Abandoned Towns

Carbon Station, Davis County, Iowa

Located on the Davis & Wapello County Line Soap Creek Township

 

1879-James Hand was at work on the Dunn coal bank at Carbon Hill when a mass of coal, slate and dirt fell on him and killed him instantly.

     Carbon once had a general store, post office, Wabash depot and a stockyard with its own rail spur. A remaining coal tipple was destroyed by local residents for safety reasons in 1973. The tipple was built around 1950, but wasn't put up very well. It was 4 stories high in front, with a coal crusher, shaker-grader and conveyor on different levels. The front extended out over a rail spur where cars were loaded underneath. Three kinds of coal were processed here. They were lump, nut and steam coal, with most of it being steam size which Iowa Southern Utilities bought and used. Several coal companies mined in the area, The Big 4 Coal company put down a shaft mine during the 1940s. The last to take coal out was the Davis County coal company, which did strip mining. Irvin Albright was in charge. In 1973, Carbon had 37 residents, The oldest building being owned by Mrs Bob Barker. It was a partly 2 story log cabin made with 12 inch hand hewn logs. Barker said the deed to the house went back to when the area was bought from the Indians in 1845. The house was 1/4 mile north of the coal tipple.

     1850 Census, John Rater born Germany, wife Hanah. The 1891 County Plat Map, Soap Creek township, Section  has F Miller, and H Rater as the landowners. In 1912, the Davis County Plat map shows this land belonging to John T and Caroline Miller Rater. Caroline was the daughter of Frederick Miller.

The 1875 Plat map lists this rail as the St Louis Kansas City & Northern.

     The Wabash rail line ran just north of the log cabin, which may have been a trading post. I remember as a young girl, waiting for the train, which passed each direction once a day. This line apparently ran from Ottumwa through Carbon and Belknap to Bloomfield, then west southwest to West Grove and Moulton, where it met the main Wabash line from Des Moines to Moberly.

 The Moulton to Ottumwa line was discontinued in 1982.*

     A friend of my folks bragged that he was born in Carbon. His name was Burt Skinner.

 

* Iowa Railroad Abandonment Log

Bloomfield Democrat, 1910- CARBON BURNED; The whole city of Carbon consisting of depot, hotel, section house and store all in one building, burned to the ground. Friday afternoon. It is supposed it caught from the afternoon freight. The passenger due here at 3:48 was delayed an hour, on account of it being too hot to pass the burning building.

03/22/04
Bloomfield To Sell Old Railroad Depot
 
(Bloomfield, Iowa)--In past years, railroad depots dominated small towns in Southeast Iowa including in Bloomfield. Now after much debate, the city is wanting to take the old landmark and place it on the selling block. "There might be some people that would like to preserve the old building, but with budget cuts to the city, cost-wise it just doesn't make any sense to put any more money into it," says Mayor Sam Eakins.
 
It's estimated that several thousand dollars would be needed to repair the old facility, which is money the city of Bloomfield doesn't have."It would take several thousand dollars to put it back to where it was, useable on a regular basis," adds Eakins.
 
"I think there is going to be several residents that would like to keep the facility, but the city council is looking to get rid of it. The big issue here is the money," says Ted Henderson, Parks and Recreation Director.
 
Up to recently, the old Railroad Depot was home to the Davis County Day Care and Preschool, but were forced out after state inspectors found lead-based paint that can be harmful to children. "To some it will be an important issue, but they have to realize that it has served its purpose and time," adds Henderson.
 
Before the building is officially put on the market, the city plans to hold a public hearing for the community as well as get a resolution written and passed.  
 
*KTVO