Editing Colfax, Iowa (section)

==History==
Colfax was laid out in 1866.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IHwUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA497 | title=The History of Jasper County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, &c | publisher=Western Historical | year=1878| page=497}}</ref> It is named for [[Schuyler Colfax]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HnwUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA350 | title=History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, Volume 1 | publisher=S.J. Clarke Publishing Company | author=Clyde, Jefferson F. | year=1918 | page=350}}</ref>

In its heyday, the city of Colfax had two main industries that drew thousands to the area:  the mining of coal, and the use of the [[mineral springs]] discovered near the city.

The first large scale coal mine in [[Jasper County, Iowa|Jasper County]] was the Watson No. 1 Mine, 5 miles southeast of town, connected to the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad|Rock Island]] by a long railroad spur.  From 1881 to 1900, the Jasper County Coal and Railway Company operated a number of mines north of Colfax.  The Colfax Consolidated Coal Company formed in 1902, bringing the mines of Colfax under a common operator.  They opened mine No. 8 in 1905; this was one of the best equipped mines in the state.  The coal camp of Severs was run by this company.<ref>James H. Lees, History of Coal Mining in Iowa, Chapter III of [https://books.google.com/books?id=1BUMAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA415&pg=PA564 Annual Report, 1908], Iowa Geological Survey, 1909, 564–565.</ref>

[[United Mine Workers]] local 56 was organized in Colfax in 1899; by 1907, it had 352 members.  Mine wages varied from $2.36 to $2.56 per day.<ref>Trade Unions in Iowa, [https://books.google.com/books?id=H1JaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA200 Thirteenth Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the State of Iowa for the period 1906-1907], Des Moines, 1908; p. 200.</ref>  In 1912, the UMW union had two locals based in Colfax, Local 56, with 350 members, and Local 671, with 230 members.<ref>Tally Sheet, [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfAUAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA1005 Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Convention of the United Mine Workers of America] Jan. 16 – Feb. 2, 1912, Indianapolis; Volume 2, pp. 180A–182A.</ref>

In the process of drilling for coal in 1875, a well containing high mineral content was discovered near Colfax.  The city flourished with this new discovery, and over the next four decades, thousands of people visited the town to partake in the healing powers of the fourteen mineral springs there.  Nine hotels offering mineral baths and spa treatments opened to house guests, and four bottling companies opened to produce bottled mineral water for the masses.  In 1912–1913, the city received funding to build a [[Carnegie library]].  The library is still in use today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://iowabackroads.com/category/carnegie-libraries/ |title=Photos: Carnegie Libraries |publisher=Iowa Backroads |access-date=2013-07-30}}</ref>
The booming business of the city's [[mineral springs]] industry declined and died out as the Great Depression swept the country.<ref name="Colfax Main Street">{{cite web |author=Colfax Main Street |url=http://www.colfaxmainstreet.com/node/7 |title=About |publisher=Colfax Main Street |date=2009-05-18 |access-date=2013-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901183902/http://colfaxmainstreet.com/node/7 |archive-date=2013-09-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>