Creating the Black Utopia of Buxton, Iowa

by Rachelle Chase

Some have called Buxton a Black Utopia. In the town of five thousand residents, established in 1900, African Americans and Caucasians lived, worked and attended school together. It was a thriving, one-of-a-kind coal mining town created by the Consolidation Coal Company. This inclusive approach provided opportunity for its residents. Dr. E.A. Carter was the first African American to get a medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1907. He returned to Buxton and was hired by the coal company, where he treated both black and white patients. Attorney George Woodson ran for file clerk in the Iowa Senate for the Republican Party in 1898, losing to a white man by one vote. Author Rachelle Chase details the amazing events that created this unique community and what made it disappear.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Race

176 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2019

About the author

Rachelle Chase is an award-winning romance author, business consultant, speaker, and model who's appeared on national television - CBS, as well as "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet" - plus national radio shows, including "Playboy Radio," the "Hip-Hop Connection," and the "Jordan Rich Show."

She's published nine books and/or novellas. An excerpt from "Out of Control", her novella in SECRETS VOLUME 13, was used in ON WRITING ROMANCE, published by Writer's Digest Books, to illustrate how to effectively heighten sexual tension in a romance book.

Rachelle has also hosted two live talk shows, SingleMindedWomen.com Talk Radio, which featured popular guests speaking about dating, relationships, parenting, and more, plus "Chatting with Chase," in which she interviewed best-selling authors.

She also founded and co-sponsored the "Chase the Dream" contest for writers with author Leigh Michaels, and frequently offers other fun contests, including the upcoming HOT DREAMS Finding Johnny CONTEST, an online contest which will feature hunky guys competing to be Johnny, the hero in HOT DREAMS.

For more information and to sign-up for her mailing list, please visit www.RachelleChase.com and www.FindingJohnny.com.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, absolutely true story of a "black utopia" in the middle of Iowa in the early 20th Century. Buxton, Iowa was a thriving coal-mining town, where blacks and whites worked together (and were paid the same wage!), lived next door to each other, and, in an era of Jim Crow, basically figured out how to survive and thrive together. Racism was not allowed.

Eventually the coal mines stopped operating, and the town is essentially non-existent today, although some structure still exist. It boggles my mind that I passed this site several times on my way to see my daughter at school in Missouri. If only I had known then what I know now, you can be sure I would have made a detour!

I heard this author speak via Skype at my school.

It does read like a history book, so in that sense it's a little dry, but the story itself is gripping and the pictures (and there are a lot of them!) add interest.

[Mary D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled on this book at the library; I was curious because I’d never heard of Buxton and also it would qualify as an Iowa-connection-read for the library’s reading challenge this year, so I checked it out. It’s not particularly well written but very interesting with lots of photographs, and it’s short. I live in IA; although I didn’t grow up here, I’ve called it home twice in my life, and I married an Iowan who grew up on a farm near Angus, another defunct IA coal town, and he didn’t know about Buxton either. I did know about Attorney George Woodson, a co-founder in 1925 of the National Negro Bar Association and previously in 1901 a co-organizer of the Iowa Negro Bar Association; and he lived in Buxton until 1920! And I learned some things about the history of coal mining in IA. And I’m proud that Buxton is part of our history.

[Stephanie Fuhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating work on racial history in the US. The initiatives in resurrecting the history of the place and the people is incredible, extending far beyond this book. But it’s a great intro. Road trip to follow.

[Connie · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 out of 10. I like the idea of creating a community where people of different races can live together and share social and business events. Well researched topic, but It seems like the book was just fact after fact with no plot to tie characters together. Chapters stopped and the next chapter went on to something else entirely. This person did this and that person did that. It was totally non-fiction but impersonal. A catalog of newspaper and company facts. Lot of pictures. The worst part was that the community was short lived in real life. I guess i need to stick to fiction.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of the 20th century there was a coal mining town in Iowa that was majority African American that also had white citizens. The miners were paid good wages that were equal for both black and white workers. For the entire history of this little town the schools were integrated. There were some interracial marriages. The citizens got on well with each other. The town died out when the mines closed but there are still Buxton reunions of the descendants. This is an inspiring story.

[Cynthia Paschen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about Buxton from Senator Cory Booker when he was in Iowa running for President. Some of his relatives lived in Buxton, and he spoke of the integrated town in hopeful prose.

This was a fascinating history, with references to Kate Shelley, Labor Unions and my friend the late David Gradwohl. In the description of the town YMCA, Chase noted the EIGHT black newspapers in Buxton. What a time.

[Karen Ackley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I visited the remains of Buxton this summer, so am interested in learning more about it. Not especially well written, but fascinating history. I learned about welfare capitalism, using black prisoners as union busters, and Pullman, Illinois (a town with a similar history). I also learned that the cakewalk originated from enslaved African Americans. Great photos, but too many tedious biographies of residents long gone.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give it a 3.5 if I could. The information is interesting, especially because I live and teach near where it takes place, but it doesn't flow as well as it could. I may revise the rating after I've had a chance to process.

[Matt Crow · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story of an interesting place. Another story of the American experience that nearly vanished.
This place was what America should be, whites, blacks people of all types living and working together to build a community.
Well worth a read

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

The early 20th century "black utopia" of Buxton, Iowa is described in prose and pics.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about a part of history I didn’t know about.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and intriguing time in history. However, like a lot of other reviews I feel that it was a lot of facts that were not woven together in the most captivating way.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about this town. Very interesting history.

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband and I visited the Buxton site a few years ago and it has always been an interesting story to me. This book told so much more than I had even imagined! Well done!

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of a former coal mining town in Southern Iowa.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting piece of history in my home state.

[Tyler Granger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fascinating work on the racial history of early Iowa. This book includes some of the important initiatives needed in resurrecting the history of a small town especially for the people who have made their mark in Iowa history. I highly recommend this book as its an incredible slice of entertaining history mixed with shocking details of life in midwest in the early 20th century.