Royalton is a village in Franklin County, Illinois, United States.

[3] According to the original surveys of Illinois, in the early 19th century the Lusk's Ferry Road ran through the middle of what is now Royalton, heading on a diagonal line toward the southeast.

It is not clear whether the road figured in the early history of the town, or if it was long forgotten before Royalton came into existence.

Mr. Isaac Snider lived in nearby Six Mile Township in the 1850s on the Mount Vernon-Murphysboro Mail Road.

[5] The village was inhabited by European immigrants related to the mining industry of the area.

[6] [7] The opening of mines in Royalton led to a population explosion, reaching a peak of 3,800 people.

[9] The Big Muddy and Carterville Coal Company opened the North #1 mine in 1907.

On October 22, 1914, an explosion in the North #1 Mine of the Franklin Coal & Coke Company killed 52 miners.

This was the worst mine disaster to date in the coal fields of southern Illinois.

[16][17][18] The church was founded by eastern European immigrants, including Rusyns,[19][17][20] [21] many of whom worked in local coal mines [22][23] The three principal founders were Frank Derbak, John August and Paul Andrews.

34.26% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.41% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.