Guthrie County Coal Mines

Guthrie County Historical Village

Iowa is mainly an agricultural state, but at one time it produced a great amount of coal. This coal was of the high-sulfur bituminous variety and was used by the local people for their heating, cooking, and other energy needs, such as running steam-powered threshing machines.

Guthrie County had many coal mines; the majority were located in Fansler - Victory Township. Fansler (sometimes listed as Fanslears or Fanslers on old maps), located north and west of Panora along the Middle Raccoon River, was established as a stagecoach stop and post office in 1871. The first mine was opened in 1874.

In Fansler, also known as "Stringtown" due to the long string of miner's houses, there were many small mining operations. Mining would start in July or August. By September, most of the coal would have been mined and delivered to the area schools and courthouses in the vicinity. The local customer would then start getting his or her supply of coal built up for the winter.

Miners began their shift by taking the "cage," 4 to 5 at a time, down the main shaft to the working area of the mine. They would work in teams, which is traditional in mining for safety reasons. However, in lower veins, the miners worked alone.

At the bottom of the shaft, a block of coal was left around for support. From there, haulage ways were constructed toward the miner's room. Rails were laid from the shaft through the haulage ways to the rooms where a rail switch could be thrown to let the wheeler, or miner, get his car of coal to the main line. The rooms and haulage way were basically the same height -- about 48 inches.

In some of the mines at Fansler, in the deep vein, you could look around 100 feet and see all of the miners working. In some of the mines, the miners worked a quarter of a mile away from the shaft.

For several reasons, including new safety regulations, documentation of severe health problems (black lung, silicosis), the declining need for coal, and the inability to compete with larger mining companies located elsewhere, the mines in Fansler began to close in the 1940s. By 1950, the last mine closed.

The final blow to the small mining community of Fansler was the 1959 Mother's Day Tornado. The tornado ripped through the town taking many homes, the general store, and the skating rink. Miraculously there were no deaths and just a few injuries but the town would never recover.

GCHV:  phone 641.755.2989  |  email gchv@netins.net  |  206 W South St—Panora, IA  50216

Fansler, Iowa:  Small Mining Community—1874 to 1950