Coal Valley, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Coal Valley, Iowa
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Former town
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 Coal Valley, Iowa
Location in Iowa
Coal Valley, Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Boone |
| Elevation | 896 ft (273 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 464503 |
Coal Valley was once a small town in Boone County, located in the state of Iowa in the United States. Today, it is no longer an active town. The area is now recognized as a former populated place by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
The Story of Coal Valley
A Town Built on Coal
Coal Valley was officially planned and laid out in 1867. It was created specifically to be a mining community. This means most of the people who lived there worked in the nearby coal mines. The town grew because there was a lot of coal to be found in the ground.
The End of the Mines
For a while, Coal Valley was a busy place. However, over time, all the coal in the area was dug up. When the coal deposits were used up, there was no longer a reason for the mines to operate. This meant that the main source of jobs in Coal Valley disappeared.
What Happened Next
Once the coal was gone, people started to move away from Coal Valley to find work elsewhere. The businesses that had served the miners and their families also closed down. Slowly, the town's population became smaller and smaller until it was completely empty. Today, the land where Coal Valley once stood has been turned into farmland.
