Berwick, Iowa

Berwick is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Iowa, United States, on the east bank of Fourmile Creek. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Map of the Berwick area from 1908, showing the railroads and coal mines (red) of the region. Berwick is in the lower center.

Berwick, Iowa
unincorporated community
Berwick, Iowa
Berwick, Iowa
Coordinates: 41°39′54″N 93°32′42″W
Country United States
State Iowa
CountyPolk
Elevation
850 ft (260 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
50032
Area code(s)515

History

In the early 20th century, Berwick and Norwoodville, a mile southwest, were home to several coal mines. The Norwood-White shaft No. 1 (also known as the Klondike No. 1) was 215 feet (66 m) deep, accessing a 4-foot-thick (1.2 m) coal seam. By 1908, this mine extended over roughly 200 acres (0.81 km2). Norwood-White shaft No. 2 was half a mile to the east. This mine was newer, covering over 40 acres (160,000 m2) in 1908. The Delaware Coal Company had a shaft a mile northwest of Berwick, with a shaft 170 feet (52 m) deep. By 1908, this mine covered less than 15 acres (61,000 m2).[1] In 1914, Norwood-White produced over 100,000 tons of coal, ranking among the top 24 coal producers in the state.[2] In 1912, United Mine Workers Local 318 in Berwick had 220 members, and Local 845 in Norwoodville, one mile south, had 129 members.[3]

References
  1. Henry Hinds, The Coal Deposits of Iowa, Chapter I of Iowa Geological Survey Annual Report, 1908, Des Moines, 1909, pages 138–139.
  2. Frederick E. Saward, The Coal Trade, 1915, page 65.
  3. Tally Sheet, Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Convention of the United Mine Workers of America Jan. 16 – Feb. 2, 1912, Indianapolis; Volume 2, page 180A.

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