Education in a Colorado Coal Camp in the Early 20th Century

• In Event: Rethinking the Footprint of Education in Early America

Abstract

This paper examines historical documents, census oral histories, interpretative archeological evidence, and histories of the area to investigate the education provided and the coal mining company’s goal for providing that education on the educational opportunity and the subsequent life opportunities afforded children and youth living in the Southern Colorado Walsen coal camp owned and operated by Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) during first two decades of the 20th century. A sample of children from the nearby town of Walsenburg is used as a comparison group.

Authors

• Ryan Belew, The University of Kansas

• John L. Rury, The University of Kansas