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Mines are long gone, but Royalton residents' spirits burn bright

BY JOHN D. HOMAN, THE SOUTHERN

Monday, June 9, 2008 8:57 AM CDT

ROYALTON – All three coal mines, which brought this small Franklin County community into prominence decades ago, have been dormant for years. Many other businesses and community leaders have also vanished with time, but the memories remain intact.

One of the town's best-known citizens is 82-year-old Erv Coppi, a longtime radio broadcaster who is perhaps best known for his past work on WSIU-TV. He said Royalton can boast a storied history.

The coal mines, he said, were, of course, the big employers. The most productive mine was the No. 7 mine, which employed upwards of 600 at its peak and was in operation on the north end of town from 1908 to 1952. One explosion in 1914 resulted in the death of 52 men. A second blast four years later in 1918 killed 21 men.

South Mine No. 5 was sunk two years earlier in 1906. An excess of water seepage, however, forced it to close in 1920. It was a shaft mine like No. 7.

The third mine - Lyda B - was a slope mine and opened in 1949. It only lasted for three years before it met its demise.

Miner's Hall was a landmark in the town. It was the finest building on Main Street and was used for union meetings and community events because of its size. It remained open until the No. 7 mine closed.

"There was quite a mix of foreigners in Royalton," Coppi said. "There were people of Polish, German and Italian descent. We had eight churches and eight taverns at one time and each area of town had its own name like New Camp, High Merry Row, Hubbtown and Piercetown."

Coppi said he can remember going to Bellina's, a store that sold dry goods and groceries and also served as a bakery. He also spent time at Potocki's and Battaglia's stores, as well as at the Kroger grocery. Shafor's and Doc Bennett's drugstores were perhaps the most popular of five drugstores in town. Shafor's was a dropoff station for St. Louis-based newspapers and home to some of the finest ice cream around, Coppi said.

And then there was the Royal Theater run by Roy Clutts, the town's mayor.

Coppi said he can remember watching his share of movies during the Depression for a dime.

"I remember sitting in wooden seats and watching James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. And on the anniversary of the Charlie Birger hanging, Mr. Clutts would show some slides of the hanging on his projector. He was a deputy sheriff in Franklin County at that time and witnessed the hanging."

Coppi said there was some bad to mix in with the good in his days as a youth.

"Where the Apostolic Church now sits was the European Hotel, a house of prostitution, and there were several murders committed right on Main Street."

Coppi said he also recalls the day in 1951 when St. Louis Browns baseball owner Bill Veeck was a guest of the Royalton Lions Club. It was the year before the big mine closed and he asked to be taken on a tour down below before he returned home.

"I remember traveling medicine shows, a lot of ice cream socials, McClintock's restaurant and Henry Rodenberg, who ran a hardware store and was also a mortician. And I remember how big a deal it was to hitchhike to Zeigler to visit Green's Drugstore or Andy New's, a teen hangout. I wish more people in Royalton knew about our town's past."

Of course, no story on Royalton would be complete without a mention of the old Russian Orthodox Church, which is closing in on 100 years old, or Mary Ferrari and her restaurant.

Longtime resident Pat Horn, a retired school teacher and a longtime volunteer at the town library, said people used to come to Ferrari's from all points of the region to taste Mary's homemade ravioli.

What Horn said she and her husband, Carl, like about Royalton is its residents, who are friendly and make people feel at ease.

"The people who grew up here remember what the town was like years ago," she said. "And for that reason, they do what they can to keep it alive by pitching in to help out where needed. We all kind of look out for one another here."

Horn said there isn't much left of the old school on North Meadow Street, where she worked for more than 20 years. Only the gym remains in use. The new village hall, she said, is now used for special events and family gatherings.

Norman "Burt" Lancaster has served the town as mayor for three years and was a village trustee for four years before that.

Although not a native of Royalton, the retired Caterpillar employee knows the area well because his in-laws are from Mulkeytown.

"Money's tight here, but we do the best we can with what we've got," Lancaster said. "Our two main businesses today are Casey's General Store and the Dollar General Store. We're in pretty good shape with our water and sewer and have done what we can to fix up our parks in town for the kids."

Lancaster said he has worked closely with FREDCO (Franklin County Regional Economic Development Corporation) officials in an effort to lure new industry to the county and holds out hope that a new mine will open someday.

"I certainly hope so," he said. "Royalton is such a nice community with good people. I want to believe we have a bright future."

john.homan@thesouthern.com

351-5805

Royalton facts

Royalton got its name from land developer James William Royall in the early 1900s

The town was incorporated in 1907 and a centennial celebration was held last year

Labor Day weekend will mark the town's 24th annual Royalton Roundup celebration