Roanoke, IL - Furnace & Air Conditioning Service, Repair & Maintenance Contractor

Barrick-Oltman, Inc. Heating & Cooling is proud to serve the Roanoke community!

We are proud to be part of this community, serving your heating and air conditioning needs. Whether you need repair, replacement or a new installation of a furnace, air conditioner, heat pump or air filtration system, we get the job right the first time. Our certified technicians service all furnace and air conditioning make and models.

Please call us today at 309-444-4474 to consult with our home comfort specialist.

About Roanoke, IL - Happy to be your hometown Heating & Air Conditioning Contractor!

The Roanoke area is no different than most of the state of Illinois, sits atop rich veins of coal. It began as a coal-mining community in the 1800s and has grown into a thriving, modern community today with all of the conveniences of the big city with none of the pollution, smog or noise. Many commuters live here and travel to the bigger cities for work. This suburb is very family-friendly and seasonal weather means that you will see kids riding bikes down the road in the summer and bundled up on the walk to the school in the winter.  The community prides itself on its safety and quiet environment.

At the beginning of this town, as was the case in most little mining towns, life in the mines could be very hazardous. Tragedy struck the town on June 29th, 1906. Four men fell 400 feet down the main shaft to their deaths while performing repairs and improvements to the most important shaft. The coal mine continued to function until 1940 when it was closed for good due to concerns about the safety of the workers and maintenance issues.  A great percentage of the land of Woodford County was tillable, and therefore farming was also a very important occupation of early settlers. The seasonal weather meant that there was certainly a growing season but bitter winters meant that corn and peppers were dried. Other than that, fruits and vegetables were reserved for the summertime.

The meat was commonly cooked on a spit and most cabins were lacking ovens. Canning processes were unfamiliar to these settlers and the wintertime menu, therefore, consisted primarily of bread and animal protein. This is why vegetables were had to be eaten only seasonally. To add insult to injury for the mine workers, they - more often than not - occupied makeshift log cabins, with the cracks between the timber in the walls filled up with mud to help hold on to heat and obstruct the breeze. Windows were rare but, if they existed, they were made of oiled papers.  Doors and floors were constructed of jagged boards split and held together with wooden pegs. The single room homes were heated with a hearth.