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.
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.
Big 4 Coal Company
Tillotson Coal Company
Warren Graham Coal Mine
Prothero Coal Company
