▁that ▁maintained ▁an ▁identity ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁coal ▁fields ▁of ▁Southern ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁Many ▁under ground ▁coal ▁mines ▁were ▁opened ▁near ▁Wal ton ville . ▁Im migr ants ▁came ▁to ▁work ▁these ▁mines , ▁mainly ▁from ▁Poland . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁rural ▁areas ▁west ▁of ▁Wal ton ville ▁were ▁pre domin antly ▁Polish , ▁and ▁the ▁main ▁language ▁spoken ▁was ▁Polish . ▁That ▁language ▁slowly ▁f aded ▁with ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁television . ▁Today , ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁people ▁speak ▁any ▁Polish . ▁Many ▁still ▁identify ▁as ▁Polish , ▁though , ▁and ▁they ▁continue ▁to ▁attend ▁St . ▁Barbara ' s ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁in ▁nearby ▁Sch eller . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁Wal ton ville ▁Lake ▁was ▁bre ached , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁complete ▁dra ining ▁of ▁the ▁lake ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁necessary ▁rep airs . ▁ ▁Geography ▁Wal ton ville ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁south western ▁Jefferson ▁County ▁at ▁ ▁( 3 8 . 2 1 1 3 9 8 , ▁- 8 9 . 0 4 1 7 8 0 ). ▁Illinois ▁Route ▁ 1 4 8 ▁passes ▁through ▁the ▁sout heast ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁village , ▁leading ▁n ortheast ▁ ▁to ▁Mount ▁Vern on , ▁the ▁county ▁seat , ▁and ▁south ▁ ▁to ▁S esser . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census , ▁Wal ton ville ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁( or ▁ 9 8 . 2