The Jumbo is a pile of slag, or coal waste, rock, or gob, that stands as a landmark of the Longwall mining era, a memorial to the region's coal industry and its workers, and a symbol of Toluca. Once rising over 151 feet and later preserved at 138 feet, it remained an important local landmark and a challenge to climb. To preserve the mound and limit erosion, the Toluca City Council and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources promoted its repair and restoration. As nearby Interstate 39 construction used many surrounding slag piles in local communities for fill, the Jumbo, though overgrown with brush and littered with tires, refrigerators, car parts, and other trash, still held deep meaning for Toluca residents. In 1996, after a backhoe cut into it for fill, Elton Pearson gathered 226 petition signatures in three hours to stop further desecration. On October 14, 1996, the City of Toluca declared the Jumbos part of Toluca heritage to be preserved and protected. In 1997, after many planning meetings, the Toluca Coal Mine Preservation and Development Inc., also known as the Toluca Coal Mine Association, became an official organization with Bernard DeRubels Jr. as president for 20 years, and with major help from Kimberly St. John of Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation and Development. Early board members included Elton E. Pearson, Judy Paulsen, Robin Overturf, Evelyn Pearson, Yvonne Massino, Fran Nacchi, Don Christ, June Farrar, Gregory Haugens, Anthony Bernardi, Cynthia Bernardi, and Bret Henry. These citizens and many others gave time, ideas, labor, research, planning, and cleanup to preserve the site, which remains part of local history, family memory, and community life, drawing visitors for climbing, picnics, sledding, photography, and fishing.