The Lumaghi Family's Impact on Collinsville

Brett Turner
Good Shepherd Lutheran School, Collinsville

The Lumaghi family has touched many Collinsville residents either through medicine, mining, the Catholic church, or business or civic affairs. Dr. Octavius Lumaghi was the family patriach. He emigrated when local political unrest upset living conditions there. He was born in the Italian Alps in Carsgina in the far northeastern corner of Italy. He started a medical practice when he arrived in St. Louis in 1845. He built a home in 1854 in Collinsville during the time of the cholera and malaria outbreaks in St. Louis.

In 1865, when the railroad arrived in Collinsville, Lumaghi stopped his physician's practice and started a zinc mine. In 1871 he sank Lumaghi mine No. 1. In 1894 the family opened mine No. 2, and No. 3 opened seven years later. After World War II he sank mine No. 4. Carl Monroe called this a super-modern slope mine because the coal was undercut by machines, the roof was held up by roof bolts in place of props, and coal was crushed below and fed through the continuous belt for constant delivery to the mine cars at the surface.

Lumaghi encouraged many Italians to come to Collinsville. When other mines remained shut during an early mine strike, he contacted idle Italian miners in Colorado to come east so he could employ them.

Lumaghi is also credited with starting the local Catholic church. He and his wife, Anna McLaughlin of St. Louis, had two sons who carried on the Lumaghi business. Louis F. Lumaghi was born in Collinsville in 1862. Louis was very interested in the business operation while the other son Joseph managed the St. Louis office.

Louis married Laura Greene of an old and respected Collinsville family. Joseph married Daisy Blyth. The Lumaghi mines grew and the family prospered. The Lumaghi family grew to be admired and respected. Louis married into a family of teachers of the arts, and the family lived in a beautiful home surrounded by large oaks and a spacious lawn. The land is now part of the American Legion's property. Laura had four children,—Louis Jr., Charlie, Mary, and Paul. Louis served as the mayor of Collinsville from 1901 to 1905.

The Lumaghi family was one of many successful Italian families to migrate to Collinsville. They are responsible for laying the groundwork for much of Collinsville's later growth and prosperity.—[From Lucille M. Stehmen, Collinsville.]

20 ILLINOIS HISTORY/ DECEMBER 1999