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Coal City, IndianaPhoto: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
History · Coal City

Coal City’s post office opened in 1877, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1938 on.

1877first post office
0on the National Register
28%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Chris Flook · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Coal City began

When was Coal City founded?

1877

The Coal City post office opened in 1877, the earliest record of the town by name.

149 years
Founding year: the first Coal City post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Coal City’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Coal City are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Coal City’s homes were built before 1947.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Coal City’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Coal City’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Coal City came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Coal City.

Read it all →

In 1852, the village of Davidsburg was platted in Section 12, Town 9 north, Range 6 west, consisting of sixteen 6000 square foot lots, 100 by 60. The village changed its name to Stockton in 1854 to match its post office name, and prospered for the next two decades.

Coal City was platted in 1875 a couple miles west of Stockton, mainly in the southwest quarter of Section 11, Town 9 north, Range 6 west, consisting of 104 lots. Coal City was named for the local coal industry. A post office has been in operation at Coal City since 1877.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Coal City, 1863 to 1938

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1863Born hereRobert Judson Aley is born here
  3. 20th century
  4. 1924Born hereBobby Grim is born here
  5. 1938On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Coal City, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Coal City, Indiana2016Coal City, Indiana
On the map

Coal City on the map, 1938 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Coal City. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Coal City on the 1938 USGS mapCoal City on the 1948 USGS mapCoal City on the 1953 USGS mapCoal City on the 1963 USGS mapCoal City on the 1980 USGS map1938Coal City sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Coal City.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Coal City

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
B
Bobby GrimAmerican racing driver · b. 1924
Robert Judson AleyAmerican professor of mathematics · b. 1863

Questions about Coal City’s history

What year was Coal City founded?

The Coal City post office opened in 1877, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.