This is a picture taken at Sam Smith Coal Mine back in 1895. The Sam Smith coal mine was located southwest of Oskaloosa College, which today is on the 1300 block of High Avenue West. Today, many buildings and facilities in Oskaloosa were once the…
This is a picture taken at the Old Excelsior Mine Shaft #2 back in 1886. The mine was located three miles south of Oskaloosa, Iowa, in Mahaska County. Today, many buildings and facilities in Oskaloosa were once the site of a coal mining operation. …
This is a picture taken at the Givin coal mines in East Des Moines Township, Iowa, in the late 1800's. Many communities, like Givin, have little or no presence in Mahaska County today. Once the coal industry diminished, the people in communities…
This is a picture taken at the White Brothers coal mine in Adams Township, Iowa, in the late 1800's. Many communities, like the ones in Adams Township, have little or no presence in Mahaska County today. Once the coal industry diminished, the…
This is a picture of the Mahaska Lead and Zinc Mining Company, operating circa 1890, in Mahaska County, Iowa. It is important to note that coal was not the only mineral mined for in Mahaska County during the late 1800's.
This is a photograph taken of an original mining share certificate, dating back to December 4, 1868. The owner of the share certificate is Daniel Nelson. Nelson and his wife Margaret were lucrative farmers on the north side of Oskaloosa in the mid…
This is a still photograph taken of Manoah Hedge, who is credited with writing the first contemporary history of Mahaska County Iowa. His book entitled, Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa includes detailed, biographical accounts of citizens who…
Few men have enjoyed more success in both the railroad and coal mining industries than H.W. McNeill. Born June 18, 1847, in Peoria, Illinois, Hobart W. McNeill studied at the University of Virginia until the school was closed by the Confederacy. …
This is a still photograph taken of Manoah Hedge, who is credited for writing the first contemporary history of Mahaska County, Iowa. This history published was entitled; Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa. The book documented short, yet…
