The first settlers in Coal Valley were trappers and farmers who came from Wales, England, Ireland, Germany and Sweden. The pioneer settlers of the community are thought to have been William and Charles Bailey who built the first house within the present village limits. It is also believed that they operated a small mine, which could have been the first discovery of coal in the vicinity.
The Coal Valley Mining Company was formed in 1856. The men who incorporated the company were Holmes Hakes, Charles Buford, S. S. Guyer, Ben Harper and N. B. Buford. They gave the community its name. The booming years for coal mining in Coal Valley were from the 1850s to about the middle of the 1870s. Over the years other mining companies moved in. 1942 saw the end of coal mining in and around the community.
In March 1876, a vote was taken and passed to form the Village of Coal Valley. On April 22, 1876, the first Board of Trustees was made. On April 22, 1876, H. B. Sudlow was chosen president and Harvey Clark was appointed the first Constable.
In May 1892, a petition was signed by twenty-eight citizens of Coal Valley, asking that a town hall be erected. The lots needed for the building site were purchased from Gustave Krapp Sr. Mr. Johnson of Orion was contracted to erect the building. The hall was built identically to Orion's town hall. Work began in September and by Thanksgiving the building was up. In January 1893, the hall was officially accepted. The total cost was under $3,000.
In April 1900, the Village Board purchased a fire engine and hose cart for the sum of $875. In November 1900, the Village Board purchased the land and built a one-story fire station.
In 1929, the construction of Highway 150 was completed through the Village, and in 1933, it was extended as far east as Orion.
In 1939, the Coal Valley High School was built at the cost of $70,000 and that fall forty-six pupils were enrolled. The first members to graduate from the new Coal Valley High School were Ruth Schroeder, Evelyn Martin, Mary Kepple, Florence Robinson, Raymond Johnson, Harlan Raub, Robert Anderson, Sydney Bradford and Francis Creger. The Coal Valley High School was dissolved in 1952 and used as the junior high, and high school students attended the new high school in Moline.[3]
As of the 2020 census[2] there were 3,873 people, 1,643 households, and 1,142 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,223.31 inhabitants per square mile (472.32/km2). There were 1,651 housing units at an average density of 521.48 per square mile (201.34/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 90.58% White, 0.90% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 6.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.35% of the population.
There were 1,643 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.83% were married couples living together, 7.85% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.49% were non-families. 26.23% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.49% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 2.32.
The village's age distribution consisted of 19.9% under the age of 18, 2.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 129.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 122.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $73,472, and the median income for a family was $88,594. Males had a median income of $55,590 versus $33,858 for females. The per capita income for the village was $41,944. About 2.4% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
.svg)
