Captain Mine coal miners reunited at Eisfelder home

A reunion of coal miners and friends at the John Eisfelder home in Pinckneyville on Sunday brought together some great coal miners who worked at a great coal mine.

"My dad was one of the original miners at Captain Mine when it started in the mid 60's. He worked there until his death from cancer in 1993," remembers Monte Kuhnert, who was invited to the reunion.

"On Sunday, September 20th, John and Margie Eisfelder of Pinckneyville invited several of John's former co-workers from Captain Mine to their home for a gathering. I was invited to represent my dad. They provided a wonderful forum for old friends to get together and visit(and tell some very funny stories)," says Monte.

The Captain Mine operated under the Southwestern Coal Co. from 1964 until 1983 and under the ownership of Arch Mineral Corp. from 1984 until the id 1990s when it closed. It was the largest surface mining operation east of the Mississippi and was home to the largest mining shovel in the world.

"I attempted to find some pictures of the Kress CH160 that my dad and Bill Mohr drove and "The Captain" shovel, that was the largest in the world at the time," said Monte. "It is a bygone era, but one that provided a good living for many in Southern Illinois, and is still doing so today with the likes of Knight Hawk Coal. But, you don't see Kress trucks the size of a building or shovels the size of a city block anymore," said Monte.