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Carbondale is right there but this is country where people still fly the confederate flag - in Illinois! The people around there are very rural; one hates to say hillbilly when it's your own people but... 🤷‍♂️ There are lots of coal miners. There is farming, but the land isn't so good like in Central Illinois, too hilly and rocky, plus the strip mining has messed parts of it up. I went to school in Carbondale back in the 70s. My family is from around there. I visit the area a couple of times a year, so I've seen both sides. I'm surprised the rally won't be in Carbondale. I wouldn't think Murphysboro would have any convention centers or places to congregate. There are only 7900 people in the town.

As the article states, the rally is at SI Airport - midway between C’Dale & Murphysboro. That’s about the best place to have it. The SIU Arena capacity is 8,339, plus you could add some floor seating, but Trump would have to fly into SI Airport anyway, then add transit time... IF it is available on short notice. SI Airport’s management might be “friendlier” anyway, and it is slightly more centrally located in Bost’s District. Multiple Presidents / Presidential candidates have held rallies there in the past.

There are lots of EX coal miners and their families / descendants. Some still vote Dem, and the non-C’Dale based Dem pols pander to them somewhat, such as on gun control. Modest mining activity (compared to the past) remains. The ex strip mined land area is fairly large and mostly lies in what would have been good farmland. Some has been reclaimed and factors into the “recreation” industry, such as the aforementioned (upthread) Pyramid State Park, but most such reclaimed areas get very light use. You are generally correct about the farming. There are some larger farm operations north of IL 13, in unmined flatter land away from the Shawnee Hills and river bluffs, but overall even that is not as expansive as most of IL. That agriculture and those farmers are still fairly significant to the district, though.

There ARE a goodly number of orchards, and now, small vineyards / wineries, but those have a modest impact. There is not much large scale manufacturing, and given IL’s business climate, there may never be much more.

“Hillbillies”, well, yes, there are some, but they do not predominate the district by any means. (I should have mentioned that the 12th district ALSO covers most of the “metro” area east of St. Louis!)

District map: https://bost.house.gov/about/our-district

You mention the 7900 population of Murphysboro. Wikipedia shows it to be estimated at 7,685 in 2016, down from 10, 013 in 1970. (Wikipedia also shows 13,925 in 2000, which I can’t believe is correct! There has been no such “boom and bust”.) Carbondale grew into the ‘90’s due to SIU’s growth, but is down slightly now. The coal mining towns - ugh! For example, West Frankfort was 14,683 back in 1930, only 8,854 in 1970, and estimated at 8,101 in 2016. The Marion area (Marion, Herrin, Goreville, etc.) are doing better, but they have been better run, and are in somewhat of a transportation hub (I-57, I-24, and the IL-13 “corridor”).