At one time, it could boast of two churches; a
school house; Odd Fellows Hall; two general stores, - one operated by Charlie
Ferguson, later by Lewis Ashby; the other one by Tom Nelson; a blacksmith shop,
by James Benway grandfather of Mrs. Roy (Elsie) Cook of Chariton; drift coal
mines; half a dozen houses scattered about; mines; a barber shop operated by
Roger Martin; a granite boulder the size of a small house wantonly blasted to
bits when the farm-to-market road went through; and last but not least, Aunt
Kate Cackler’s sorghum pan – 10 ft. long, 3 ft.. wide and 10 inches deep. Mrs. William Curtis states that people came
from miles around to have Aunt Kate make their sorghum.
The Lacona Ledger of October 16, loaned to
this writer by Mrs. Robert Willets, features Aunt Kate's molasses in its
"Peach Valley News" column stating that Aunt Kate and her son Ted had
made 490 gallons that fall. Then as now,
Fuller's Earth was used to clarify and make it more like honey. There were taffy pull parties and sleigh
rides and the most popular driver was the one who could affect the most "spill"
in the largest snow banks.
Setting Up the Altars
Since time began people have felt the need to
worship a Divine Being. Noah, as soon as
he had evacuated the Ark, "built an Altar unto the Lord and offered burnt
sacrifices on the Altar". A study
of our pioneers shows that they were no less diligent than the Patriarchs and
even as they unloaded their covered wagons they were planning to hold regular
worship services in their log cabins until they could build their proper
altars. In 1853 the United Brethren and
the Presbyterians formed their regular "Societies" and a little later
the Methodists also organized – each with less than a dozen members.
Pioneers
"They rise to mystery of rain and snow
They go like soldiers grimly into strife
To colonize the plain.
They plow and sow and fertilize the sod
With their own life
As did the Indian and the buffalo"
Hamlin Garland
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