State Historical Society of Iowa

Postcard View of Center Street in Buxton, 1908

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Many people seen at a distance walking down “Center Street” in Buxton, Iowa, circa 1908. Photograph shows company houses, muddy streets, “coal chute hill,” and many mature trees.
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, 1908

Description

This photograph, featured on a postcard, shows many people seen at a distance walking down “Center Street” in Buxton, Iowa, in 1908. Also called “coal chute hill," coal was moved from railroad cars at the bottom of the hill to the coal conveyor and chute at the top of the hill. Wagons backed under the chute, took on a load of coal and delivered to homes and businesses throughout the community. Its secondary use was as a sledding hill in the winter.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Describe the roads/streets in Buxton. What kinds of weather conditions might make transporting items difficult in these streets?
  • What do you notice about the structure of these buildings? How are they similar, different? Why might these buildings be constructed in this way, and why might they be organized like this?
  • What role might coal have played in daily life in Buxton? Keep in mind that Buxton’s citizens were not only coal producers, but also consumers.