A history of Freeman Spur,
then and now
Postcards, papers and photographs of Freeman Spur from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Freeman Spur is rooted in several small communities that sprang up in the early 1900s with the opening of the Possum Ridge coal mine. These small communities voted to merge and incorporate as "Freeman Spur" in 1913. The village is named for James R. Freeman, who owned the land upon which the mine was located.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Freeman Spur’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewMiners' homes. Freeman Spur, Illi…, 1939: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Freeman Spur, decade by decade
LOCMiners' homes. Freeman Spur, Illinois1939
LOCMiners' homes. Freeman Spur, Illinois1939
LOCMiners' homes. Freeman Spur, Illinois1939
LOCMiners' homes with coal tipple in background. Freeman Spur,…1939
LOCFranklin County Coal Company mine number five. Freeman Spur…1939
LOCUntitled photo, possibly related to: Miners' homes with coa…19391990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Miners' homes. Freeman Spur, Illinois (1939) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15From Wikimedia Commons (3) and the Library of Congress (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.