Queue the Village People, please

I see by the news that one of the odder blast-from-the-past cases up in my old stomping grounds, North Iowa, concluded yesterday with sentencing of the last defendant charged more than a year ago with indecent exposure after having been observed by staff while engaged in consensual sex --- not all three at the same time --- in the Mason City Family YMCA sauna. It's tempting to say, "only in Iowa," but I wonder.

This was the sort of case guaranteed to be of considerable interest in a small town like Mason City --- the men were of modest prominence, all married with families and rather long in the tooth --- the youngest, 57; the oldest, 69. 

Obviously all three were old enough to know better when selecting a venue was involved, but it seems raging hormones are not limited to the younger set. And you've also got to wonder a little if the case would have been handled quite the way it was if heterosexuals had been caught shagging in the sauna.

Two of the three had received deferred judgments and fines earlier; the third, a suspended sentence and probation Wednesday. All will end up on the sex offender registry for 10 years.

So it's not something to be made light of --- marriages, businesses, social relationships and all sorts of other stuff no doubt have been affected. Plus, it must have been downright embarrassing. 

But the best comment I found after one of the news stories --- many of them snarky --- was kind of funny: "Who knew The Village People had retired and moved to Mason City?"

Maybe you've got to be a product of the mid-20th century to remember The Village People, a disco group formed during the late 1970s. "Y.M.C.A.," their biggest hit, was a sendup on that venerable institution's reputation as a cruising venue for gay men in an era when "gay" was synonymous with scandalous.

You have to remember, too, that many "Ys" built during the 1950s and later contained residential rooms designed to be both clean and inexpensive, a destination for young men arriving in a city to find work, and that their facilities generally were open only to males. 

Times and circumstances have changed, but the implication of the comment was that those North Iowa guys hadn't gotten that message even though the Mason City Y is shiny and new, does not offer lodging, and has "family" on its nameplate.

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Anyhow, the whole thing reminded me of an article I wrote several years ago for the North Iowa newspaper I then worked for, telling a little bit of my story. It was widely perceived at the time as a "coming out" piece, although it wasn't --- that had been a gradual process extending over many years. It just seemed like a useful time to write it, keyed to a popular film of the day, since times were a changing.

But apparently no one had ever done anything quite like this before in that area, so I had my 30 seconds of celebrity (or notoriety) and received quite a number of comments, anonymous letters, etc. A few were nasty, but most weren't.

Among them were perhaps half a dozen from anonymous men who told me their stories --- very difficult to read. For the most part, the authors were men who had built complicated lives based upon lies, that they were straight when in fact they weren't. None knew how to get themselves out of the corners they'd backed themselves into.

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Times have continued to change and none of this really is necessary now. It's possible to live honestly even in places like Mason City --- and Chariton --- although it can be a challenge sometimes.

But I'm afraid there still are quite a few closet cases out there in Iowa and elsewhere, many of them of my generation. 

You've got to wish them the best and hope it all will work out --- and also to advise younger folks to not even think about starting down that path. Also, if and when hormones do kick in, for heaven's sake get a room.

Industrial Arts

Saturday's arts festival at the C.B.&Q. Freight House reminded me, as it usually does, of what fascinating places both the vintage building and others in the immediate neighborhood are, recalling days when railroading was at the heart of commercial and industrial life in Lucas County.

We have the Lucas County Arts Council to thank for stepping in when no other organization would to save the then-endangered Freight House and marshaling the resources needed to restore it and return it to active life. Under Arts Council ownership, it serves primarily as a public venue for events ranging from meetings and reunions to weddings and receptions. And, of course, for the council's annual arts festival and other sponsored events.

The building is a work of art in itself, as is the neighborhood --- although it's necessary to do a little thinking and a good deal of careful observation to realize that. It's under-appreciated.

The Freight House was built by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1904 at a time when Chariton was a regional distribution (and collection) point for freight and a building like this was needed to process it. Tall roll-up doors on both sides of the building offered rail car access on one side; wagon access on the other. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places during 2003.

The administrative space at the south end of the building remains intact with the huge warehousing and processing area behind it adapted with kitchen, restrooms and appropriate lighting to make the entire building suitable for public use. The freight doors still roll up and down, when appropriate, flooding the long room with light from now-glazed openings.

I'm a big fan of the Round Oak Duplex stove in the front office, still prepared to provide heat --- if the flue were extended and attached to a chimney. There's even a telegraph pole still in place along the office facade.

Just to the south is a railside collection of buildings that have their own stories to tell. Commerical buildings just across the street once housed businesses that needed easy rail access; and grain once was loaded into freight cars from the now-unused co-op elevator --- in danger because it can no longer serve its intended function.

Although Johnson Machine Works main production plant is "suburban," located in northwest Chariton, administrative offices, its engineering department and smaller-scale manufacturing operations still are housed in a collection of original and creatively recycled structures grouped east and south of the old elevator.

Next time you're headed to or from the Freight House on North 11th Street, don't just drive through --- take a more careful look.

Seeing red; act two, scene one, of autumn's show

Red maples have moved to the front of the stage as the curtain rises on the second act of nature's fall production here in the hills of southern Iowa. Conditions have been just right to encourage the most brilliant of performances.

Two days of rain are in the forecast, however, so a round of applause is due before these leaves fall and attention turns elsewhere.

These photos were taken Monday at Red Haw and in the Chariton Cemetery, where the concentration of color seems almost too much.

The brilliant golds at Red Haw are hickories taking a bow, too.

And if you keep your eyes open you'll see delicate patterns in native grass etched across the sky.

How sweet on a clear Sabbath morning ...

Loitering in front of the Methodist church --- freezing butt and fingers off --- not long after sunup Sunday, just to see how the stonework looked by dawn's early light. Sweet!

Read more about "Old Glory" here.

Then, a little time with some accomplished artists

Betcha that more conversations about art occurred last week in Chariton than, well, maybe ever --- thanks to Chariton Area Chamber/Main Street, which came up with the Art Attack concept, and the Lucas County Arts Council, sponsor of the Fall Arts Festival that punctuated the week on Saturday.

This year's array of artists at the Freight House was as diverse as I've seen during this annual event, so visiting with a few of them, ranging from newcomers to veterans, was more fun that ever. Wish I knew more about art --- then maybe I'd be able to ask intelligent and probing questions about the meaning of art and life in general. Sadly, most of my conversations begin with, "where ya'll from?"

Leon Drake's lively images (top) were the first to really catch my eye Saturday. That's his mother, Joy, in the photo, too. I forced her to sit there. Everyone has to understand that if you're a hometown boy, who you're related to is important, too. Leon is a Chariton High School graduate who now teaches elementary art in the Grinnell school system. 

I added his colorful work at left to my virtual wall --- the only practical thing to do when all the actual walls already are covered.

Farther down the line, Jacob Yeates' stunningly dynamic and detailed works practically jumped off the wall. Jacob is from Iowa City and that's his mother, Beth, beside him. I forced her to be in the photograph, too.

Jacob's grandparents are Chariton's Bill and Carol Marner, and I ran into Granddad out in the Freight House reception area fussing a little about whether Jacob would be able to find his artistic niche in a place like Chariton. I don't see that as an issue, frankly.

Unfortunately, I am not an accomplished photographer of artwork and difficulties with overhead lighting and a pesky flash reflecting off glass defeated me here. But this is Jacob's addition to my virtual wall.

Two of Jacob's olive-drab digital works, more abstract than most here, were on display uptown during Art Attack last week and generated some interesting conversations about "modern art" that I overheard.

One of my favorite local artists, Susan Baer, recently retired as an art teacher in the Chariton school system, was located at the far end of the Freight House. Susan doesn't exhibit here every year, so it was a treat to see her back again.

In the interests of fair disclosure, she's among the Chariton artists I generally drink coffee with on Monday mornings, so I get to see many of her works in various stages then. She is a master of detail, like Jacob, and a master colorist, too, as well as extraordinarily versatile.

So I added this work, fascinating patterns in warm colors, to my virtual wall.

Headed back toward the free cookies, I stopped to visit with James Rotz, who has managed to master nearly every medium he's encountered but has been focused recently on sculptural pieces shaped from driftwood gathered along the shoreline of Lake Rathbun, where he has lived for several years on a wonderful place that includes Timberview Tower.

Rather than trying to talk about what it is that he does, your best bet is to go to his Web site, which is located here. The big piece here, somewhat large for my living room although I'd be willing to try it, had been on display until picked up for Saturday's trip to Chariton in the lodge at Honey Creek Resort.

And there's some really good news for Chariton here. The Rotz family has sold its beautiful timbered acreage near the lake and purchased an acreage just south of Chairiton --- downsizing so he can devote more time to his artwork. So they're about to become Lucas Countyans, too.

First, the Art Attack winners ...

In part, at least, but I didn't get the names of Youth Division winners written down --- and the powers that be moved too fast after approximately $1,500 in prizes had been awarded Saturday afternoon, so I'll round those names up another day.

In case you missed it, Art Attack was a week-long celebration of the arts sponsored by Chariton Area Chamber/Main Street in partnership with the Lucas County Arts Council. Approximately 30 artists displayed their works in businesses and professional offices in the Main Street District and visitors were encouraged to tour the exhibits and vote for their favorites. Cash prizes were made possible by 14 sponsors, who I'll list at the end. And the whole event was a smashing success.

The eight Peoples Choice Award winners, each of whom received a check, were announced Saturday afternoon as the Council's Fall Arts Festival was drawing to a close at the Freight House. 

Cathy Donner's rooster atop a pump was voted first-place winner in the Adult Division with Ashley Bedford's multi-media clay mask triptych placing second. That's Cathy at right above and Ashley, at left, with a portion of the triptych. When this photo was taken, we thought third-place winner Ron Meyer had left the building, so the photo of his work (at left) depicting an abandoned house was expected to stand alone. A ceramic flask by Andrew Linderman received honorable mention, but he was unable to be present Saturday.

Then it turned out that Ron hadn't left the building at all, so we turned the art works around in an attempt to better cope with late afternoon light streaming in through tall Freight House windows and took the winner photo again with (from left) Cathy, Ashley and Ron.

Here are a few of the powers that be who helped make the Art Attack possible (from left): My favorite fabric artist Meg Prange, who led the team of working artists assisting with the event; Kris Patrick, Chariton Main Street program coordinator, who had a major part in facilitating it; and Karen Wilker, Chariton Area Chamber/Main Street board president, who wrote the checks.

This all would not have been possible with out our great sponsors: Art Fan Presenting Sponsor Johnson Machine Works; Ribbon Sponsors Great Western Bank, Hy-Vee, Mosaic and Midwest Heritage Bank; and Program Sponsors Demichelis Law Firm, Chariton Rotary Club, Eastridge Animal Center, K Threlkeld Insurance, Harbor House Christian Store, The Sampler, Kiwanis Club of Chariton, Adcock Real Estate and Indian Hills Community College.

There's no better investment than the arts and I'll bet this event will be back, bigger and better, next year.

Ragtown has all gone away

It's a little disconcerting to drive the old Mormon Trail shortcut from Chariton out to Ragtown these days. Just south of Connie Smith's, Dean Boozell's farmhouse and the trees that once surrounded it have been taken down, leaving the barn and other farm buildings standing naked by the road.

Farther on, the little house where Robert and Erville (Threlkeld) Pettinger raised their family still stands, but the Glenn Johnstons' big white foursquare beyond the curve was moved away years ago.  

A gymnasium-sized machine shed has been built recently beside Ragtown Cemetery, on the next curve, changing the little graveyard's character if not forever then at least until this pole shed on steroids rusts away, too.

Alta (Johnston) Threlkeld's little house, just beyond, persevered for many years but it is gone too, now, leaving a raggedy lot and dying trees behind. I believe there was a fire there some years ago.

After turning south at the T, it's still possible to find the old Ragtown School driveway and a lone tree that for some reason has been spared, but other than that, Ragtown has all gone away.

Junia (May) Van Nice completed the little painting here about 1960, showing Ragtown School as it once was. Ragtown had been consolidated by then into the Russell Community School District, now consolidated itself into Chariton. The building had been sold to Walter Relph and moved away and the one-acre lot had reverted to the farm from which it had been set aside originally, then owned by Chet Shirer.

Junia's brother and sister-in-law, Lloyd and Bessie May, eventually gave the painting to the Lucas County Historical Society and there's a story within a story here. The little white mule was "Old Kate." Hitched to a cart, she hauled Orville Werts and other children to school back in the early days.

Here's how the same site looked just after noon on Friday. The school bus I used to ride turned left up at the corner there. We rode west and turned into the Pettinger driveway, picked up their three kids, then turned around and headed into Russell. Who was driving? Was it Merwyn Thompson or Donald Collins? I can't remember.

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One of the oddities about Ragtown is that there never exactly was a Ragtown. It was never platted and its components were scattered loosely along an east-west stretch of the old trail about a half mile southeast of the school.

The trail dates from 1847 or so when some Mormon pioneers upon arrival at what became Greenville to the southeast took off straight across the prairie to reach Chariton Point by a shorter route rather than following the main trail, which curved northwesterly and passed through what now is Russell. 

This branch joined the main trail in the neighborhood of Salem Cemetery, where one of those Mormon pioneers reportedly was the first to be buried. Unlike many Lucas County roads, surveyed straight, stretches of this old trail retain their curves.

As the Mormons traveled on toward Utah, permanent settlers flowed in behind them --- including Amos Ragsdale, from Indiana, who used cash and military land warrants to purchase (at $1.25 per acre) large tracts of land in this neighborhood. He sold many of his claims to later pioneers and eventually moved on to Harvey County, Kansas, where he died on Aug. 11, 1880, but left his name behind: Ragsdale modified into Ragtown.

By the time Ragsdale arrived, the Mormon Trail shortcut had become the principal route into Chariton from the southeast and a village of sorts grew up along it. There was a stage coach route, so the log St. John Tavern was built to accommodate travelers. When Ragtown faded, Samuel B. St. John moved into Chariton and opened a hotel here. The tavern apparently was located on what originally was the A.S. Beals farm, occupied during my time by Lloyd and Bessie May, then Dale and Mary Lou Johnson. 

The little community, scattered loosely along a half-mile stretch, included a blacksmith shop, a store and a few cabins. The grist mill, saw mill and town well reportedly were located on what became the Ed Relph farm, just to the west of the old Beals/May place.

Unfortunately for Ragtown, the state road was laid out some distance to the north, aiming to connect Albia and Chariton directly, so traffic diminished through the little community and it faded away, leaving an area  known as the Ragtown neighborhood, but no town.

Russell had not been dreamed of when Ragtown flourished briefly. When it was platted to the northeast during 1866 along the new line of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, all attention shifted there. 

And the Ragtown neighborhood never had fixed bounds. It expanded and contracted over the years, based primarily upon who the Ragtown correspondent contacted to collect news for his or her "Ragtown News" column in the Russell and Chariton newspapers.

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Another oddity of Ragtown is that its school district was named officially until consolidation Bethel No. 3 --- although few called it anything other than Ragtown except perhaps during those very early years.

Map base taken from the 1912 landowner atlas of Lucas County.

The district takes its name from Bethel Baptist Church, organized very early in Ragtown's history. There never was a church building --- but this pioneer congregation started meeting in the neighborhood school as soon as it was built and its name became attached to the school district. Ragtown Cemetery also was called Bethel sometimes, creating a little confusion because there's another Bethel Cemetery in Cedar Township several miles northeast.

Methodists prevailed in the neighborhood, however, and their congregation flourished at Salem.

The Bethel Baptist congregation at Ragtown then became the foundational group for First Baptist Church in Chariton and somewhat later, after Russell was founded, Baptists in the Ragtown neighborhood became prime movers in the establishment of First Baptist Church there.

The Ragtown School some of us remember was built in 1861 and continued to serve until consolidation. After Walter Relph bought it, it was moved south to a hilltop overlooking the Chariton River, paired with the Myers family church, Mt. Carmel, moved in from the southwest --- and both were used as farm buildings.

These buildings stood there side by side for many years, but now both have been taken down (Mt. Carmel actually fell down) and nothing remains.

Friday morning lament

So I'm the program this morning at a 6:30 a.m. Kiwanis meeting (breakfast at 6:15). I'm glad to do this and it shouldn't be an issue --- up at 4 a.m. most days anyway. But there's a big difference between rising early and plopping down in front of a computer and rising early, driving out to the hospital and talking coherently for half an hour. Uff da!

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And then there was this big wedding at the museum Saturday. It went fine. It also produced a mountain of garbage and this is garbage pickup morning. The jumbo garbage can went up the hill and out to the curb yesterday afternoon, but there's still a small mountain of bags locked in the barn (containing remnants of the wedding feast and therefore attractive to critters) because I didn't want to find their contents scattered up and down 17th Street this morning. 

So I'm going to drive down to the barn after the Kiwanis meeting, load the garbage bags in the back of the truck and haul them out to the curb. What fun.

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A couple of weeks ago it seemed like a good idea to agree to serve on the steering committee of the just-now-launching facade improvement program in the Main Street District. Fueled by a half-million in CDBG money supplemented by matches this involves well over $1 million.

This first task is to pick an architect. That's my homework up top, and everyone else on the committee has the same task --- evaluate proposals from four architectural firms, grade them and be prepared make an intelligent decision about which one to hire.

On the other hand, the annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa convenes today in Des Moines and I did manage to dodge that bullet.

Chariton's great Art Attack of 2013

I had a great time Wednesday morning walking from store to store on the square to take a look at works in various media by almost 30 artists, a majority of whom are local although others live nearby and a few, with ties to Lucas County, live at a considerable distance.

Youth Division entries are for the most part displayed at the Chamber/Main Street office, where tour maps also are available. I really liked the felt-tip pen drawings that were among the displays there, including this one, "Sacred Guardian," by 10th grader Katelynn Stewart.

Actually, I only made it about half way around the 20 or so "Art Attack" sites, so will have to go back. The works will remain on display until Saturday and display venues will be open until 7 p.m. today to give visitors extra viewing time.

My favorite piece so far is a mixed media triptych by Ashley Bedford on display at Copy Plus. These are two parts of it here, but you really do need to see it all to fully appreciate it. Ashley, a Copy Plus graphics designer --- and Russell native I should point out --- also has three really intriguing ceramics pieces on display.

Be sure to vote for your favorite works as you tour --- People's Choice awards, and others, will be presented at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Freight House during the Lucas County Arts Council's annual Fall Arts Festival.

Art Attack is a project of Chariton Area Chamber/Main Street in partnership with the Arts Council with support from major donors --- Johnson Machine Works, Great Western Bank, Hy-Vee, Mosaic, Midwest Heritage Bank and several others. And of course by all the retail and professional people who are hosting displays.

You'll find Marybeth Heikes' highly polished watercolors (pardon the pesky fluorescent lighting) as well as Andrew Linderman's ceramics at Ben Franklin/Betty's Quilts & Gifts. Heikes paints professionally; Linderman teaches chemistry at Chariton High School on the side.

Here's the complete list of artists and locations: Jeanette McGee, Chariton Public Library: Meg Prange, Piper's; Andrew Linderman and Marybeth Heikes, Ben Franklin/Betty's; Jeri Reeve, II Pillars; Ashley Bedford, Copy Plus; the Dipsy Dabblers collective at Demichelis Law Firm; Steve Scott and Jacob Yeates at Chariton Vision Center; Cathy Donner at the Briar Patch; Tina Bingham, The Fifith Mile; Susan Baer, Dr. Rips' office; Beckie Prange, Euro Food; Roger Miller, Harbor House; Kathy Willitts, Connecticut Yankee Pedaller; Larry Squibb, Larrington Insurance; Iowa Art Quilters, The Sampler; Dillon Baker, Meyer Law Firm; Cathmar Prange, Teresa's Treasures; Miriam McDonough at Family Shoe; Ron Meyer at Papa Leo's; and youth entrants Sean Estes, Angela Kopytko, Katelynn Stewart, Makayla Fisher, Dylan Barnes, Megan Masters and Adam Wirth at Chariton Chamber/Main Street.

I was really intrigued, too, by Dillon Baker's furniture pieces, on display at Meyer Law Firm. I'd take the gleaming console home in a minute, but would have to think a while about the smaller bench/tables. Dillon writes that his furniture is "inspired by material and the symbiotic relationships that are created through contrast in line, shape, color and texture."

If you're interested in the arts, be sure to attend the Lucas County Arts Council's Fall Festival at the Freight House on Saturday. Hours for the show and sale will be 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. It's a great event that always attracts many regional artists in a broad range of media.

On tour with Main Street Iowa

Main Street Iowa staffers Michael Wagler (left) and Jim Thompson were in town yesterday and will be back today conducting the annual program visit to Chariton Area Chamber/Main Street. Michael is Main Street state coordinator and Jim, its business development specialist.

Kris Patrick (right), Chariton Main Street coordinator, led us on a brisk walk around the square late Tuesday morning as part of that process, focused on assessing the physical side of progress and stopping in to say "hello" at three newer businesses in the Main Street District. It was cold and it was damp, so it was good to get inside now and then.

As anyone involved with Main Street Iowa knows, admission to the program is highly competitive (there are 48 Main Street Iowa cities now) and then the real work begins. 

Meeting all expectations annually in order to be recertified is part of the process and that's what this week's visit is all about. It seems to be going well. Kris and Shantel Dow, Chamber/Main Street manager, work very hard at this as do dozens and dozens of volunteers.  

I'm a Design Division volunteer and also serve on the Chamber/Main Street board of directors, so there was another meeting later Monday and a final wrap-up session is set for late afternoon today. I'm anxious to hear what Michael and Jim have to say --- it's not hard to get so wrapped up in detail that you lose sight of the program as a whole. Part of what these guys do is shift the focus from specifics to what I guess you'd call the big picture.

I enjoyed stopping in at Michele Fenton's new II Pillars Clothing and Gifts on the north side --- managed by Patty Gast. I'm sorry to say I'd not been inside the business that opened earlier this year before, but then I rarely shop for women's clothing and accessories.

I do know that it's been a great addition to the district's business community --- and that Kris is a loyal customer. Michael and Jim say they evaluate businesses in part on the basis of whether or not their wives would enjoy shopping there --- and II Pillars passed the spouse test with flying colors.

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Prof. Goltry's scholars

I think I'm in love --- with this faded old photograph of Prof. Charles F. Goltry's scholars at Chariton Academy, taken during 1896. Wish it were in a little better shape. The surface is scratched and it has faded during the last 117 years. And of course everyone shown here is long dead.

But unlike the content of many photos from this era involving many people --- subjects arranged with military precision staring into the camera like so many deer caught in headlights --- there's life in the faces of the young people grouped rather informally here. Will Gookin (far left in the second row down from the top) looks like trouble, for instance, and Lillie Woods (fifth to his left) looks as if she had eyes principally for Will Gookin.

Better yet, everyone in the photo, with one exception, is identified. It came to the Lucas County Historical Society from Carrie Williamson back in 1969, but who took the time to write all the names on the back isn't known. Here they are, beginning with the back row (right click on "open in new window" and enlarge for a better look):

Back row: Nettie Troxel, May Hamilton, Lillie Douglass, Edith Walker, Maude Rickey, Margaret Taylor, Lois Molesworth, Alice Powell and Josie Barger.

Second row down: Will Gookin, Alfred Nelson, Adda Callahan, Ida Yont, May Huntley, Lillie Woods, Burdette Rodgers, Elsie Courter, Della Arnold Anderson, Ira Wells, Nora Teas, Mary Briles, Wilma Nelson, Albert Kennedy, Lloyd Courier and Emory Parsons.

Third row down: Prof. Goltry, Bert Plotts, (unidentified), Virgil Scott, Thede Lemley, Fred Goltry, Joe Morrison, Enos Anderson, Emmet Carr, Jay Colegrove and Clarence Williamson.

Fourth row down: Cora Buffington, Mrs. Goltry, Vernie Bond, Roy Douglas, Mable Black, Harry McNeely, Lilly Fain, Rena Logan, Oscar Stone, Ida Patterson, Adda Clouse, Carrie Hamilton, Sadie Dale and Viola Staker.

Front row: Tom Black, Alice Howard, Jessie Hopkins, Cora Combs, Lizzy Troxel, Carrie Barger, Mable Price, Dora Clouse, Mary Linstrom, Ina Champlain, Minnie Vannoy, Olive James, May Renolds, Bessie Whitcome, Lura Staker, Fanny Snuggs and Tessie Courter.

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Charles Fitzgerald Goltry, whose students these were, was something of a renaissance man --- and I've relied upon his obituary, posted at Find A Grave, and a biographical sketch in the 1896 A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa for details.

Born during 1863 in Cedar Township to John and Barbara Jane (McGill) Goltry, he started teaching rural school in Cedar Township at age 20 after completing a course of study at an academy in Shenandoah, then in 1885 entered Drake University in Des Moines, where he excelled and eared his degree in classical studies during 1889.

After three years as principal of the Russell schools, he enrolled in a special course in chemistry and chemical analysis at Indiana State University, then accepted a position as professor of ancient languages at Central Christian College in Albany, Missouri, and a year later moved to the Humeston Normal College to teach physics and chemistry.

During 1892, Charles married Clara E Crim and two years later, during November of 1894, they established the Chariton Academy together. The academy was described as "a school for students desiring to fit themselves for teaching or for special business." By 1895, enrollment had grown from 11 to 62.

During November of 1896 he was appointed to serve, too, as Lucas County superintendent of schools, then re-elected to two additional terms. He also served for a time as superintendent of Chariton schools.

During 1902, however, Charles moved his family to Chicago and took up the study of medicine, graduating from the osteopathic physician program at National Medical College during 1907 and receiving his M.D. degree a year later from Bennett Medical College, also in Chicago.

Dr. Goltry began his practice in Cody, Nebraska, then moved to Westboro, Missouri, and in 1922 returned home to Russell where he practiced medicine until his health failed during 1949, when he was 86. He died a year later and was buried in the Chariton Cemetery near his first wife, Clara, who had died during 1909. Charles had married during 1925 as his second wife the widow Effie (Anderson) Raines, some 20 years his junior. She lived until 1975, then was buried, too, in the Chariton Cemetery.

Applause, please, for the Master Gardeners

Here's the core group of Master Gardeners who have moved mountains this year on the Lucas County Historical Society Museum campus. They have been digging, tilling, planting, weeding and watering since early spring with extraordinary results. So let's have a round of applause for (from left) Jim Secor, Kay Brown, Kathy Willits, Angi Garton and Hugh Howe.

We got together Sunday afternoon for fall chores, including the planting of many flowering bulbs in the big new bed that sweeps down alongside the stairway to nowhere south of the Stephens House. I brought along seed garlic harvested at home earlier in the season and Jim and I took that down to the heirloom garden at the base of the hill, cleared and tilled last week.

There also was a big wedding (six bridesmaids!) in progress at Otterbein Church Sunday afternoon with reception following in the museum barn. So it was a busy place --- and we did our best to look atmospheric and stay out of the way. But like making hay, you've got to garden when conditions are right so the work had to continue.

In addition to moving mountains of soil, the gardeners also this year moved a mountain of entrenched yuccas that had taken over this area not far from the street. Some remain, others have been moved to less traveled places where they'll be less likely to spear guests and some now are compost. If you've ever worked with yuccas, you'll know that it sometimes seems as if dynamite is going to be needed to dislodge them. So this was quite a job.

The heirloom garden was plagued a little last spring by weather conditions, but turned out beautifully before the season was done. Six varieties of heirloom tomatoes were the most prolific producers, but the melons did well, too. Nothing against the store-bought varieties, but the almost-forgotten flavors of both the heirloom melons and tomatoes outpaced commercial varieties by a mile. There also were peppers, cabbage, scallions, a row of basil, beans, a giant sunflower or two and old-fashioned garden flowers.

Three-sisters plantings of Indian corn, squash and climbing beans were the most fun to talk about with guests and Jim has plans to refine that feature next year. Jim also built a compost container at the base of the hill, which will come in handy, and already is at work as efforts begin to reclaim our prairie patch.

This strip was established several years ago and had just begun to flourish when a city sewer project built due north up the valley practically demolished it. Now we hope to get rid of invasive grasses and get it back on its feet.

It's been a great year both outside and in at the museum, and we're grateful to all who are a part of this continuing (and never-ending) effort.