In 1972, the Lovilia Coal Company was operating one of the last two underground coal mines in Iowa.
- CountyIowa
- Population472 (2020 U.S. Census)
In 1972, the Lovilia Coal Company was operating one of the last two underground coal mines in Iowa.
Lovilia, Iowa gifts and souvenirs: 16 designs made from Lovilia's own map, landmarks and history, from $16 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Lovilia Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Lovilia Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Lovilia Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Lovilia Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Lovilia Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 3 styles
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
On March 30, 1953, there was a dust explosion at the O'Brien Mine, a coal mine near Lovilia. Two men, including the mine foreman, were in the mine to fire the black-powder shots at the end of the work shift. Both were killed in the blast. Volunteers from Lovilia went into the mine and brought out the bodies, and then the owner of the O'Brien mine, along with three officials of a nearby mine and an employee went underground to investigate. Of the five, only two survived; the others were overcome by bad air. The ensuing investigation determined that the dust explosion was caused by a blow-out in two of the blasted holes. A blow-out occurs when the force of the explosion blows the stemming out of a hole instead of breaking up the surrounding material. In the case of the O'Brien mine, the stemming used was a mix of coal dust and clay.
In 1972, the Lovilia Coal Company was operating one of the last two underground coal mines in Iowa. The mine employed 21 workers and produced 245,000 tons of coal that year. This was a room and pillar mine.
In 1985, the Star Coal Company of Lovilia was the largest employer in Monroe County, Iowa, with 150 employees. Coal production was 500,000 tons per year, about 80 percent of Iowa's total coal production.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Lovilia, Iowa, revision 1378740548 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Lovilia sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
Lovilia's population was 472 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 538 in 2010.