Norwood

Chapter XXX

  Norwood was never a town.  It was a Community Center.

  At one time, it could boast of two churches; a school house; Odd Fellows Hall; two general stores, - one operated by Charlie Ferguson, later by Lewis Ashby; the other one by Tom Nelson; a blacksmith shop, by James Benway grandfather of Mrs. Roy (Elsie) Cook of Chariton; drift coal mines; half a dozen houses scattered about; mines; a barber shop operated by Roger Martin; a granite boulder the size of a small house wantonly blasted to bits when the farm-to-market road went through; and last but not least, Aunt Kate Cackler’s sorghum pan – 10 ft. long, 3 ft.. wide and 10 inches deep.  Mrs. William Curtis states that people came from miles around to have Aunt Kate make their sorghum.                          

The Lacona Ledger of October 16, loaned to this writer by Mrs. Robert Willets, features Aunt Kate's molasses in its "Peach Valley News" column stating that Aunt Kate and her son Ted had made 490 gallons that fall.  Then as now, Fuller's Earth was used to clarify and make it more like honey.  There were taffy pull parties and sleigh rides and the most popular driver was the one who could affect the most "spill" in the largest snow banks.

Setting Up the Altars

  Since time began people have felt the need to worship a Divine Being.  Noah, as soon as he had evacuated the Ark, "built an Altar unto the Lord and offered burnt sacrifices on the Altar".  A study of our pioneers shows that they were no less diligent than the Patriarchs and even as they unloaded their covered wagons they were planning to hold regular worship services in their log cabins until they could build their proper altars.  In 1853 the United Brethren and the Presbyterians formed their regular "Societies" and a little later the Methodists also organized – each with less than a dozen members.

Pioneers

  "They rise to mystery of rain and snow

  They go like soldiers grimly into strife

  To colonize the plain.

  They plow and sow and fertilize the sod

  With their own life

  As did the Indian and the buffalo"

Hamlin Garland

The Ashby Family

  A history of this family was loaned to this writer by Thompson Ashby.  Additional material and memorabilia was furnished by other members of the family.  T.D., George, William and Mrs. Nina Hanks, all of Chariton.  The family dates back to about the Tenth Century when one of their number came to England with the Danish invaders.  The next one we meet was an early colonist in Massachusetts.

In the family history, written by Newton B. Ashby, we learn that the Lucas County branch descended from William H. Ashby, who, in 1861 made the journey to Lucas County with his wife and seven children.  The book says "We came in five wagons under a full head of canvas.  We were delayed in starting by brother John who had hidden under the porch rather than face the terrors of the wilderness".

After a month of zig-zagging to find crossings, the trip from Indiana ended with their arrival at their one-room log cabin in Lucas County.  It had a loft and pegs driven into the wall for a stairway.  Mr. Ashby gave land for the first school house and later when it had to be moved he again gave an acre of land.  The building is now included in the larger building, which stands on the same site and is now used as a school building.  Mr. Ashby also gave land for the Methodist Church.

At this time the mail was coming from Tallahoma, a stage coach-stop about five miles   away.  One neighbor would bring the mail for several families.  Then in about 1867 a post office was established in the Ashby home with Mr. Ashby as postmaster.  Mrs. Ashby named it Norwood.  The Commission stated that "the mail must be kept in Mrs. Ashby's bureau drawer".  That bureau is still in the Ashby family.

A poet once said, "Courage is Fear that has said its prayers".

William H. Ashby had courage coupled with practical knowledge.  He introduced the first red clover and timothy in the county against the judgement of older farmers who contended the prairie was not adapted to tame grasses.  He planted the first apple orchard and the first grape vineyard.  He had quite a livestock operation in which his son Thompson D. found a great attraction and who at the age of ten, started helping his father and later built his own operation.

From the Lucas "Centennial" history, we learn that they drove herds of 200 hogs at a time to Eddyville where they were ferried across the Des Moines River.  On these long jaunts, "They would encounter flocks of wild pigeons, turkeys, prairie chickens, herds of deer and bands of Indians – but the Indians were friendly.  Thompson D. Ashby became the father of the aforesaid members who have supplied the family history for the article.

Another son of the pioneer was Newton B. Ashby who inherited the family's thirsrt for knowledge.  He entered Chariton High School as a junior.  His father's death was the first in a series of setbacks and delays but his determination never flagged.  He graduated from Simpson College with an M.A. and later received an B.A.  He farmed, taught school, published Wallace's Farmer, lectured, held several high positions and finally was appointed by President Cleveland as Consul to Dublin, Ireland.

Charm of the Prairie

          He writes: "I cannot describe to you the charm of the prairie.  From May to October it is continually decked with wild flowers as for a fete.  Around the hazel thickets we gathered orchids.  Gum chewing was in fashion and we gathered wax from the resin weed.  There were thousands of prairie chickens; there were turkeys, fox squirrels, rabbits and an occasional deer".

Prairie Fires

          "Then there were the prairie fires in autumn.  First an arc of fire coming over a front of two or three miles.  It creates its own driving power by suction.  It comes stately where the grass is short, then leaps like a race horse when it strikes the low ground with tall grass.  The whole heavens are aflame and the darkest night is alight like mid-day".

          During the Civil War, southern Iowa had thousands of sheep.  Every farmer had his flock. Woolen mills sprang up for carding wool and yarn. Women knit stockings and mittens for their families.  Every family had its spinning wheel.  Looms for weaving came in and many women made clothing for their families".

Moses H. Curtis

          In 1857 three covered wagons pulled into Lucas County from Ohio.  They brought the families of Moses H. Curtis, Jacob Wells and Jacob Wheeler – 17 persons in all.  Two years prior to this came Jonathan and Thomas Curtis, brothers of Moses H.  All of these except Wells, have many descendants in Lucas County today.  William Curtis of Norwood, great grandson of Moses H, loaned to this writer the family history written by one of the 17 children born to Mr. and Mrs. Moses H. Curtis.

          Although there had never been any ministers of the gospel in the family, Emory W. was born to preach and was so incline from earliest childhood.  He became a Doctor of Divinity and served the United Brethren Church in that capacity for half a century, while at the same time holding such positions as Superintendent of the U.B. Conference for ten years.  President of the Christian Endeavor Conference for six years; delegate to the National Council of Churches four times.  He also served as a College Trustee and Editor of the Iowa "Outlook".  Dr Curtis finished off his remarkable career with a comprehensive tour of the Holy Land of which he writes with deep feeling.

"Mother Carried the Gold"

          He writes: "First we lived in Uncle Jonathan's lean-to; then a slab house till the wind blew it down then; then in the covered wagon until the new log cabin was built – in all about three months.  Father brought all his money – in gold.  Mother carried it.  We broke the prairie with oxen until we found that it could be done as well or better with horses.  Nearly all early writers tell of breaking out the prairie with oxen.  To this unloved and unlovable beast, which has borne so much of mankind's burden and struggles through all time and in all lands, the ancient writer of Proverbs pays this well-deserved tribute.

          "Where there are no oxen, there is no grain but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox."

          We dropped the corn by hand and covered it with a big hoe.  We worked hard every day except Sunday.  We always went to church.  I learned my A, B, C's from the family Bible.  Our parents were our teachers.  Father could read better from the Bible than from any other book.  We traveled afoot, on horseback or in the wagon.  The distances were long, the settlers few and the hardship great".

          He speaks affectionately of the big fireplace and the huge backlog, tough and knotty so it would hold through the long, cold night.  Many of his sermons have the homespun quality of one who has experienced the simple pleasure of frontier life.

40 Bushels of Corn for Boots

          Dr. T.M. Throckmorton's parents came to Lucas County in 1856 and he grew up with the country.  He delivered an address before the Historical Society in 1900, which is in the Chariton Library.  It throws light on conditions of the frontier, which made life so difficult.  Quote:  "Corn, the farmer's principal product was ten cents a bushel.  It took 40 bushels to buy a pair of stogey boots; 168 bushels for a $14 plow and other things in proportion.

          I personally know farmers paying 40 percent for money with which to buy seed for the 1858 planting.  Bear in mind, most money was paper issued by private banks without financial basis except the personal responsibility of the stockholders".

The Marker Family

Mrs. Milton Marker of Chariton, a granddaughter of Moses H. Curtis, gave a vivid word picture of the Marker family.  Solomon Marker, Milton's great-grandfather came in 1861.  There were six segments of this large family – there were so many that the men would divide up, half going out each day to hunt for food – prairie chickens, a turkey or maybe a deer – the other half would chop wood, care for the livestock and do other chores.  Next day the work pattern would be reversed'.

          Several writers have told of the bitter winters of 1863-64.  Newton B. Ashby wrote: "New Year's Eve was almost as balmy as a summer night, then a blizzard struck from the northwest almost as sudden as a hand-clap.  It was one of the coldest that southern Iowa ever had".

          Said Mrs. Marker: "That was before my time but I have the story from both Curtis and Marker families.  There was baby Clem Marker, half-brother to Lydia Marker Nine less than two months old, whose little hand became uncovered and froze.  The arm never grew below the elbow.  Clem went through life with the short arm and a tiny hand.  During that terrible cold snap, the coffee cups froze to the saucers before the people could leave the table.  Hard to believe?  Yes, indeed, but my mother said 'This is the truth.'  Nobody can imagine the deep freezing cold that penetrated the log cabins.  There was nothing across the prairie to break the wind nor to absorb the cold.  Their cabin had a loft and there were too many of them to sleep in beds so they made beds on the floors both above and below:

Dr. Frank Fitch

          "When man's all right, he's prone to spite

          The doctor's peaceful mission –

          But when he's sick, it's loud and quick

          He howls for a physician".

Author unknown

          Dr. Fitch was the first doctor of record around Norwood.  He was the father of the late Laura Fitch, long time teacher and school superintendent of Lucas County.  The doctor seems to have had a sort of circuit, which he traveled irregularly.  Roads were little more than trails and there were no bridges.  He traveled on horseback.  He is known to have had sunstroke but nothing ever prevented him from going wherever suffering humanity called.