Mining and mules

Mules were important during the early days of mining. Take, for example, this mule driver and his mule in this undated photo from the collection of the Coal Town and Railroad Museum in Clinton, Indiana. That muscular beast helped bring many a ton of coal to the surface of the mine.

The Coal Town and Railroad Museum has many interesting artifacts related to mules and mining. A few of the museum’s artifacts are pictured below:

A back pad was placed on the back of a mule or pony as protection against scrapping in underground coal mines.

These are four mule shoes.

To learn more about the Coal Town and Railroad Museum, visit here.

Digging deep

Mining — it’s a tough and dangerous job. Those who work in mines risk their lives every time they go underground.

In Clinton, Ind., the Coal Town and Railroad Museum focuses on the coal and railroad industry, immigration, and cultural development from 1850 to 1960. The museum is owned and operated by Little Italy Festival Town Inc. (LIFT). The museum is housed in a renovated 1904 Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad depot located at the corner of Main & Vine streets.

Click here to view items in the museum’s collection like the photograph of this Atlas Powder Company wooden box that was used as packaging for the high explosives produced and marketed by the company. Click here to learn more about the Coal Town and Railroad Museum.