Mines of D C

Coal Mines

Davis county has never been ranked among the large producers of coal, but for at least forty years, more or less work has been carried on in the northeastern corner of the county, chiefly for local trade. Willte mentions the fact that when his party was studying the coal fields about 1866 there were a number of mines along Soap creek. The first report of the State Mine Inspectors states that in 1881 there were eleven mines in operation giving employment to eighty-five men. About 1890 Ely Dye burned some coal from his drift about three miles southwest of Eldon with the object of testing its coking quality. The coke obtained was quite clean and firm and possessed excellent heating qualities, although it was somewhat soft. It was used by a brewery and iron works at Ottumwa.

In 1879 O. M. Ladd opened the mines at Laddsdale in the southeastern part of the county. The camp is located in Davis county but the workings are chiefly in Wapello. The property is now owned by the Anchor Coal Company 'of Ottumwa.

- HISTORY OF COAL MINING IN IOWA BY JAMES H. LEES COAL STATISTICS BY S. W. BEYER

While it may be that coal beds underly a large part of the county, they have been worked in but a limited area, chiefly in the northeastern townships; At Lunsford, just north of the state line, in the south half of section 14, township 67 north, range 14 west, coal was mined a few years ago. At a depth of 265 feet a three-foot seam was found having a four to six-inch layer of shale running through it about midway. The roof was not very good, the mine was remote from rail transportation, local demand for coal was limited and so mining was abandoned and the shaft was allowed to cave in; but the fact of the occurrence of a good quality of coal in this part of the county has been established and some day its profitable mining may be undertaken with assurance. Coal is said to have been reached in other localities in the south three-fourths of the county, but the thickness of the drift and the lack of good transportation facilities have thus far discouraged all efforts to open up mines in this portion of the county. Drift mines along the banks of Soap creek and some of its tributaries have been worked more or less intermittently for years. About thirty years ago a company was organized under the name of the Brown Cannel Coal Company, which took out some coal from a mine near Soap creek. The entry was driven a short distance and one or two rooms opened, but owing to financial troubles further development was prevented. A third seam, three and a half feet in thickness, was said to exist a few feet below, but this is not now exposed. This coal is of a dull black color, rather difficult to ignite, but burns with considerable heat.

Three miles northwest of Floris, in the bluffs of Soap creek, two seams of coal are exposed. The most extensive mine worked in this district at present is a drift operated by the Soap Creek Coal Company. It is located a half mile west of Carbon station, to which the coal is brought over a tramway and loaded upon cars. , Here is a thirty-six inch vein, including the usual two-inch clay parting. The coal, which is of good quality, overlies a fire clay and has a roof of weak shale. The output is quite variable. At the time the mine was visited, August, 1908, three to four tons a day were taken out. An eighteen-inch seam of excellent coal lies twenty feet below the above described seam. The roof is good. Eight or ten rods east of the Carbon station at a depth of 112 feet a seven-foot vein of coal was found. A thick bed of firm slate immediately overlies the coal. Wagner's mine, located in the east half of section 10, Soap Creek township, supplies local demand to some extent. Judge Carruthers of Bloomfield found a moderate vein of coal in prospecting in section 13 of the same township. In Lick Creek township several small banks have been worked somewhat intermittently. Among these are the Dunn mine in the northwest quarter of section 8 and one near Floris.

*Hinds states that the seam mined near Carbon is reported to have an areal extent of ten square miles. From observations made in this neighborhood this report is believed to be correct, though the seam has been much interrupted by the extensive erosion of the region and is also quite variable in thickness and in the character of the roof.

George Deut has operated a mine for three or four years near Soap creek, southeast of Laddsdale. The vein, which is the same as the middle vein at the Laddsdale mine, is · four and on half feet thick and has a good slate roof. Eight thousand bushels were taken out here in the winter of 1908-9. The output is used to supply the local demand. James Fayne, Henry Hastings and several others operate drift lines along Salt creek, chiefly in section 8, Salt Creek township.

Near Laddsdale a coal vein outcrops which is from two to two and a half feet in thickness. It has been mined in this vicinity by drifts and shallow shafts for a long period of years.

The Sickels mine, opened a number of years ago in the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter, section 8, Salt Creek township~ worked a seam of excellent quality. The Anchor Coal Company of Ottumwa operates a mine for shipping purposes near Laddsdale just across the Davis county line in Wapello county. Mr. Joseph Poole, the local superintendent, kindly furnishes the record of several prospect holes sunk by the company within the Davis county border, three of which are here given, and one of which has been given in describing the Cherokee formation.

- GEOLOGY OF DAVIS COUNTY BY MELVIN F. AREY

Wayland Rogers, Opal Taley are employed at the Saunders coal mine in Salt Creek - Jan 22, 1948

50 years ago this week Feb 3 1955

Several Klondkye miners in this county escaped death Friday when a doubletree on the horses

used to pull the coal out of the shaft, broke. The car of coal crashed to the bottom of the shaft.

Davis County Coal Deposit

Davis County Geology by Melvin Arey

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