Tracy, Illinois facts for kids

Tracy was once a small settlement in Illinois. It is now known as a "ghost town," which means it's a place where people used to live, but now no one does. This town was located in Essex Township, in Kankakee County, Illinois.

What Was Tracy?

Tracy was a very small community. It probably had about a dozen buildings. These buildings were homes for coal miners. These miners worked in a nearby coal seam. A coal seam is like a layer of coal found underground.

Life in a Mining Town

People lived in Tracy because of the coal. In the 1800s, coal was a very important fuel. Miners dug up coal from the ground. This coal was used to power trains and heat homes. Tracy was built to support these mining operations.

Finding Tracy on a Map

Tracy was located in Illinois. It was just northwest of a town called Buckingham. The Illinois Central Railroad had a map in 1892. This map showed Tracy as an important connection point. It was a major "spur" from Buckingham. A spur is a short railway line that branches off a main line.

The End of Tracy

Tracy did not last very long. The coal seam eventually ran out. This happened around the year 1900. When there was no more coal to mine, the miners left. The town quickly became empty. That's why it's now a ghost town.