There are so many abandoned places in Illinois! This is a list of the top three abandoned places in Illinois. Browse through all abandoned places in Illinois
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.
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.
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.
Joliet Correctional Center is an abandoned 1850s prison located in Collins Street, Illinois that was closed after over a century in existence. The facility which was known by several names like the Collins Street Prison, Joliet Penitentiary, and Illinois State Penitentiary has been rotting in despair for 20 years now.
Joliet correctional facility which was mainly built by prisoners’ labor was constructed in 1858. Made of pure limestone, the prison claimed historical significance for holding more than 1,300 prisoners in 1872. It was also one of the prisons in the USA that was used to confine Prisoners of the Civil War. Due to its large population, it had hundreds of contacts with the local businesses as it was cheaper to use inmates’ labor. A mattress factory was also established in the vicinity that employed several inmates. The prison at its initial stages of existence was both women and men (mixed-gender) facility until 1896 when they were separated. Throughout its operation, no major riots were recorded except for one guard who was killed by prisoners in 1945.
Plans to close the prison began in 1917 when Stateville Correctional Center was constructed. This was later postponed due to the large number of prisoners that could not be accommodated in the new prison. For years, the plans were put on hold but were later revisited in 2002. The prison which still had no proper running water and no toilets in the cells was declared obsolete and the budget cut by the year 2002. Inmates and staff were transferred to Stateville correctional center and other prisons in the state. Old Joliet prison has deteriorated over the century making the buildings unstable and dangerous.
In 2018, Joliet correctional center was converted into a historical museum. Most of the buildings at the old prison property still stand strong. The windows have been subjected to vandalism and most of them have been broken. Arson was reported back in 2017 that nearly brought the building to its knees. The fire was contained before it got out of hand. Joliet correctional facility is open to the general public for tours around all the prisons. The tours are guided and come at a fee. Old Joliet prison has been used by various film Industries as a filming location. The first season of Prison Break was shot at the prison. Joliet Correctional Center is the best example of the old correctional facilities that were once looked up to by many but is currently the facility to learn from their historical mistakes.
Dixie Square Mall is a ruin in Harvey, Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 1966, the Dixie Square Mall which is currently an eye-sore, was the pride of Harvey. It went down with the record of having the shortest life span in Chicago. The mall operated for 12 years before it was abandoned.
Dixie Square Mall was constructed in 1966 with a capacity of over 60 stores. Though the mall never lasted, it was the pride of the residents of Harvey, Chicago who praised and loved it. The organization and management company parted with 25 million US dollars to get the job done. Dixie Square Mall was the town's pride and most preferred shopping and recreation center for the locals. Stores such as the Woolworth, Walgreen, and jewel supermarket were some of the many tenants it hosted. Despite being a mall, the buildings were used in 1979 to host school children from the nearby Harvey-Dixmoor School District. It served as a school for two years as a new school was being constructed. Universal Pictures (a film production company) also used the premise to shoot the famous “The Blues Brothers” movie. Controversies later came up after the school blamed the film production company for vandalizing the premise with their activities. No one was held accountable.
By the beginning of the 1970s, the town of Harvey’s crime rate rose at extreme heights. This did not only slow the business when working hours were reduced but also reduced the number of tenants who sought alternative safe neighborhoods to establish their stores. The mall struggled all through the decade until it closed its doors permanently in 1978. A year later efforts to renovate the building came up but this never came to fruition. By the 1980s and better parts of the 1990s, the mall was a favorite spot for all legal activities and vandals. The property was looted and the interior of The Mall was destroyed beyond restoration. In 2000, several fire outbreaks caused further destruction causing the roof to cave in.
After over 30 years of desertion, the city of Harvey made a decision to demolish the mall. The demolition process began in 2005 and later finished in May 2012. What remains of the building are concrete ruins forming a shell of its former self. To this date, the site has been replaced by new and modern business stores offices. To see the building in the heydays, one can go through historical books and articles. Some museums in the state of Illinois have artifacts that were collected from the building before it was brought down.