Johnston City, IL

Johnston City was born beside the Chicago, Paducah and Memphis Railroad in 1894, and even its name came from the Johnston brothers' contracting firm that built the line. The railroad pulled mines, stores, and immigrant workers into Williamson County, making coal the city's central industry through the early 20th century. The eastern section began as Jeffersonville, another name that survives in the city's history. Today the Williamson County Historical Society preserves Johnston City records and bank artifacts at its museum in nearby Marion, while local roads still follow the railroad-era town plan. Johnston City's story is southern Illinois coal country in a compact form: a railroad-founded city, a mining past, and a city shaped by European immigration.