This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Dewmaine: A Ghost Town Tale of 1898 Mines and Migration
In May 1898 a Sweetwater Tennessee train carried nearly 200 African American miners and families to Dewmaine in Williamson County Illinois. Led by Samuel Brush, the Adkins family and others sought stable work as Brush recruited them to replace striking white miners. The camp rapidly grew around the No. 9 mine, becoming a thriving community with photos of early residents and local landmarks.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sweetwater
Tenn
Sam
Nick Adkins
Virginia
Williamson County
Illinois
Samuel Brush
Carbondale
St. Louis
Big Muddy Coal Company
Adkins