Black Diamonds on the Prairie - Episode 1: Gillespie

Description

This is Soccer History Lives Here’s introductory episode for soccer history in the coal mining communities of the midwest. We are calling this coal field specific series, “Black Diamonds on the Prairie,” and we’ll be highlighting communities from A to Z (Athens to Zeigler!). 

This first episode scratches the surface of soccer history in Gillespie, Illinois, one of the major hotbeds of midwest soccer in the early 20th century.

Historic Details

Credits

Black Diamonds on the Prairie - Episode 1: Gillespie

In addition to items attributed in the video, this is a list of citations for images:

Color Photos: Chuck Carlson Illinois Coal Mine Town collection: Gillespie, Mt. Olive, Dorchester, Benld

Black and White Coal Mine Photos: Illinois Coal Museum at Gillespie, Spring Valley, IL Facebook page, Minewar.org, Carbon Hill Museum, Carbon Hill, IL

USMNT 1930-Hap Meyer Collection Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville 

Pilgrims Team Photo-Chicago History Museum

Gillespie DiSalvo Team Photo-Gillespie, IL public library

Gillespie/St. Louis Maps AI generated by Drew Wasserman

Black Diamonds, Washington team photo-

https://voiceofthevalley.com/2026/04/06/when-coal-was-king-black-diamond-soccer-1926/

Biggam Family Picnic-Lee DeMars from Biggam family of Gillespie

Gillespie Mine with multiple languages-Illinois Coal Museum of Gillespie, IL

St. Louis “All Star” Team Photo-Hap Meyer Collection

Benld Girls Basketball Team-Benld, IL Public Library

Gillespie News Newspaper Clippings-Gillespie Public Library

Pilgrims Materials-Hap Meyer Collection and Chicago Public Library

Pilgrims Clippings-Chicago Inter Ocean 17 Oct 1909, 27 Oct 1909, St Louis Globe Democrat 20 Oct 1909, 27 Oct 1909

Hibernian Team Photo-Courtesy of Hibernian FC Edinburgh, Scotland club historian Tom Wright

Farrington Cup Clipping, Illinois Miner Newspaper, Chicago History Museum

Frank Farrington Photo-Daily Worker 2 Sep 1926 and Literary Digest 1920’s

Farrington Cup Clippings-Taylorville Daily Breeze 2 Oct 1923

Royalton v Gillespie Clipping-1 Mar 1924 St Louis Star-Times

Andrew Auld passenger record-Ancestry.com

Raphael Tracy photo-Hap Meyer Collection