Charles Devlin of Spring Valley, Illinois
In 1850, Charles Devlin was born in St. Louis, Missouri. By age 4, his parents had moved with him to Peru, LaSalle County, Illinois. At age 19, Mr. Devlin worked as a bookkeeper and business manager in Peru for the Union Coal company. Charles Devlin was convinced that the time was right to open what he believed was a very valuable asset, coal mines. So, in 1884, Mr. Devlin helped in the opening of the first Spring Valley, Illinois coal mine. In 1885, he married Jennie Miller, daughter of a Spring Valley founder, Henry J. Miller. Their union brought forth […]