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In the 1905 census, the town boasted 2,700 African American people and 1,991 white people. The town supported African-American doctors, lawyers and other professionals, and an African-American YMCA with a gymnasium, an indoor swimming pool and many programs for Buxton residents.
- Interview of Paul Wilson, Born in Buxton, May 13, 1992
Courtesy of University of Iowa Libraries and Archives,...
- "Buxton Review" in The Iowa State Bystander, June 26, 1914 (Document)
Courtesy of Library of Congress, “Buxton Review,” Iowa State...
- Panoramic View of Buxton, 1910
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Flanders, 1910...
- Aftermath of Explosion in Buxton's #12 Mine, Date Unknown
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Date Unknown...
- Monroe Mercantile Company Employees, 1911
Buxton: A Lost Utopia; Monroe Mercantile Company Employees,...
- Postcard Showing Buxton Coal Bank in Shaft of #12 Mine, 1910
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, 1910...
- Interview of Paul Wilson, Born in Buxton, May 13, 1992
- What key decisions influence whether a community thrives?
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- Aftermath of Explosion in Buxton’s #12 Mine, Date Unknown
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Most early Iowa settlers lived on farms. Some, however, were merchants, lawyers, doctors, newspaper publishers, ministers or craftsmen who lived in the new towns springing up across the prairie. Not all the towns survived. Some never attracted many people and others lost population when conditions changed. The result was Iowa “ghost towns” that exi...
Using evidence from the photo, how would you describe Benjamin Buxton? Benjamin Buxton recruited people of all races and ethnicities to work in Buxton. Why do you think he did that?
Describe the roads/streets in Buxton. What kinds of weather conditions might make transporting items dificult in these streets? What do you notice about the structure of these buildings? How are they similar, diferent? Why might these buildings be constructed in this way, and why might they be organized like this? What role might coal have played...
Describe the types of buildings and structures in this photo. What can you infer about life in Buxton based on what you see here?
Before students look at the document: Imagine what the inside of a coal mine might look like, describe what you think. After students view the document: Then look at the document and compare what you thought you would see to the actual picture. How are they the same? How are they diferent? What challenges would coal miners face getting coal fro...
How would the low ceilings, darkness, dirt and muck impact workers in the mine? How did the miner’s clothing and equipment help him do his job? How does the annual income of this mule cart driver compare to other occupations in Buxton? Use to “Annual Income of Selected Workers” from Buxton: Work and Racial Equality in a Coal Mining Community to he...
Look closely at the photo; describe what is happening in front of Monroe Mercantile Company. How would you describe the relationship between the Monroe Mercantile Company and the town of Buxton, based on this photo? What about the relationship between Monroe Mercantile Company and the Consolidation Coal Company?
Based on the products in this image, infer how Monroe Mercantile impacted the community of Buxton.
What do you notice about the employees of Monroe Mercantile? Map of Bluf
By closely observing the map and Buxton’s surroundings, why do you think the community of Buxton was built in that particular location? What geographic features, both natural and constructed, are near Buxton? How would that have afected the transportation of goods and people into and out of Buxton?
Is having a traveling baseball team a “need” or a “want” for a community? What does the existence of the Buxton Wonders baseball team tell us about the economic success of Buxton? Why would a coal company sponsor a baseball team?
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Date Unknown
What evidence can you find in the picture that there has been an explosion?
How did the Consolidation Coal Company’s decision to stop mining coal impact the residents of Buxton? How did that impact cities and towns around Buxton?
Jun 14, 2024 · Buxton, a former coal mining town, celebrated Emancipation Day with the distinction of being the only majority Black city in Iowa history. Residents of Buxton thrived during the town's short...
The birth of the town of Buxton coincided with the be-ginning of the Twentieth Century and within a few years had burgeoned into a community of approximately 6,000 people, nearly all of whom were oriented to the mining industry in Monroe County, Iowa.
It was also an integrated town in a state almost entirely white. Historians Dorothy Schwieder, Joseph Hraba, and Elmer Schwieder argued that it was an “atypical mining community in many respects.” A majority of its early twentieth century population of about 5,000 was African-American.
Jan 29, 2007 · At its peak in 1910, Buxton’s population was between eight and ten thousand people. Although it was usually described as “a black man’s town” it was in fact a multi-ethnic community throughout its history.
People also ask
Was Buxton Iowa a ghost town?
Why was Buxton Iowa unique?
Was Buxton a white community?
The unusual aspect of Buxton was its large black population, which made up seventy to ninety percent of the community. Many of Buxton’s black miners were persuaded to come North by the mine companies’ recruiters who found willing workers in small towns and plantations throughout the South.
