Royalton was one of many coal towns in southern Illinois.
And like many of the coal towns, the miners were European immigrants. Indeed, Royalton has a Russian Orthodox cemetery. When the mine opened at the start of the twentieth century, Royalton had a peak population approaching 3,800.
On October 27, 1914 a coal mine explosion killed 52 miners. The memorial erected by Royalton’s local branch of the United Mine Workers of America acknowledges all coal miners.
Today: