An afternoon at old Greenville

One of the reasons I like the cemetery at old Greenville is the challenge involved in getting there --- but Lord knows it took long enough this time. Last May I wrote about Greenville along the Trace, anticipating a springtime visit. Made it finally on Thursday, with November just a day away from closing.

Greenville is the first settled place in Washington Township and its cemetery is the resting place of the matriarch and patriarch of that community --- Polly and Xury E. West, who settled on the land where it is located during May of 1848.

Also buried here, although her grave is unmarked, is Nancy Payne, the first settler to die in Washington Township --- during August of 1849. Nancy had arrived with her husband, Samuel, and children, Jonathan and Sarah, earlier that year and they were living some distance away. Critically ill with typhoid fever, she was brought near death from the family cabin to the Abner McKinley cabin in the Greenville settlement on a Thursday and died the following day. Her funeral was held on Sunday and mourners then followed her homemade coffin to this place at the edge of Lucas County's great prairie ridge where the landscape begins to break and roll down toward Honey Creek's valley.

Nearly all of the earliest Washington Township families are represented here --- McKinley, May, Blue, Lockridge, Kendall and many others.

For a number of years, this was Washington Township's only burying ground, so it is quite large. But in 1866, Russell was founded along the new Burlington & Missouri River railroad line some four miles northwest, a cemetery was begun there and use of Greenville diminished. By 1900, burials had for the most part stopped. The newest marked graves were dug in 1902.

Located just east of the middle of a quarter section, the cemetery is more than a quarter mile off the nearest road. There is no lane, just a track (or in some cases parallel ruts) across fields. You're OK driving in and out when the ground's dry in a pickup or SUV, but the trip is not for the faint-of-heart nor a low-slung sedan.

Driving in, looking east.

Looking out, to the west, from the gate.

The cemetery actually may seem more remote now than it did in 1848 and 1849. Then, the main route of the Mormon Trail angled northwesterly within sight east of the cemetery, winding toward what now is Russell, aiming to cut around the headwaters of Honey Creek before heading due west to Chariton Point.

Thousands of LDS pioneers had been following this route west up the broad ridge dividing Mississippi and Missouri River drainages since the summer of 1846. By 1848, when the Wests arrived, the wagons of westward bound Saints had been joined by those of other westbound settlers and, during 1849, by gold-seeking Forty-Niners.

A trail shortcut to Chariton Point followed more or less the route of the current road paralleling Greenville to the south, across Honey Creek and the broad prairies south of Russell to the current site of Ragtown Cemetery before rejoining the main trail near Salem Cemetery, just southeast of Chariton.

This is my favorite tombstone at Greenville, belonging to Wm. T. Newell, who died Sept. 21, 1851, aged 48 years, 4 months and 14 days. William and his wife, Paulina, apparently arrived in Lucas County during late 1850 or early 1851, since they were not enumerated in the 1850 census of the county.

I especially like the fact you can read the tombstone's maker mark, "Mapel & McCan, Keosauqua, Iowa," in its lower right hand corner. Tombstones didn't just drop from the sky during 1851, remember. You had to go somewhere to order one and at that time, when both Centerville and Bloomfield were muddy villages, Keosauqua --- along the Mormon Trail in Van Buren County --- was a booming town on the road to Keokuk. So William's loved ones ordered one there.

William actually has two tombstones side by side at Greenville, which causes confusion when conbined with misinterpretation of the script on the older of the two. When his widow, Paulena (maiden name Faine), died 40 years later --- during 1890 at Corydon --- she was buried by William's side at Greenville and a new granite stone bearing both their names installed. Find A Grave and other sites as well as the Lucas County cemetery book show two William T. Newells buried at Greenville when, in fact, there is only one.

And here's Aaron M. Kendall (1785-1879), the granddaddy of all Lucas County Kendalls and a veteran of the War of 1812. Buried just to the north and sharing a stone are his wife, Peggy, and grandson, Jerome, who died a day apart in late November, 1858. I'm loving the way their stone groups companionably with those in the background.

Finally, a poignant note --- the tombstone of "Little Frank," son of J.Q. and E.F. Buffington, who died at age 2 on Aug. 24, 1863. The little poem at the bottom reads,

Lonely boy how brief thy stay,

Short and hasty was thy day,

Ending soon thy sojourn here,

Pain or grief no more to bear.

Driving back into Russell, I got to thinking back to the time within my memory when practically every hilltop and valley in this old neighborhood was occupied --- by people I knew. Kendalls lived on Kendall Hill and first Palmers, then Horners, down alongside Honey Creek. Proughs were living up the hill and just around the corner, and my cousins Ellsworth and Juanita (Kendall) Miller, beyond. Clanins, then Center Church, then Kells, McKinley, Blue, McKinley again and around the corner headed into Russell, Cottingham.

Although the landscape holds its shape, most of the people are gone now. Only one occupied farmstead remains in Greenville's immediate vicinity --- and this wreck of a place just south of the entrance to the track that leads back to the cemetery.

Breather and 'happy holidays'

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, Puckerbrush has a new roof --- so that project's done, bills have been submitted and now we've got to figure out what to deal with next in the never-ending campaign to keep vintage buildings from falling apart.

I took this photo Wednesday morning in part to show the roll of "breather" (a more accurate description than "spacer") that separates the new cedar shingles from the new plywood sheeting to which they have been carefully nailed.

The reason for the breather layer is to allow air circulation under the shingles and prevent rot. I'm wondering if we'll get 40 years out of this roof, too.

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Then I went to Walmart, which involved driving to Knoxville --- in search of socks. Ever since Pamida started transitioning into a ShopKo, it's been a challenge to buy socks and underwear in Chariton. Hopefully the transition will be complete one of these days.

Halfway to Knoxville, it occurred to me that I probably could have found socks at the lumber yard (city folks sometimes find it amusing that it is possible to dress one's self from the shelves of many lumber yards). But what the heck --- I'd had new tires put on Friday and wanted to see how they drove anyway.

The last time I was in a Walmart was just before Christmas last year when Hy-Vee failed me and I had to drive to Knoxville to find mincemeat. That doesn't mean I'm philosophically opposed to Walmarts --- just that I'd rather shop at home. Besides, socks --- no matter where you buy them and how much they cost --- come from the same Chinese sweatshops.

By the way, I counted last night. Chariton Hy-Vee has three jars of mincemeat left on the shelves. Better hurry. I'm buying one this morning.

Anyhow, I found my socks --- and an especially good deal on paper towels. I love paper towels, even though I know I shouldn't. Twelve jumbo rolls at roughly $1 each. Wow, that took me back to the good old days.

I got to the checkout line and was reminded why, among other reasons, I don't enjoy the Walmart experience. All but three of the checkout lanes were abandoned.

I got behind a woman from Pella who had been stocking up on Chrismas tree ornaments, including quite a few large glass ones that looked a little delicate. So delicate, in fact, that after consultation with the clerk it was decided to double-bag each ornament in small bags, then combine the double-bagged balls three-balls-each in larger bags and then consolidate all of the larger bags of bagged balls in a giant bag. This took time. Fortunately, I wasn't in a hurry.

Besides, I've been getting all of these "It's not Happy Holidays it's Merry Christmas. Share to agree" postings in my Facebook feed lately, so I spent some time preparing to to pounce when the time came, finally, to pay my bill and receive the clerk's benediction. Imagine the disappoint when all she said was, "Have a great day."

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I don't really understand the "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" hoo-ha. I don't recall ever wishing anyone a "happy holiday" rather than a "merry Christmas," but it may be that I have. Generally I figure "happy holiday" beats a kick in the teeth, so what's the big deal.

I do try to be a little careful with "merry Christmas," however. Once, in the checkout line at a Target far from the south of Iowa I absent-mindedly wished the clerk a merry Christmas and was treated to a lengthy discourse about why Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas and just what a wicked and pagan observance it actually is. I've often wondered how long she lasted behind that cash register.

Roof with a view

No, this roofing craftsman was not wasting time Tuesday atop the capped Puckerbrush chimney. He was waiting for an associate, running an errand nearby, to hand up more cedar shingles to be nailed into place.

Puckerbrush School has been getting a new roof during these last cold days of November, not as simple a process as it might seem when a small building is involved. Conventional roofers would have slapped shingles on in half a day and been done. But because this is an historic building and the shingles are cedar, replicating original equipment, it's a complicated project.

Shawn Pierschbacher and his crew began work during warmer days immediately before Thanksgiving when sweatshirts were sufficient. That's no longer the case after the arrival of cold temperatures and biting winds on Friday.

Shawn has handled earlier wood shingling projects on the Lucas County Historical Society Museum campus, which is why he's handling this one, too.

We're funding the project in part with a $3,000 REAP/HRDP historic school house grant awarded earlier this year by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. That means all work has to conform to U.S. Department of the Interior standards and every step of the project has been cleared by Iowa preservation officials.

The first step, of course, was to remove old shingles --- one side of the roof at a time. Then new sheeting went down, then a fibrous spacer layer (wood shingles nailed directly to sheeting will rot without that spacer, which allows them to breathe), then individual shingles have been carefully selected, placed and hand-nailed into place.

Puckerbrush is the most historic among the very few remaining rural school houses in Lucas County. The building was completed in time for the fall term of classes during 1874 in Ottercreek Township, northwest of Lucas. It's also been known as Hazel Dell and Pleasant Ridge, but has been called Puckerbrush since the 1880s.

Nearly a century later, during the spring of 1963, Puckerbrush was the last of Lucas County's rural schools to close as the district consolidation process concluded. Its final scholars were Kathy, Mike and Linda Patterson, Steve and Janice Haltom, Denny and David Rosenberger, Ed Osenbaugh, Betty Black, Gene Pettinger and Ronnie Penick.

During 1968, the Lucas County Historical Society bought the building for $1 and moved it to the Lucas County Historical Society campus in Chariton. We think the roof that's being replaced now was installed as part of the restoration process undertaken at that time. That's 44 years for a roof. Not bad. Hopefully, this one will last as long.

Puckerbrush also has significance for my family. It was the first rural school taught by my grandfather, William Ambrose Miller, during the 1890s. Somewhere around here, I've got his hand-written list of Puckerbrush scholars that term. Need to find that and get it to the museum.

Isaac Kinsey: By T.M. Dunshee

This is the eighth in a series of biographical sketches and articles written or edited by Thomas M. Dunshee between 1903, when he began collecting the material, and 1910, when he finished entering the sketches in a small blue "tablet" notebook now in the Lucas County Historical Society collection. The subjects all were fellow pioneers in the Newbern neighborhood of English Township, Lucas County.

ISAAC KINSEY

By T. M. Dunshee

January 1904

 Isaac Kinsey was born in Cass County, Michigan, Sept. 6, 1830. His father, Jacob Kinsey, was born in Pennsylvania, moving in early manhood to Ohio where he spent several years. From there he came to Michigan and lived a number of years, when he moved to Porter County, Indiana, and died there.

Here his son Isaac lived to manhood and at the age of twenty-two was married April 1st, 1852, to Rachel Worley of Crawford County, Indiana. He lived here for a couple of years. In 1854, with his family, (he) came to Iowa and settled land in Section 9, English Township. The 80 acres that he purchased of the government was afterward known as the Vickroy place. He built a log cabin 16 feet by 16 feet with a stone chimney. This farm he afterward sold and bought 160 acres in the same section.

At that time, there were but few houses on the road to Chariton. About this time, Geo. Cain built a frame house on his 80-acres farm in Section 16. This was afterwards known as the Geo. McGlothlin place and was sold to T.M. Dunshee in 1870.

Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey had eight children born to them, four boys and four girls, three of which are living, Sarah M., Elmer O., and Elizabeth V.

Mrs. Kinsey died Feby. 20th 1874, and his two sons, Robert and William, in March 1874, from measles. Previous to this time, in 1858, Mr. Kinsey and family moved to Nebraska and lived there until 1861 when they returned to Iowa.

He was again married to Welthy Apgar March 2, 1876. Their present hom is located in Section 16 on a good piece of land where they have a comfortable home.

Mr. Kinsey is well and favorably known; at one time was a member of the board of supervisors, is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Christian church.

Isaac, Rachel, Welthy, Robert and William Kinsey share a tombstone in the Newbern Cemetery. The large photo here is by Doris Christensen and taken from the Find A Grave Web Site. The smaller photos are from the Iowa GenWeb gravestone photo database.

Lucas County's black farmers & miners

The Wright family stone at Chariton Cemetery, showing Alfred's inscription.

This is mostly about Lucas County's only farming family of African American descent, but that family's history also involves southern Iowa's rich coal mining heritage, too, so there's a little here about both.

Lucas County's black population had peaked at approximately 200 by 1900, during the heydey of coal mining at Lucas and Cleveland. The census of that year shows 195 black residents, divided almost equally between Chariton and Jackson Township, where the county's mining industry was concentrated.

By comparison, Lucas County's black population was relatively small. Our neighbor to the east, Monroe County, had 558 black residents in 1900 --- the year the Consolidation Coal Co. opened the legendary Buxton mining camp there. It may be that Lucas County's black miners already had begun to move in that direction, as most would do.

Until the 1920s, the Buxton-area mines were among Iowa's most productive and were worked by miners who were, in the majority, black. Thousands of black miners lived and worked harmoniously with a minority white population. Even union-management relations at Buxton were for the most part friendly.

This had not been the case in Lucas County, where black miners had been brought in by mine owners to break strikes by white workers, contributing to less than harmonious relations.

 Appanoose, another southern Iowa mining center, had a black population of 437 during 1900.  By comparison, southern Iowa's largest city, Ottumwa, had 805 black residents; and Des Moines, 2,065.

But the opening of the Buxton mines, offering superior living and working conditions to black people, probably is a major reason why Lucas County's black population diminished after 1900 as the mining center shifted from Lucas to Chariton and northeastern townships and miners of eastern European descent filled the gap.

Census records also show that Lucas County had no black residents during its earliest days. There was no black population in 1850 and 1860 and only one black resident in 1856, a 14-year-old, Emy Miller, living with one of the Throckmorton families in Warren Township (the census page is damaged so I can't be sure which family). By 1870, Chariton had a black population of 38, but that number had dropped by 1880 to 29.

After 1900, as black miners moved away, Lucas County's population declined --- to 79 in 1910; 48 in 1920; 45 in 1925; and 43 in 1930. Black citizens who remained were for the most part representatives of families that had settled here in the 1870s and 1880s.

Through all of this, only one African American family engaged in farming in Lucas County --- the Wrights of English Township. The absence of black farmers probably had little to do with aspiration or skill and a lot to do with the cold hard fact that black families arrived in Iowa with no money to buy land. Nor were there opportunities here, other than in mining, to earn much beyond subsistence incomes.

Amanda's inscription on the west face of the family tombstone with Garfield's and Mary's stones to the right.

Alfred Daniel and Amanda (Green) Wright were the exception. They arrived in Chariton from Ray County, Missouri, in 1876. Ray County is located just north across the Missouri river from Jackson County (Kansas City and Independence) and Lafayette County (Lexington) and both Alfred and Amanda had been slaves there prior to emancipation.

By 1880, the Wrights had purchased 60 acres of land in Section 31 in the far southwest corner of English Township. This small farm, located about three miles north and a little west of Chariton, remained the family home until the mid-20th century. Their son, Garfield, was the last family member to farm it.

Because both Alfred and Amanda were born into slavery, it is very difficult to track their history. Slaves were considered property, enumerated in the South by age and sex rather than by name in census records and their marriages were not considered worth recording. In most slave states it was a crime to teach slaves to read and write, so most were illiterate and therefore kept no independent written records.

According to their obituaries, both Alfred and Amanda were born in "Crabapple County," Kentucky, but there is no such place. This could have been Crab Orchard, Kentucky, or any number of other places in Kentucky named after that flowering fruit tree. Whatever the case, they were brought to Missouri as enslaved children.

Alfred's year of birth is inscribed as 1830 on the tombstone he shares with Amanda in the Chariton Cemetery, but the date provided in his obituary (Chariton Herald-Patriot, July 6, 1922) is June 4, 1826. "About the age of 8 years as a slave he moved with his master to Ray County, Mo., where he remained until he was set free," according to that obituary.

Amanda's obituary (Chariton Herald-Patriot, July 27, 1917) states that she was born Oct. 14, 1814, which is absurd --- although it fits in with the assertion in the obituary that she was 103 years old when she died during 1917. The birth year 1833 is inscribed on the family tombstone, however, and census records suggest that this is the more accurate date. According to her obituary, "at the age of about nine years she went to Lafayette (County), Mo., as a slave."

According to their obituaries, Alfred and Amanda were married in Missouri on July 5, most likely 1851, perhaps 1852, and began married life in slavery. They became the parents of 16 children, the eldest of whom were born into slavery and 12 of whom lived to be adults.

After emancipation, the Wrights continued to live in Ray County where the family was enumerated (for the first time by name) in the 1870 federal census. Alfred, 40, and Amanda, 30, were living next door to Samuel Wright --- probably Alfred's brother --- and his family. Alfred and Amanda had six children by that time and both Alfred and Samuel were employed as farm laborers. Although he owned no real estate, Alfred did own personal property valued at $200.

I'd love to know why the Wrights selected Lucas County as their future home during the mid-1870s, but that information probably is lost. It may be that there was a family relationship between the Wrights and black families who had settled here earlier.

The Wrights were early members of Chariton's Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ) congregation. According to Alfred's obituary, "he united with the Reorganized Latter Day Saints church through the preaching of Elders Jas. McDiffit and Geo. Spencer, formerly of Chariton."

Many of the Wright sons were miners, apparently working in the mines of Monroe County. It may have been in the black mining community there that several of the children who married met their spouses.

The mines of Monroe County claimed the life of one of those sons, Bert May Wright, who was killed in a fall of slate at a mine near the Consol camp on Nov. 30, 1920. His body was returned to Chariton for funeral services and burial on the family lot in the Chariton Cemetery.

Amanda Wright had died, in her 80s, on July 23, 1917. She was misrepresented in her obituary as 103 years old, "probably the oldest woman in Lucas County." Exactly why these claims of extreme old age were made, or who made them, isn't known. Neither Alfred nor Amanda could read or write.

Alfred died five years later, on July 3, 1922, probably at the age of about 92.

Several family members continued to live on the family farm in English Township as the years passed, including son Elijah, who died during 1938 and is buried in an unmarked grave near those of his parents. Garfield Wright, who died in 1961, probably was the last although Mary (Wright) Brown, who died during 1967, also lived at various times on the farm. The graves of both Garfield and Mary are near those of their parents.

Here is an imperfect accounting of the Wright children: Green, the eldest son, seems to have lived much of his life near Richmond, Missouri, but had moved to Portland, Oregon, by 1922; Abraham, seems to have lived and died at Lexington, Missouri; Samuel, died at Lexington on July 6, 1933; Jennie (Wright) Coleman, living at Peoria, Illinois, during 1922; Frank L., died at Lexington on April 30, 1945; Elijah, died 1938 at Chariton; Arthur B., living at Consol in Monroe County during 1922; Bert May, killed in the mines at Consol during 1920; Belle (Wright) Martin, lving at Chariton during 1922; Mary (Wright) Brown, living on the family farm in 1922, died 1967; Garfield, died at Chariton 1961; and Daniel, living in Kansas City during 1922.

Edmund Davis: By T.M. Dunshee

This is the seventh in a series of biographical sketches and articles written or edited by Thomas M. Dunshee between 1903, when he started collecting the material, and 1910, when he finished entering the sketches in a small blue "tablet" notebook now in the Lucas County Historical Society collection. The subjects of the biographical sketches all were fellow pioneers in the Newbern neighborhood of English Township, Lucas County.

EDMUND DAVIS

By Mrs. Hiram Wilson

January 1904

Edmund Davis was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, February 18, 1825. He was what might be ccalled a Scotch Yankee, his mother being a Scotch lady and his father, a native of Vermont.

He was married to Susanna (or Susanah) Pinkerton September 1847. She was a native as the same county as her husband, where she was born in 1830. They had eight children, six girls and two boys: Clarissa, Luella, Mary, Emma, Letitia, Matilda, Charles and Elmer.

Mr. Davis passed his early years on the farm. He received his education from the common schools. At the age of thirty-one years, he determined to try the west as there were so many stories of opportunities to young men. He accordingly in company with his family moved by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Keokuk and thence to Chariton at which place they landed late in the evening in May, 1856.

They tried to obtain lodging at a log hotel situated on the southeast corner of the square where Ed Lewis's brick grocery now stands. The proprietor told them they were full and running over, so they had to move on, thought they would try to get to an uncle of his, John Willoughby, in English Township, a distance of six or seven miles north. (They) came to Whitebreast Creek, there being no bridge had to ford. Their front wheel struck a log and stopped the team. After repeated efforts they were forced to give up the idea of getting out.

His daughter says, "so we unhitched and left the wagon in the stream until the next day. I remember well the howling of the wolves that first night in Lucas County.The impression made on my mind at that time will always stay with me. We all wished we were safely back in the old home.

"It was late when we reached our destination where we were made welcome. We moved in a double log house which was afterwards known as the Spray place on the Newbern road. Here we remained until September, when we moved on to 80 acres of land in sections twenty-three and -four in the east part of English Township. Father bought this land of Thomas Crandell for which he paid eight hundred dollars in gold. This place had fifteen acres broke out, a log cabin with one room, a clab-board door and a clab-board roof.

"We had to haul our stove and furniture from Eddyville. Milling was done at Gosport and Thompson's Mill on Whitebreast. We got our mail from Chariton, a distance of eleven miles. The Post Office was kept in a log cabin. The first school house in our district, No. 6, was built by Milton Keys in 1860 out of brick that were burned by himself. The desks were made out of slabs with slabs for seats. Mr. Keys taught the first school. In those days the blue stem prairie grass grew as high as a man's head."

Mrs. Davis died the 5th of March, 1878, and Mr. Davis died November 1888. He was a Republican in politics. At his death he left a good home and 440 acres of land. This he had accomplished by years of patient industry. He was a quiet orderly citizen, a man well known to the early settlers.

Note: Mrs. Hiram Wilson was Emma, daughter of Edmund and Susanah Davis. According to her tombstone, also at Brownlee Cemetery, she was born during January of 1856 and would have been an infant upon arrival in Lucas County. So it's unclear who remembered the wolves howling that first night in Lucas County, but it probably was not Emma. The photos here, by Doris Christensen, are from the Find a Grave Web site.

It's beginning to look ...

Climate change blew in overnight here, from shirtsleeve weather on Thanksgiving day to parka time on Friday. That didn't seem to cut the crowd or chill the enthusiasm for Chariton's annual lighted Christmas parade and pre-holiday open house around the square Friday evening. I'm guessing more than a thousand turned out, every parking place on the square was full and there were treats ranging from beefburgers and chili to candy, cookies and lots of other stuff in a dozen or more stores.

Early entertainment was provided by actors in window displays around the square. I'm guessing the boys in the front window at Harbor House Christian Bookstore (top) were intending to be the stable animals --- but straw fights ensued. Elsewhere, miniature Rudolphs were performing on the north side; angels, on the west.

Ben Franklin's Sam Felderman is widely known for wasting fuel by propping open store doors to clear the air. They were not propped open Friday night and Sam was wearing long sleeves as he led the Ben Franklin carolers, who were wearing parkas.

My skills as a nighttime photographer are underwhelming, but Santa did arrive and the lighted parade had enough entries to circle the square entirely, which it did --- several times. By the last circuit, I was frozen and headed for a warm place.

Earlier in the day, when a strong, cold wind was buffeting Museum Hill, I found Kay and Marilyn attaching holiday greenery to the sign out front and elsewhere.

Down at the school, where a new wood-shingle roof is going on, that's contractor Shawn Pierschbacher headed home. He arrived early and ready to work, but none of his assistants did. A little quality time on the roof by himself in that cold wind had convinced him it was just as well to take the rest of Friday off, too.

Building Detective: Herald-Patriot

Detective work involving the Herald-Patriot Building was completed several years ago when it was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places as the first public building designed in Chariton by architect William L. Perkins, who practiced here from 1917 until his death during 1957. Other Perkins buildings on the register include the Hotel Charitone, City Hall, Legion Hall, Masonic Temple and the Fred and Sherry Steinbach (a.k.a. Crozier) home.

The following illustration and brief article appeared on the front page of the Herald-Patriot of July 5, 1917. The building still is owned and occupied by the Chariton Newspapers.

The Herald-Patriot is to have a home of its own, a permanent abode and one worthy of Chariton and Lucas county. The building is now under construction on the lot just west of the public library, on Braden avenue, and when completed will make one of the finest structures in the city.

It will be 40x80, two stories in height and with basement under the entire building except twenty feet at the rear where concrete will be laid to receive the big presses, heavy machinery, linotypes, stones, etc., found around a printing office. After caring for boiler, coal room, storage room for print paper, etc., a laundry will be installed for the use of occupants on the second floor.

On the ground floor will be found ample accommodations for printing equipment of all kind, an office for the editor and a private room adjacent, while on the east side of the building is a room 20x40, partitioned off and equipped with lavatory and toilet, an ideal office for a physician who wants priacy and ease of access for patients.

The second story will be divided into three suites of living rooms, equipped with many  of the little conveniences which make a home attractive.

Four sets of plumbing will be used in the building and the best heating plant obtainable will be installed, while light and ventilation have been provided for in the very best manner. The entire building from the footings up will be made of hydro-stone, a made stone which cannot be told from granite and which is wholly waterproof. This stone is manufactured in Des Moines by the Des Moines Hydro-Stone Co., under the management of O.D. Harlan, who erected the Russell high school building. Mr. Harlan will lay the stone in the walls, employing only expert workmen on the job.

The architect of the building is W.L. Perkins, recently arrived in Chariton, and he has drawn plans and made specifications which are easily understood and are very attractive and complete. We believe that the entire building will be creditable to the city of Chariton and the men who have planned and will erect it. P.E. Johnson is the contractor and he proposes to finish the work in the best manner possible. G.W. Ensley has the heating contract and Frank Elliott will do the plumbing.

Thanksgiving

The post card greeting was sent to my grandmother, Jessie, about 1900 (postmark is blurred) by her neice, Ida, then living on a remote ranch in the Dakotas and longing for Thanksgivings past in Lucas and Appanoose counties.

There's a lot of that going around still --- longing for the past, embellishing, romanticizing, sweeping inconvenient Thanksgiving truths under holiday tables.

And relational thanksgivings, too --- there but for the grace of God, you know. Which miss the point.

Still, there's power in this holiday of ours, expressed here by contemporary poet Bruce Weigl:

I didn't know I was grateful
for such late-autumn
bent-up cornfields

yellow in the after-harvest
sun before the
cold plow turns it all over

into never.
I didn't know
I would enter this music

that translates the world
back into dirt fields
that have always called to me

as if I were a thing
come from the dirt,
like a tuber,

or like a needful boy. End
Lonely days, I believe. End the exiled
and unraveling strangeness.

And hope, which may be the secret power: That there's still time, as Langston Hughes put it, to create the America "that never has been yet."

O, let America be America again —
The land that never has been yet —
And yet must be — the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine — the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME—
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
(from "Let America Be America Again")

I'm optimistic, and grateful.

What to do while locked out

So I locked myself out of the house for a couple of hours Monday morning, a footnote in the ain't-technology-grand? department. What's-the-big-hurry? department, too.

Here's how it happened. The truck went down the hill to Chuck's at 8:30 a.m. to have its oil changed and a couple of other things done and I walked the block and a half back up, then got that sinking feeling while walking toward the closed garage door. It's automatic. Back out, push the button and drive away. Even if you're only going to be gone for five minutes. Because I always go into and out of the house through the garage door --- storm doors latched, no way to get into the house.

Remember the good old days when garage door openers were little clip-on devices that could, in a pinch, be carried around? Now the code is programmed into the truck which has become, in effect, a very large garage door opener --- with four-wheel drive.

Maybe if I hurried back down the hill I could grab the truck long enough to do a fast drive-by door opening. No such luck. Half way down the hill, caught sight of it on the lift before the overhead door rolled down.

So I just kept walking up to the square --- the long way, three blocks. That's one thing about living in a small town. If your legs work reasonably well, there's no place you can't walk to. But I'm so darned lazy. Came out of a City Council meeting a couple of weeks ago, got into the vehicle and drove home --- two blocks. Why did I drive to City Hall in the first place?

Anyhow, with roughly two hours to kill I dropped off an envelope for a friend at Kent Farm Management, then went on to Piper's for two fresh doughnuts and a bottle of water (parched after that long walk). Piper's has the best chair on the square --- in the front window. Then on to the Chamber and Family Shoe. Thanks to Jill, Evelyn, Shatel and Mary for entertaining me.

Finally, to Get Mugged for a big cup of coffee and quality time in a comfortable chair with The Des Moines Register. It's been months since I sat down to read The Register's printed version. Golly, there's nothing left of it. Didn't take long to read. No wonder they're having subscription challenges.

By then, I'd killed two hours very pleasantly, cut across the courthouse lawn (Christmas decorations going up), walked the two blocks down to Chuck's, picked up the big red garage door opener and drove home.

Spending some quality time uptown reminded me of a couple of things I've been intending to take photos of.

That's the renewed storefront on the west-side Lockwood Building at the top. Jared and Julie Patterson now own the building, have fixed the roof, repainted the shop's interior and are preparing to open in the new year a running gear and sporting goods shop called --- The Fifth Mile.

When I went back uptown Tuesday to take that photo, Victor Logodo had just finished installing the Euro Food sign on the front of his building, Ensley-Crocker, former home to True Value Hardware, now located in a new building a half block off the square. This shop is intended to serve Lucas County's substantial population of Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian descent --- but we'll all benefit.

Finally, the new front on Richard Atwell's building just off the northeast corner of the square now that those spiffy black awnings have been installed. The design for renewal of this facade was the first prepared for Chariton by the Main Street Iowa staff. I've been intending to take this photo for a couple of weeks, but a big dusty black pickup always was in the way. Tuesday afternoon, it was gone.

The honor of William Martin

Someone has made a mistake when interpreting the U.S.C. engraved on the tombstone of Benjamin Alexander, also known as William Martin, and installed a Confederate flag holder near it. "U.S.C." stands for U.S. Colored Troops, Benjamin/William was a freed slave and a proud Union veteran of the Civil War. We've got to get this man a G.A.R. flag holder.

There are so darned many good stories buried out there in the Chariton Cemetery I wish I had the time to retire and write a book.

This one is about a Missouri slave who served the Union cause honorably during the Civil War, spent the last 50 years of his life in Chariton and died here at nearly 90 on Oct. 20, 1929, but is buried under a tombstone bearing a name that bears no resemblance to the one his Lucas County neighbors had known him by for all of those years.

The story emerged after I went out to the cemetery Monday  to find the tombstones of Abe and Priscilla Prather, who I wrote about yesterday. The Prathers also were born into slavery. Abe died in Chariton during 1905 and his wife, during 1908. They are buried in the section of the cemetery just northeast of the shelter house. Those are their tombstones at left.

What puzzled me when I found the Prathers was the fact they were buried at opposite ends of a large lot, Abe to the north and Priscilla to the south, which suggested there might be other burials between them. So I went up to the city clerk's office at City Hall, where cemetery records are maintained by extremely helpful people. We headed into the vault.

There are some glitches in the cemetery records, however --- primarily to do with a somewhat rocky transition during the 1920s when the cemetery passed from private hands, the Stanton family, into city control, an issue forced by the city because the Stantons were not doing a good job of maintaining that beautiful place.

We found burial register entries for both Abe and Priscilla, which took us to the lot plat --- but the location of neither grave was drawn in. Abe had purchased the lot in 1896. The plat did show, however, that Malvina Washington and Mary Walpole are buried there, too, in unmarked graves.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find out anything about either Malvina or Mary. There were no reports of their deaths in the Chariton newspapers, nor were their deaths registered in county records. They do not appear in census records.

It is possible that both were infants, grandchildren perhaps of Priscilla Mason Prather, but there is no guarantee of that. One or the other probably died in 1896, the year the lot was purchased.

Looking at the Prather plat, the name William Martin --- identified as an occupant of the lot immediately east --- caught my eye. Martin was the surname of one of Chariton's oldest black families. He is buried at Abe Prather's feet. Priscilla Prather, considerably older than her husband and in poor health, had lived with the William Martin family from the time of Abe's death until her own. By some accounts she was a sister-in-law; by others, an aunt.

Also buried on the William Martin lot, according to City Hall records, is William's wife, Tina J. Martin, and "Infant Martin," probably their daughter Clara.

But here's what really confused me. I had glanced at the only tombstone on that lot while at the cemetery. The tombstone marking William Martin's grave, the military stone at the top of this post, identifies the occupant as Benjamin Alexander, Co. G, 62, U.S.C.  That translates as Company G, 62nd Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops.

So I came home, searched for obituaries, census and other records and finally pieced together the story of William Martin --- also Benjamin Alexander.

According to his obituary (Herald-Patriot, Oct. 22, 1929), William was born on June 22, 1831, at Macon, Missouri, which is not quite accurate.

William probably was born during June of  perhaps 1841, but at some point late in life added 10 years to his age. He was identified in his obituary as "almost a centenarian," but wasn't, something the 1900 and other census records confirm. In some cases, extreme old age --- at first a trial --- becomes a badge of honor. So William's actual birth occurred 10 years or so after the date his reported age at death would suggest.

Missouri was a slave state at the time, although a bitterly divided one, especially in the north --- where Macon is located. But William most likely was born in either Chariton or Randolph counties, to the south and southwest of Macon.

During late 1863, when he was 22, William enlisted in Co. G, of the 62nd Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops, organized at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis on Dec. 14, 1863. He served honorably until discharge in 1866, participating in engagements in Missouri, Louisiana and Texas.

William enlisted, however, as Benjamin Alexander rather than William Martin, although there are some indications in compiled records that he was known by both names during his time in service. Why? Owned at the time of his enlistment by a man named James Rice Alexander, Benjamin Alexander apparently was the name given to him by his owner. William Martin, however, was the name of Rice Alexander's father-in-law, who had owned Alexander/William from birth onward and had given him to Rice Alexander as a wedding gift.

William seems to have returned to northwest Missouri after the war, and on Sept. 25, 1875, at Kirksville, married Tina J. Root. I couldn't locate Tina's obituary Tuesday, but Lucas County death records identify her father as Mack Root and her mother as Emily.

According to his obituary, William and Tina had lived in Chariton for 48 years at the time of his death, so they must have arrived not long after 1880 since they were not enumerated in the federal census of that year.

According to his 1929 obituary, "For many years he was employed with the Stewart Lumber and Fuel Company as a driver and for a time was also employed with the Eikenberry Company. He was actively engaged in his work until about eight or nine years ago, when his health commenced to fail."

William also had received a small pension resulting from what apparently was a minor disability incurred during his term of service. Chariton mayor George W. Alexander acted pro bono as attorney for "Martin, William, alias Alexander, Benjamin," during the early 1890s to secure that pension, granted officially on July 13, 1892.

George W. Alexander --- Tennessee native, Confederate officer, popular mayor and notable drunk --- remains one of Chariton's most colorful characters. There's more about him in this earlier post.

William and Tina J. Martin had nine children, one of whom --- Clara --- died as an infant. Those living at the time of William's death included Mrs. Effie Bailey, Claude Martin, Nathaniel Martin and Elizabeth Martin, all of Chariton; Carroll Martin, of Des Moines; Mrs.Vina Prentice, of Chicago; and Mrs. Jessie Bridges, of Des Moines. There also were seven grandchildren. Tina Martin had died Aug. 4, 1916, and she is buried in an unmarked grave by William's side.

The family home was located at 1503 West Linden Avenue. And funeral services were held at the African Methodist Episcopal Church, then located on West Court Avenue.

William had, according to his obituary, "won the high regard of all with whom he came in contact" during his years in Chariton. "He was honest and upright in all his dealings and his demise will be deplored by many friends."

But when the time to order his tombstone arrived, it was discovered that the government --- while glad to issue one --- would do so only for a soldier bearing the name he enlisted under. So William Martin is now navigating eternity as Benjamin Alexander. But we know now who he really was.

Historical this, historical that

I've read a lot of Chariton newspapers on microfilm, even more digital images lately while scratching for information about historic buildings in the Main Street District. All sorts of other stuff turns up while doing that --- not really enough about any topic to base a blog post on, but interesting.

THAT 1875 CHARITON "VIEW"

Take the following item from The Chariton Democrat of June 30, 1875, related to the engraved aerial view of Chariton (top) that appears on Page 349 of A. T. Andreas's 1875 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa. The view is a wondrous thing for a couple of reasons. It's quite accurate, for one. Second, it was drawn before aerial photography was available and Google maps were online.

The artist who executed it worked from plat maps and his own observations while traveling around the city. But we've never known who the artist was or how its size and placement in the atlas were decided upon. This article headlined "View of Chariton" tells more.

"Mr. Boston, the view man for Andreas' Atlas, dropped in just as we were going to press, and reports fair success in his work here, but he fears the size of the view of Chariton will have to be cut down unless greater interest is manifested. This we learn is the case at Albia, not enough having been contributed to pay for a large view.

"We hope this may not be the case here. Certainly we ought to have a half page view at least. Let everybody do something and the view may be made a fine one and worth having."

As it turned out, the Chariton view is half a page, perhaps slightly larger (Albia also ended up with a half-page view, too, on Page 243, although the work is less satisfactory than that evident in the Chariton view). So we can be grateful those Chariton contributors did something.

If you're interested in more on the Andreas Atlas, there's an earlier Lucas Countyan post here entitled "A.T. Andreas and His Magnificent Atlas."

TALLAHOMA, TALLY HO

Tallahoma, a stage stop, post office and trading post in far northeast Jackson Township or northeast White Breast  from the early 1850s until 1875, has vanished physically and for the most part from Lucas County's collective memory, too. It was located on rising ground west of the Whitebreast Creek crossing on the main trail west from Chariton to Osceola, then Mount Pisgah, perhaps two miles northeast of Lucas.

The post office operated from 1853 until 1875, and Tallahoma (often misspelled Tallyhoma) was the westernmost stop in Lucas County for the Western Stage Coach Co., which operated depots in LaGrange, Chariton and Tallahoma until arrival of the railroad during 1867.

In 1870, Edwin C. Rankin, a friend, fellow Tennessean and colleague of Lucas County's first major entrepreneur, John Branner, was Tallahoma storekeeper, postmaster and justice of the peace, in addition to farming Branner land.

Specific information about Tallahoma is in short supply, but The Democrat of June 30, 1875, did report, "The Tallahoma post office, this county, has been discontinued, mail to come to Chariton."

Many years later, during 1911, John Branner's son, Napoleon Bonaparte Branner, sat down with Henry Gittinger, then editor of The Chariton Leader, to visit about the good old days, resulting in this little front-page article headlined, "A Bit of Ancient History." Note that N.B., Henry, or both were confused about the name of the place. It was named after Tullahoma, Tennsssee, but officially was Tallahoma.

"In the early days there was a post office in Lucas county, about 8 miles northwest of Chariton, called Tulahoma. A trading post had been located there by the late Judge Branner, father of N.B. Branner, who had a big tract of land out there secured by laying Mexcian land warrants. He and a partner had established a store but after the railroad was built the post office was discontinued and Lucas became the mart. In speaking of this early post office, Mr. Branner said hs father suggested the name from a place in Tennessee called Talahoma, but the department got it Tulahoma, and the error was never corrected. Other post offices in the county that were known in the early days in the east part of the county were LaGrange, in Cedar, and Greenville, in Washington."

THE PASSING OF ABE & PRISCILLA PRATHER

A couple of times a year I get involved in a conversation that begins, "but there were no black people in Chariton," or something similar. But that's not the case at all. Chariton had a substantial, although not large, black population from after the Civil War through the heyday of the coal mining industry, enough to support two independent black congregations, one A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) and the other, Baptist.

While I've never found reports of racial violence or institutional racism, other than a 1920s dalliance with the Ku Klux Klan seemingly motivated by white Protestant discomfort with all "others," there were no long-term opportunities here for black young people, so they left --- and the older generations died. Early (and some more recent) newspaper reports tend either to patronize people of color, or to be overtly racist, and they probably reflect the attitudes of a majority of the white population.

So here's the obituary of Abe Prather, who died during January of 1905 after a long residence in Chariton:

"Abe Prather, the aged colored man so well known here, died of paralysis Wednesday, aged 57 years. He was buried today from the African M.E. church, the services being conducted by Rev. F.B. Palmer.

"Mr. Prather was born in Lynn county, Missouri, in 1847 and was a slave in that state. On gaining his freedom he went to Kansas and in 1871 came to Chariton. For nearly thirty-five years he was a familiar character about town and was well known to nearly every inhabitant of Chariton. He was a hard-working, self-supporting negro. His aged wife, known as "Aunty Mason," survives him. She is blind and in a helpless condition. She will live with the family of Wm. Martin."

And here is "Aunty Mason's" obituary, from The Patriot of Aug. 6, 1908:

"Priscilla Mason Prather was born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1818. She was married three times and was the mother of three children, who died in infancy. She was married to Abe Prather in Chariton in 1880 and her husband departed this life in 1905. She died at the home of Wm. Martin, Wednesday, July 29, after an illness of two days, aged 90 years. Those who survive her are three grandchildren, two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Rhoda Harris of Brookfield, Mo., and Mrs. T.J. Martin of Chariton. She was a member of the M.E. church. (Submitted by) Rev. L.A. Joplin, of the A.M.E. church."

The Leader, also of Aug. 6, 1908, reported the death, too, under a headline which reads, "Aged Colored Lady Dies." Editor Henry Gittinger apparently had little information to go on when composing the paragraph and perhaps tried to compensate by concluding with a sermonette, as he was prone to do.

"Priscilla Prather, the aged colored lady, died at the Jackson residence in this city, last Thursday. The funeral was held at the A.M.E. church, on Saturday, conducted by the pastor. She was perhaps 90 years of age, a native of Virginia and was born in slavery. For several years she had been blind, but now she is freed from human suffering and her sight is restored more brilliant than the possibilities of this life, for she was a devout Christian and ever happy in the faith of an eternity."

The Prathers are buried in that section of the Chariton Cemetery just northeast of the shelter house, and I intended to go out Sunday and find their tombstones, but didn't get around to it. Another day ....

Dispatches from the Holy War: Winning

We could debate the accuracy of the second half of this church sign, floating around the Internet last week. But the first half is certainly true --- "thanks be to God," as some say.

But Franklin Graham, running around now saying that Americans "turned our backs on God" by re-electing Barack Obama, seems to have missed the point. Our folly will bring God's judgment and ultimate destruction, Billy's little boy says.

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, after after acknowledging that all those anti-Obama petitions by the National Day of Prayer task force went unacknowledge, lamented that God said "no" and declared, we're living in "a time of judgment."

From John Hagee, Texas megachurch preacher, "God will hold America responsible" for electing Obama, casting marriage equality votes in four states, etc., etc.

Sour grapes, sure. But across America, Evangelical preachers are licking their chops now --- waiting for the smiting to begin.

On the other hand, some would argue that God said "yes" on Election Day. Golly, the Big Guy's a queer Democrat, too.

+++

But back to that sign and the possibility LGBT voters actually did tip the election in favor of progress. The Williams Institute's Gary Gates concluded last week that there's a degree of accuracy in this contention.

Five percent of the U.S. electorate identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual, he concluded; and LGBT voters supported Barack Obama by a margin of 76 percent to 22 (yes, Virginia, there are gay Republicans),  figures based on exit polling.

That, Gates says, conceivably could have made the difference for the Democrat ticket in states like Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Colorado.

And, we're members of all those other swing constituiencies, too --- African-American, Hispanic, Single Women, Asian-American and Jewish. God's great rainbow coalition. Franklin Graham's worst nightmare.

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The great tipping point toward LGBT equality emerged during the term of a gentle and unassuming Christian soldier named V. Gene Robinson as Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire. Consecrated as bishop during November of 2003, he's now preparing to retire.

Susan Russell, a California-based Episcopal priest and LGBT activist, attended both the 2003 ordination and the 2012 celebration of his accomplishments upon retirement, then wrote about both for Huffington Post, "And Here's to You, Bishop Robinson."

"What the Diocese of New Hampshire did on June 7, 2003, when they elected V. Gene Robinson as their ninth bishop -- and what the Episcopal Church did in consecrating him -- was create a crack in systemic homophobia that let the light in: the light of equality, justice and compassion that shone far beyond our little corner of Christianity in some powerful and prophetic ways."

A documentary about Robinson entitled "Love Free or Die" aired recently on the PBS program, "Independent Lens." It will remain available to view on the PBS Web site only until Nov. 19. Hurry.

Building Detective: Day & Mooney

103 and 105 North Main Street

The Day & Mooney Block, more commonly known as as Fluke's or Young's, was built by Henry H. Day and Walter Mooney during the spring and early summer of 1889. It filled a gap in the west side of the square that had existed since December of 1882 when a major fire destroyed five frame buildings at the southern end of the west-side business block.

Once an outstanding example 19th Century town-square design, it seems bland and unremarkable now primarily because changing taste and relative prosperity encouraged building owners --- with the best of intentions --- to strip away detail in order to appear "modern." Here, the decorative cast-metal cornices were removed, large window openings bricked up and small windows of no redeeming architectural interest inserted.

This type of thing tended to happen in more prosperous towns, and Chariton traditionally has had just enough money to do substantial damage to and in at least one notable case destroy many of its architecturally significant buildings. Towns like our neighbor to the southeast, Bloomfield, now are reaping the benefits of what once was relative poverty. There, building owners rarely had the money to rip away and modernize 19th century facades.

Henry Day, who had owned the southernmost building destroyed, rebuilt promptly after the 1882 fire. His Good Luck Building just to the south was completed before 1883 ended. Daniel Eikenberry and Jacob Kull also completed the Exchange Block during 1883, replacing the two northernmost buildings. But the Day & Mooney lots stood vacant for nearly five years.

The Chariton Patriot of Nov. 21, 1888, was able, finally, to report that "H.H. Day has purchased the lot adjoining his brick business house on the southwest corner of the square and will in the spring, in conjunction with Mr. Mooney, who owns the Gasser lot, build a fine brick business block."

The Chariton Herald of March 21, 1889, reported that "Two fine brick buildings are to be put up on the west side of the square at once, to fill up the space between the exchange block and the Day corner. One by H.H. Day and the other by W.J. Mooney. These two buildings completed will make a fine block that will greatly add to the appearance of the west side. The brick is on the ground, the excavation already there for the basement, and the work will be pushed to early completion. Messrs. G.B. Routt, Sam Swift and Wm. and Geo. Tout will do the brick work, while W.F. Layton & Co. will do the carpenter work for Mooney and J.J. Reed has the carpenter work on the Day building. Let the good work go on. Building material is cheap, labor low, and many men will be benefitted by obtaining work."

On March 27, 1889, The Patriot reported that, "H.H. Day and Walter Mooney are laying the foundation for their new building on the west side, and will soon have the aching void between Day's corner and the Exchange building filled with a fine brick structure."

By the 19th of June, the Patriot was able to report that, "Walter Mooney has moved the office and ware room of Hudson Bros. into his new building one door south of the Exchange Block."

W.H. Layton & Co. claimed credit for design of the entire Day-Mooney Block in a promotional piece published in The Chariton Herald of July 3, 1890, so its design can tentatively be attributed to Oran Alonzo Hougland, the firm's designer.

As built, the structure (second from the left in this post card view) was of considerable architectural interest. It has, however, been stripped of all detail, including its cast metal cornice and elaborate window frames. Large window openings have been bricked to encase much smaller windows of 1960s vintage, now with peeling frames.

The small bronze plaque near sidewalk level on the front of the building, a year off on construction date, identifies iconic Chariton commercial firms as long-time tenants --- Fluke's Book Store, 1893-1854; and Young's, 1954-1996. Young's, purveyor of office supplies, school supplies, stationery, greeting cards, wallpaper, picture framing services, occasionally antiques and a broad range of other products, was succeeded by a Hallmark Store that folded. The building now is occupied by Chariton's Assembly of God congregation, which uses it as an outreach center.