in the mine again. In that year, a new company owned by Glen Shafer from Pana, Springfield called the Erie Sootless Coal Company of Moweaqua opened the mine after the summer. No coal was brought up after March 1935 and the shafts were officially closed in 1936, but were never sold. The tipple was mostly torn down by June 1940 and the remaining pieces of the structure blew over due to harsh winds and ruined the engine room five months later. The mine was finally destroyed in October 1941 due to rotting wood in the timbers holding up the mine walls and ceiling and the shaft collapsed on itself creating a sink hole eighty feet wide. Museum and Memory A museum was set up in Moweaqua to honor and remember the men who both lost their lives in the 1932 Coal Mine Disaster as well as any other men who served in the mines. It was also created to educate the public about the mining industry that dominated the Moweaquan economy in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The museum was dedicated on May 25, 1986. It houses a number of artifacts and documents, including tools, newspaper clippings and photographs, and coal specimens from the mine. The museum is free for all visitors and is open seven days a week. A documentary film funded by the Illinois State Library was made in 2008 and can be borrowed from the public library in Moweaqua. The film was written by Ruth Shasteen, edited by Paul A. Brooks, and produced and directed by Andrew R. Moore. References External links History of Illinois entry Coal mining disasters in Illinois 1932 disasters in the United States Shelby County, Illinois Moa 1932 mining disasters