Located on the Matheysine Plateau, south of Grenoble, the town of La Mure has historically been linked to anthracite mining. Documented since the Middle Ages, coal mining expanded significantly in the 19th century, particularly with the opening of the La Mure Railroad in 1888, which supplied coal to Grenoble and the surrounding region.

At that time, La Mure already had the layout of a small town: dense development, a continuous row of buildings, and a layout centered around a town center—in contrast to the layout of mountain villages.

Throughout the Alps, the exploitation of local mineral resources—coal, metal ores, and stone—expanded between the 18th and 19th centuries, complementing agricultural and pastoral activities.