Buxton was once the largest town in Monroe County. A coal boom town, it was founded in 1900 by the railroad that operated the five mines in the vicinity. At its peak, Buxton had over 6,000 inhabitants, a majority of whom were Black. These miners lived and worked with little racial friction during the active days of the Buxton mines. At the turn of the century, coal production was one of Iowa’s major industries, and Monroe County was the largest coal producer in the state. With the closing of the mines in the 1920s, Buxton became a ghost town.