House Resolution 45 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 45 BY KAUFMANN , ARNOLD , BERRY , and GASKILL A Resolution celebrating the coal-mining town of Buxton 1 and its tradition of racial integration and harmony. 2 WHEREAS, the memory of Buxton, Iowa, reminds us that 3 racial equality and harmony are more than just societal 4 dreams; and 5 WHEREAS, Buxton existed as a coal-mining town in 6 northern Monroe County from its founding in 1895 until 7 its mines were closed and its final residents left in 8 1927; and 9 WHEREAS, Buxton’s population once swelled as high as 10 10,000, where significant white and African-American 11 populations harmoniously coexisted, working in 12 integrated mines, living together in neighborhoods, 13 learning in integrated schools, and playing on the same 14 baseball team; and 15 WHEREAS, African-American and white families alike 16 shared in the prosperity brought by Buxton’s coal, 17 earning up to $100 for a five-day workweek at the dawn 18 of the Twentieth Century; and 19 WHEREAS, Buxton defied racial attitudes of the 20 time by allowing African-Americans to serve in 21 prominent roles in the community such as postmaster, 22 superintendent of schools, justice of the peace, 23 constable, and deputy sheriff; and 24 WHEREAS, Buxton’s notable African-American residents 25 included Dr. Edward A. Carter, who was the first 26 Black American to graduate from the University of Iowa 27 College of Medicine, and attorneys George H. Woodson 28 -1- LSB 2769YH (4) 84 jr/rj 1/ 2

H.R. 45 and Samuel Joe Brown, who cofounded the National Bar 1 Association; and 2 WHEREAS, a newspaper at the time described Buxton as 3 a mecca of Iowa, and modern scholars have called Buxton 4 a utopia; NOW THEREFORE, 5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 6 That the House of Representatives celebrates the rich 7 history of Buxton, and the ideals of racial integration 8 and harmony it embraced. 9 -2- LSB 2769YH (4) 84 jr/rj 2/ 2