I thought I'd share this morning one of those small treasures, similar to countless others embedded in the back files of Iowa's once-booming newspaper enterprises --- a brief memoir featuring Clarissa Vorhies, of Lucas, published on the occasion of her 93rd birthday in The Chariton Herald-Patriot of Feb. 16, 1939. The headline reads, "Mrs. J. P. Vorhies, Lucas resident 66 years, recalls pioneer life of town."
Iowa's newspaper landscape has altered dramatically over the years, but this has been an especially sad week in the south of Iowa where three major county seat papers have been eliminated by their absentee owner --- Alabama-based Community Newspaper Holdings. The Knoxville Journal Express and Pella Chronicle have been "merged" with The Oskaloosa Herald, a larger property; and The Centerville Iowegian, with The Ottumwa Courier.
In Chariton, where the Tuesday Leader and Thursday Herald-Patriot have been published for many years, only one newspaper is being produced weekly now, but this has been presented as a temporary measure and we certainly hope that's the case.
This is not an exploration of cause an effect, merely an attempt to point out that the minutiae of Iowa's history has been recorded --- not in books --- but on the pages of community newspapers.
Here's the Vorhies piece. One interesting point --- this is quite a long article, but not once did its author mention that Mrs. Vorhies' given name was Clarissa. I've added an 1896 plat of Lucas, drawn at a time when the town was booming.
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Mrs. J. P. Vorhies, pioneer Lucas woman, Tuesday celebrated her ninety-third birthday at her home. She has lived for a half-century in her present residence. During the day she received scores of gifts and greetings and was visited by friends and relatives.
Born in Ohio Feb. 14, 1846, Mrs. Vorhies married J.P. Vorhies, a Civil War veteran, when she was 20 years old. They settled first, she recalled, in a small village called Four Corners north of Fairfield, Iowa, and engaged in the mercantile business.
However, after the Burlington railroad was constructed through southern Iowa nearly all of the Four Corners population sought new locations on the Burlington line, as it was necessary to bring supplies to Four Corners by wagon from Burlington. Looking for a new home, Mr. Vorhies consulted with Absalom Knotts (his mother's cousin) and he recommended Lucas as a good shipping point for grain and cattle. There also was a rumor that there some day would be a coal mine in the vicinity of Lucas.
Mr. and Mrs. Vorhies, their three small children (their youngest was six months old), their household goods and store equipment reached Lucas May 20, 1874. The family lived in the Cushman Hotel until their house and store were made ready for them.
Betty Skidmore, known to this generation as Aunt Betty Allen, helped them get settled, Mrs. Vorhies said.
The Vorhies home and store were located on the lot where the home of N.F. Baker now stands. At that time the principal Lucas street was Vine street and the east side of the town was Division street. There were less than a dozen families living in the town. family names included Adams, Weir, Goben, Quickenden, Skidmore, Kays, Hughes, Gardner. The Gardners lived on the present W.E. Allen farm, and Mabry (Mayberry) Skidmore also operated a farm near the town. Some families still occupied log houses.
Here are other recollections of Mrs. Vorhies: The railroad agent was a Mr. Sutton. The oldest house in Lucas now is that of Bob Wilkinson. There were feed lots on the property now owned by C.R. Rogers and W. Hunter. There has always been a store where the Baker store is now located and the first merchant there was Absalom Knotts. He sold the business to Billy Skidmore who in turn sold it to J.C. Baker & Brother in 1875.
The first doctor was a young man named Wright, who brought his bride but didn't stay long. He was succeeded by several physicians, including Dr. Charles Throckmorton and Dr. Carpenter and Dr. J.C. Bell.
Lucas grew by leaps and bounds when coal mining started, Mrs. Vorhies continued. Mr. Vorhies turned the store and post office over to his wife and formed a partnership with George Kays. With the help of W. Snedaker and Perry Percy and a few others they constructed most of the houses in Lucas and Cleveland. There were at one time more than 1,500 men employed in the Lucas and Cleveland mines. Two mail routes ran from the Lucas post office, one north to Liberty Center, Norwood and Jay and the other south and west.
Lucas's first church was the Presbyterian, known today as the Christian Union church. The Methodist church was first intended as a community building but was turned over to the Methodist people during construction. there were others --- Swedish Lutheran and Swedish Baptist --- but they have been gone for many years. The Latter Day Saints church is still in use, and so is the Presbyterian church constructed in later years.
There was a one-room school house when the Vorhies family arrived in Lucas. Another story was added to the building when coal miners moved into the town and a four-room structure was erected where the present school building now stands. One of the first teachers was Mary Gilison of Chariton. Early principals included Harry Quickenden, Will Knotts, Gomer Evans, H.L. Byers, Hugh Mames and Emerson Wells.
The brick opera house, destroyed by a fire a few years ago, was built by Absalom Knotts in 1880. The brick was obained from a kiln south of Lucas on the farm where Sherman Manley now lives.
"During the sixty-five years I have lived in Lucas I have seen the town have several booms. Now it seems that such a thing could not again happen, but who knows?" Mrs. Vorhies optimistically queried.
"It seems like a dream," she said, "that we had jewelry stores, millinery shops, bakeries, several restaurants, two drug stores, three general stores, an undertaking establishment, furniture store, barber shops and everything that goes into making a town, good and bad.
"I have," she concluded, "many pleasant memories and many said ones, as all my old friends are now dead."
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Mrs. Vorhies, whose husband's name was James Penman Vorhies, had more birthdays to observe and died during 1944 at the age of 97. Clarissa and J.P. are buried in the Chariton Cemetery.
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