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Centralia a little town in Carlyle |
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Centralia is a city located in Marion, Jefferson, Washington and Clinton Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 14,136 at the 2000 census. The town was founded because it was the point where the two original branches of the Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1856, converged. The town is named for the railroad. The current mayor is Rebecca Ault.  History
Over the course of its 150-year history, Centralia, Ill., has weathered more than its share of setbacks. The Illinois Central railroad traffic that put the town on the map in 1851 has long since disappeared. Coal mining virtually stopped overnight following a 1947 mine disaster that killed 111 miners. The oil boom, which at one time made the surrounding countryside resemble a derrick factory showroom, dried up in the 1950s. But through good times and bad, Centralia (pop. 14,136) has managed to hold onto a constant source of community pride and pleasure. For nearly 70 years, the Centralia Orphans have been the “winningest” high school boys basketball team in the United States. With a lifetime record of 1,937 wins and 814 losses at the close of the 2002-03 season, the Orphans have celebrated more victories than any other boys’ high school basketball team in the country.
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