What Cheer (/hwəˈtʃɪər, hwʌtˈtʃɪər, ˈhwɒtʃɪər, ˈhwættʃɪər/)[3] is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States.

Joseph Andrews, a major and veteran of the American Civil War, suggested the name "What Cheer," and the town was officially renamed on December 1, 1879.

The phrase what cheer with you is an ancient English greeting dating back at least to the 15th century.

[6][8] A more elaborate theory suggests that Joseph Andrews chose the name because of one of the founding myths of his native town of Providence, Rhode Island.

According to the story, when Roger Williams arrived at the site that would become Providence in 1636, he was greeted by Narragansett Native Americans with "What Cheer, Netop".

[11] Robert Forsyth, born in Kilmarnock, Scotland, came to America in 1857, and made his way to Rock Island, Illinois, where he arrived penniless.

He worked for most of a decade as a coal miner before coming to Petersburg, the future What Cheer.

[13] The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway (BCR&N) built a 66-mile (106 km) branch to What Cheer in 1879.

[14][15] With the arrival of the railroad, the What Cheer coalfield quickly became one of the most important coal mining centers in Iowa.

[16] When, in 1884, the Chicago and North Western Railway built its line through What Cheer to Muchakinock, there was a further expansion of mining in the area.

The state militia was put on alert, but after 6 weeks, the miners accepted a quarter-cent raise.

[24] Local 841 of the United Mine Workers union was organized in What Cheer in 1897, and in 1902, it had 200 members.

[26] Within the decade, the What Cheer Drill and Miners' Tool Company was selling equipment in mining districts around the nation.

[27] Alexander Walker, originally with Walker & Thompson filed numerous patents on mining equipment, most of which were assigned to the What Cheer Drill and Miners' Tool Company, later named the What Cheer Tool Company.

[38] In 1907, the Volunteer Brick and Tile company was operating its own coal mine to fuel its kilns.

The Lea Brothers' mine in north-central What Cheer also had a steam hoist and still shipped some coal by rail.

[39] By 1909, there were only a few mines left in the county, all producing coal for local consumption in What Cheer.

Their primary source of clay was the 8 to 12 foot (2.5 to 4 meter) underclay found immediately below the coal.

[43] Despite this, by 1920, the company was expanding, purchasing a new Dragline excavator in order to work their clay pit.

[44] The central business district and the larger part of the town is located on the north-east bank of Coal Creek, a tributary of the North fork of the Skunk River.

[51] What Cheer is the hometown of the title character in Marguerite Young's enormous novel Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (1965).