Found this website today,
http://www.old-picture.com/illinois-index-001.htm , and was amazed at all of the pics from my area. I know where all of the Herrin, Bush, Carterville, Colp, and Johnston City photos were taken.
This area used to be called "Bloody Williamson" and one of the most brutal clashes between the new UMWA miners, and non union miners happened here in the mid 1920's. Around 20 non union miners were marched, at gunpoint, to the city cemetery, and slaughtered. The UMWA called the union thugs heroes, no arrests stuck, and no one was prosecuted. It made the national news, and was called the Herrin Massacre. There was a national boycott of Williamson County coal soon after, and this area collapsed financially. These photos were taken soon after.
The Slack (slag) Dump in several of the pics is less than 1/2 mile from my house, and I used to play on it as a kid. We nearly gave our mothers heart attacks when we did!
In one of the Johnston City pics, it shows several unemployed men in front of a building. My better half, and her sister now have a Thrift Shop in the same building almost 70 years later.
Neat stuff!
Pics are divided into theme catagories here,
http://www.old-picture.com/ .
Lots of cool old pics, probably some of stuff near you if you look hard enough.