Lena Nix, by Marie Templeton and the Rimrocker Historical Society.

This is part of an article from the San Miguel Forum October 8, 1975

Picture Credits: Lila Williams

Mrs. Lena Nix, Early Pioneer of the Norwood Area

Mrs. Lena Nix had many interesting recollections to tell of the Norwood area. Originally from Summerfield, Kansas, she came to Colorado in 1906, and lived in Montrose for a few years.

In 1909 Mrs. Nix, with her mother and father, came to live on a ranch outside of Norwood. Her first impression, of the Norwood area, was of a beautiful country and promising land.

She vividly remembers coming up Norwood Hill in a team and wagon. "I was never so frightened in my life," she said. "You can imagine a "flatlander" coming up that hill, with nothing to keep you from falling over. If you met another wagon it was real scary. My first trip down the hill in an auto terrified me, also. You sure prayed hard that you didn't meet anybody. I wouldn't have dreamed of driving it myself."

Mrs. Nix met her husband at a church function. They were married January 1, 1915.

As one of the early settlers in the area Mrs. Nix lived in harsh surroundings. She remembers that living conditions in her youth were often difficult.

To wash clothes she used a crank type washer, but later went "uptown" and used one with a treadle. For ironing she used three different sizes of flat irons, small, medium and large, and heated them on a coal range.

It was difficult to control the temperature in the oven on the coal range but, after burning your bread a time or two, you soon learned. Because there was no electricity canning was also a necessity. Everyone had a huge garden and canned both fruits and vegetables. Meat was also canned.

For flour, the grain was taken to Nucla. It was traded for flour called Baker's Joy. Norwood had a mill at one time but it burned down and was never rebuilt.

For medical attention, people went to Dr. Bollinger. He was the only doctor in the area.

Communications came to Norwood in the form of a wooden telephone that hung on the wall. In order to operate it you had to turn a crank. Mrs. Nix worked as a telephone operator for two years, under the supervision of Ada Hollet.

On September 26, 1975 Mrs. Nix was honored, as the first Norwood graduate, at the homecoming parade in Norwood. She attended the eleventh and twelfth grades in Norwood and graduated on May 24, 1912. Her graduation was held in the present Boy Scout building.