Mine Maps and permits of Macoupin County mines have been digitally preserved and indexed.

According to Macoupin County Clerk, Pete Duncan, the maps and permits that date back to the 1880s, have been sitting in a cabinet in the dome of the Macoupin County courthouse for years. All records on file have been scanned and indexed and in the near future will be available to view on the County website. Duncan hopes to use the the maps to create a countywide GIS map of all areas listed in the maps that have been mined in the County.

"Macoupin County has a long history of coal mining and with that, there are nearly 1,000 maps and permits that are held by my office," Duncan said. "These records may seem unimportant, but just looking at what's happened in Benld these last few years show the importance of having these maps preserved and available."