How did coal mining begin and develop in Iowa?
The earliest settlers mined coal among the hills of south central Iowa. They used coal to heat their homes and cook their food in areas were timber was not available. Not until 1870 did the industry of coal mining begin to rapidly grow in Iowa. By that time the major Iowa railroads reached from the Mississippi River in the east to the Missouri River in the west. The railroads leased land in coal producing areas and operated mines which produced coal for the use of the railroads. These were the largest and most productive mines in the state. Iowa coal mining grew rapidly from 1870 to 1920. The graph, “Coal Production in Iowa, 1860 – 1938, ” shows the decline of coal production after 1920. Mining declined for several reasons. The railroads began buying coal from other states such as Illinois and Kentucky. As a result, the mining industry in Iowa was thrown into competition with the national markets. In addition, Iowans began looking to other energy sources for home use such as electricit
