Dowell is a village in Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 368 at the 2020 census,
down from 408 at the 2010 census.
History
Dowell was founded as a coal town and named by Du Quoin attorney George Dowell and William Lafont. They requested bids for property development as early as 1917.
In February 1920, the Dowell State Bank was opened in the town. Town founders George Dowell and William Lafont were among the first directors of the bank. It was the scene of a bank robbery on September 30, 1924. The bank closed in 1932 following embezzlement charges against its president, William Lafont.
In late 1920, construction began on a railroad depot serving the Illinois Central Railroad. At one time the rail line had a spur into the Kathleen Coal Mine
Coal mining brought many eastern European immigrants to the village, including Rusyns. The area is still served by the Holy Protection Church church in nearby Royalton. including robberies and murders. Bootlegging was common in the village during Prohibition.
Bootlegger Charlie Birger and the Shelton Brothers Gang operated in and around Dowell.
Kathleen Coal Mine
The town has supported miners from local coal mines. The Kathleen Coal Mine was located northeast of the village. It was opened and operated by the Union Colliery Company.
It was the scene of a disaster in 1921 and again in 1936. In early 1937, it was the largest producing mine in Jackson county, producing over 5,000 tons of coal per day and employing over 500 men.
The mine workers were members of the United Mine Workers union led by John Lewis. Its miners went on strike from 1933 to 1937. They struck for the right to join the Progressive Mining Union. The period was marked with occasional violence related to the unionization movement.
The mine was closed in November 1946 after the coal vein was no longer accessible. On the site as of December 2021 is Cobin's Salvage Yard. There are few remaining signs of the mine that once built the village of Dowell.
A second mine, known as the "New Kathleen", was opened in January 1946. This second mine closed by 1958., Land scars are still visible from this mine.
At one time, oil companies conducted research to determine if oil could be extracted from the coal seams around the Kathleen.
Baseball team
The town hosted a baseball team that consisted of players who worked in the Kathleen Mine. The team was named the Dowell Kathleens. They occasionally played against the St. Louis Browns, a professional team, as well as the Belleville Stags, a minor league team.
Dowell today
With the departure of the Kathleen Mine, Dowell has become a quiet residential community. The mine has been suspected of causing sinkholes in the village.
Demographics
As of the 2020 census
Notable person
- Rudolph Wanderone Jr. (a.k.a. Minnesota Fats), noted billiards player,
Gallery
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Dowell air.jpg|Dowell Iliinois
Former company store.JPG|Former company store in Dowell
Entering Dowell, IL.JPG|Entering Dowell
Dowell, IL.JPG|Entering Dowell
Memorial to the former Dowell Russian Orthodox Church.JPG|Memorial to the former Dowell Russian Orthodox Church, located at the Holy Protection Russian Orthodox church in Royalton
Kathleen Mine at Dowell, Ill. Where the Clean, Clinkerless Southern Illinois Coal Comes From,... (NBY 428839).jpg|Kathleen Mine at Dowell, Ill. Source of the clean, clinkerless Southern Illinois coal
</gallery>