Suggested tours of Iowa culture mines
John L. Lewis Mining/Labor Museum in Lucas. Photo by Carson Ode
By Carson Ode
When planning your family summer vacation, you might consider these suggested tours of Iowa museum country. And, if your interest is piqued, you can linger and observe a plethora of Iowa’s historical artifacts. They are fascinating — objects that served during their time. Some are crude and others remarkably clever. In some cases, you are looking at the first incarnation of a product that became a huge success and is sold nationwide or worldwide. You will sense the evolution of Iowa from the scene the explorers first saw, to the early settlers who worked the rich, black soil to industry that was built to serve them. From this foundation, Iowa grew to the modern, diversified state it is today.
In preparation for a visit to a museum, it is advised you check a website for the days and hours it is open. Weekends are better for smaller museums to unlock their doors. If their hours don’t fit your schedule, give them a call. Typically, a curator, board member or a volunteer will willingly open up for you — they want you to see their collection.
MUSEUM TRAILS TOUR #1
John L. Lewis Mining/Labor Museum in Lucas
“If we must grind up human flesh and bones in an industrial machine that we call modern America, then before God, I assert that those who consume coal and you and I, who benefit from that service, because we live in comfort, owe protection to these men first, and we owe security to their families after, if they die.” “I SAY IT, I VOICE IT, I PROCLAIM IT AND I CARE NOT WHO IN HEAVEN OR HELL OPPOSES IT.”
Those powerful words were spoken by John L. Lewis, a native of Lucas County. He had a menacing look with his black, bushy eyebrows and jowly cheeks and with his booming voice, he had the tools to become one of the greatest labor leaders in the U.S. His roots are in the coal mines of the early 1900s in southern Iowa and his story, along with other coal mining tales, is told with displays at the museum that bears his name.
Don’t let the nondescript steel building dissuade you. Within its walls there is a wealth of material on Iowa coal mining.
TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS STORY AND OTHER FASCINATING STORIES ABOUT IOWA HISTORY, subscribe to Iowa History Journal. You can also purchase back issues at the store.