Dowell

History

Dowell was founded as a coal town and named by Du Quoin attorney George Dowell and William Lafont. They requested bids for property development as early as 1917. In February 1920, the Dowell State Bank was opened in the town. Town founders George Dowell and William Lafont were among the first directors of the bank. It was the scene of a bank robbery on September 30, 1924. The bank closed in 1932 following embezzlement charges against its president, William Lafont. In late 1920, construction began on a railroad depot serving the Illinois Central Railroad. At one time the rail line had a spur into the Kathleen Coal Mine Coal mining brought many eastern European immigrants to the village, including Rusyns., The area is still served by the Holy Protection Church church in nearby Royalton. including robberies and murders. Bootlegging was common in the village during Prohibition. Bootlegger Charlie Birger and the Shelton Brothers Gang operated in and around Dowell. The town has supported miners from local coal mines. The Kathleen Coal Mine was located northeast of the village. It was opened and operated by the Union Colliery Company. It was the scene of a disaster in 1921 and again in 1936. In early 1937, it was the largest producing mine in Jackson county, producing over 5,000 tons of coal per day and employing over 500 men. The mine workers were members of the United Mine Workers union led by John Lewis. Its miners went on strike from 1933 to 1937. They struck for the right to join the Progressive Mining Union. The period was marked with occasional violence related to the unionization movement. The mine was closed in November 1946 after the coal vein was no longer accessible. On the site as of December 2021 is Cobin's Salvage Yard. There are few remaining…

Geography

Dowell is located in northeastern Jackson County. U.S. Route 51 passes through the eastern side of the village, leading south to De Soto and north to Du Quoin. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Dowell has a total area of , of which (or 99.74%) is land and (or 0.26%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• DeSoto Elementary School
  Elementary · De Soto · 180 students · 9.5:1 ratio
• Elverado Primary School
  Elementary · Elkville · 113 students · 12.6:1 ratio
• Elverado High School
  High · Elkville · 112 students · 9.3:1 ratio
• Elverado Intermediate School
  Elementary · Vergennes · 82 students · 11.7:1 ratio
• Elverado Junior High School
  Middle · Vergennes · 73 students · 9.1:1 ratio