RG 121 Mines and Minerals

In March 1880, the legislature created the Office of State Mine Inspector. The primary responsibilities of the office were: to examine and inspect mines in Iowa, to determine their condition as to general safety and ventilation, to approve safety appliances, and to have maps of the individual mines created. Most of the records in our holdings are post-1935. The following is a partial list of the records of the Department of Mines and Minerals in our holdings. A complete list of these record series is available at the Research Center in Des Moines.