Monroe County Historical Museum – Albia, Iowa
Visit the Monroe County Historical Museum and the historical setting of stores and homes in the village of Albia, Iowa. The museum has a reconstructed coal mine shaft with authentic equipment and real coal. Also on display are a pair of slippers that were worn on the Ziegfield Follies stage.
Albia is a community that has restored their downtown to it’s original, turn-of-the century elegance. The entire 92 building business district, the courthouse and several homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Monroe County Museum was founded in 1984 by the Monroe County Historical Society. It is located in the "Electric Car Barn" which was used for maintenance of the electric cars for the Albia Interurban Electric Railway. The line, established in 1907, connected the coal-mining communities of Hiteman and Hocking with two depots in Albia. This gave miners an opportunity to trade in Albia. The cars, owned and operated by the Albia Light and Railway Company, transported shoppers and miners until 1928. At that time the building was used for storage and then, in the mid-1970’s, the building was converted for use by the Albia High School for shop classes.
The museum has established four period rooms where you can enjoy a moment in the daily life of a Monroe County pioneer family.
*kitchen – featuring a coal range
*living room – featuring a mechanical record player and 78’s
*dining room – featuring a table and full set of china
*bedroom – featuring a child’s bed, a straw tick adult bed, and a thunder mug
This site is definately one you will want to visit to get a taste of the earlier life of a settler in Iowa.
Location: 114 A. Ave. E., Albia, Iowa
Hours: 1 – 4 on weekends May through October and by appointment.
Phone: 641-932-7046
Admission is free to the public with a free-will donation being accepted. 
This is a picture of photo of the Albia, IA, EJ&E caboose fake painted as CB&Q 13555 
This is the actual CB&Q 13555 and what it would look like. Thank you Mr. Kirkpatrick for the photos and the informatuion.
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We had a request for a picture of the caboose at the Monroe County Historical Museum, then Mr. Kirkpatrick found one and sent it with a picture of the actual type. I have posted both of them on the site. Thanks Roger!
I would love for you to be open during the week for few hours.
I understand volunteers are needed to accomplish this.
I am looking for relatives that worked in and around the
Monroe/Appanoose area. William Chesser was father with
several children born in this area. I believe they worked
for the coal mines.
I have a picture of the members of the Albia Fire Department taken in front of the fire station on North main in 1942. It’s a picture of the fire truck with the ladders built above. The picture does not contain names of the members. Where would you suggest I go to locate these men’s names. Thank you.
Jim Seibert
Eagle Grove, IA. 50533
The building was actually converted for use by the High School for shop classes in the mid-1960’s(not the 1970’s). While in high school, I worked with my father, Jim Kelly, of Kelly Electric, to do the conversion electrical wiring in the new building. I climbed scaffolding clear up to the old high ceilings to run wires, and helped to put together and hang the light fixtures and put in electrical outlets and light switches.
Later, after the building was opened, I wanted to take the electricity classes that were offered as part of the curriculum. “No,” said school administrators. I would have been the only girl in the building in the fall of 1964 and they did not feel that that was “prudent.” Next spring, in the Senior Class Will, I left my knowledge of electricity to Mr. Kimmel, the electricity class teacher. We felt that maybe he could benefit from my experience.