PATCH BOARD Each month we will present a patch of a Region 57 department along with any historical information or officer down information that is available.

The City of Centralia, population Centralia lost an officer in the line of 14,000, was founded because it was the duty in 1946. Patrolman William Vaughn’s End point where the two original branches of the of Watch was Monday, July 15, 1946. Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1856, Patrolman William Vaughn was shot and converged. The town is named for the killed as he and another officer arrested a man railroad. Centralia has the unique distinction involved in an altercation with a woman. of being located in four counties, Marion, The officers were walking the man out of Clinton, Washington and Jefferson. a hotel when the man pulled out a .22-caliber Centralia was the site of a coal mine pistol and shot each officer once, killing tragedy when a mine explosion on March 25, Patrolman Vaughn. The suspect was then shot 1947 killed 111 people. The story of this and killed by the wounded officer. disaster was memorialized in folksinger Patrolman Vaughn was 65 years old and Woody Guthrie's song, "The Dying Miner". had served with the Centralia Police Centralia is well known for its Department for three years. According the which is the eighth largest in the world. A department, a picture of Officer Vaughn is not Carillon is a musical instrument that is available. usually housed in a free-standing tower. It consists of at least 23 cast cup- shaped . It is played by striking a keyboard with the fists and by pressing the keys of a pedal keyboard with the feet. The Centralia Carillon consists of 65 bells, the greatest of which weighs 5-1/2 tons. The bells were cast in Annecy, France, in 1982 and 1983 by the Paccard Fonderie de Cloches.

Desk Log 13