Survey publications. It seems that a large number of mining companies with overlapping areas and dates of production is a difficult thing to be accurate about. Below are some paragraphs from these pamphlets, and you’ll notice the differences.

I have provided links to various photos, charts and an illustration I created that overlays the course of the Salt Fork at various times. (Taken from plat maps.) Some of its movement had to be natural and some was due to redirection in order to have mining access. Near Camp Drake the seam was close enough to the surface to allow for open strip mining. Camp Drake is mostly located in section 19 of Township 19 North Range 12 West. - StrayRay

Thanks to Jared Baumann for collecting much of this material.

Excerpts from “DIRECTORY OF COAL MINES IN ILLINOIS - 7.5-MINUTE QUADRANGLE SERIES - OAKWOOD QUADRANGLE - VERMILION COUNTY” by Melisa L. Borino and John J. Le Golvan

and “DIRECTORY OF COAL MINES IN ILLINOIS - 7.5-MINUTE QUADRANGLE SERIES - DANVILLE SOUTHWEST QUADRANGLE - VERMILION COUNTY” by Melisa L. Borino, John J. Le Golvan & Cheri Chenoweth

Mining was an important part of the history of Danville since the coal was shallow. The first known mining took place in 1853 by Caruthers & Ball, south of Danville. Most of the early mines were quite small, the more extensive mines not beginning until around 1860. Michael Kelly began surface mining in 1868 along the North Fork but soon moved to Grape Creek and established several mines in that area. Surface mining operations were developed here, the Mission Field west of Danville (sections 19 and 20 of T19NR12W) being the first site of machine mining with scrapers in 1866 (Kirkland, Blankey & Graves) and later on with the first dragline in 1890. Mining generally slowed significantly in the latter part of World War II, and for the last 30 years only one or two mines operated in Vermilion County.

Mining in this quadrangle (Oakwood) began about 1890 with the Missionfield Mine (mine index 3838) and the Fairmount Mine (mine index 3672) and continued through each decade with various mines until ending in 1984, when the Illinois & West Virginia Coal Company closed its operations on the east side of the quadrangle (mine index 1006).

The Danville seam was the only coal mined here, ranging from 4.5 to 6 feet thick. The roof was often poor, with a massive sandy gray shale that came down easily.

The Section link shows section 19 aligned from various sources for comparison.