History left its mark on every family: the industries they worked, the wars they fought, the roads and rails that carried them west. These guides trace the documented history of Iowa and the Midwest, and connect it back to the people who lived it: your ancestors, in the record.
Every history here points back to the free database: the fastest way to find your people in the record.
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Local histories: mines, mills, and main streets
Written from the old county histories, the books the families themselves read. Each page cites its source.
44 local histories
Coal Mining in Bureau County, Illinois: Sheffield, Mineral, Princeton
Coal Mining in Christian County, Illinois: Edinburg and Pana
Coal Mining in Fulton County, Illinois: Canton, Cuba, Astoria
Coal Mining in Grundy County, Illinois: Morris, Gardner, Braceville
Coal Mining in La Salle County, Illinois: Streator, La Salle, Peru
Coal Mining in Livingston County, Illinois: Fairbury to Streator
Coal Mining in Macoupin County, Illinois: Staunton to Virden
Coal Mining in Madison County, Illinois: Collinsville to Worden
Coal Mining in Sangamon County, Illinois: Riverton and Dawson
Coal Mining in St. Clair County, Illinois: Belleville to Freeburg
Coal Mining in Vermilion County, Illinois: Grape Creek to Westville
Coal Mining in Will County, Illinois: Braidwood and Reed Township
Coal Mining in Williamson County, Illinois: Carterville and Marion
Coal Mining in Knox and Daviess Counties, Ind.: Cannelburg, Bicknell
Coal Mining in Vigo County, Indiana: Seelyville, Fontanet, Coal Bluff
Coal Mining in Appanoose County, Iowa, 1870s to 1912
Coal Mining in Boone County, Iowa, 1850s to 1880
Madrid, Angus and the Boone County Coal Camps, Iowa, 1880 to 1914
Coal Mining in Keokuk County, Iowa: What Cheer and Thornburg
Coal Mining in Lucas County, Iowa: Cleveland, Lucas and Chariton
Coal Mining in Monroe County, Iowa: Albia, Avery, Foster, Hiteman
Coal Mining in Polk County, Iowa: Des Moines to Saylor Township
Coal Mining in Wapello County, Iowa: Ottumwa, Kirkville and Keb
Coal Mining in Webster County, Iowa: Lehigh, Kalo, Coalville
Cherokee County, Kansas Coal, Lead and Zinc Mines, 1877 to 1904
Coal Mining in Crawford County, Kansas: Pittsburg, Frontenac, Midway
Coal Mining in Leavenworth County, Kansas: Leavenworth and Lansing
Coal Mining in Bay County, Michigan: Monitor, Williams, Salzburg
Coal Mining in Jackson County, Michigan: Jackson and Woodville
Coal Mining in Shiawassee County, Michigan: Corunna and Owosso
Lead and Zinc Mining in Jasper County, Missouri, 1848 to 1883
Coal Mining in Lafayette County, Missouri: Lexington to Corder
Coal Mining in Macon County, Missouri: Bevier, Lingo and Keota
Coal Mining in Randolph County, Missouri: Higbee, Huntsville, Elliott
Coal Mining in the Hocking Valley, Ohio: Nelsonville and Buchtel
Coal Mining in Belmont County, Ohio, 1832 to 1902
Coal Mining in Perry County, Ohio: Shawnee, New Straitsville, Corning
Akron Industry: Clay, Oatmeal, Matches and Rubber, 1808 to 1907
Coal Mining in Tuscarawas County, Ohio: Mineral Point to DennisonHistorical insights
More state and Midwest histories are on the way: the railroads, homesteading and the Homestead Act, the great immigration waves, meatpacking, and the wars that shaped the region. Each one ties back to the records your family left behind.
Frequently asked questions
Why does local history matter for genealogy?
The industries, migrations, and events of a place explain why your family came, what they did, and which records they appear in. Knowing that your ancestors lived in an Iowa coal county, for example, tells you to look for mining occupations in the census and accident records in the county registers.
What Midwest history topics will you cover?
The section grows over time and will span the twelve Midwestern states: industries like coal and railroads, homesteading and land, the immigrant waves, and the region's wars: each linked to the records that document them.