LANDMARKS IN NORWAY TOWNSHIP

A small stone house S.W.4 Sec. 21 where Harold Hammer now lives -- This was Sivert Lehn's homestead and the Lehn family and Erickson family both lived here in the pioneer days.  Loyd Blosser owns this land now and has restored the house and plans to keep it as a pioneer landmark.  Ole Erickson now deceased was the son of the Erickson mentioned above.

The stone house on the north side of the State Highway 148 just west of the main street in Norway.  It was built by Gust Nelson in 1874 before Norway was plotted.  It was his home and also his store, the first in Norway.  It is now owned by Chas. Blosser and is in good repair and used as a home.

A stone quarry and a lime kiln in the pasture on the Q. A. Kelly Estate in Sec. 13.  The stone in the house nearby on this farm was taken from the quarry and the lime was also burned there.

Cedar Ridge east of Norway on State Highway 148.  This farm was a timber claim and had a home, other buildings, several kinds of trees besides cedars and an orchard.  The buildings were destroyed by fire and never rebuilt.  The orchard survived for many years but dry weather, sometimes both summers and winters, finally destroyed it.  Even now persons in giving directions say, "East of Cedar Ridge or a certain distance west of Cedar Ridge."  Cedar Ridge is still a landmark.

Oakdale Cemetery on the Anton Hanson farm where Homer Christensen now lives is a pioneer cemetery in the S.W.4  21 and with pioneers resting under Virgin Sod since 1872.

Dr. W. Scott's pioneer home, part dugout and part frame on his homestead is in the N.W.4 of Sec. 30.--His grove is where so many picnics--political, religious, school, old settlers, and 4th of July--have been held.

Valley Cemetery in the S.W.4 Sec. 21 also with pioneers resting under Virgin Sod since 1872.

The site of the sawmill rented from the Scandinavian Company in 1870-1871 and placed on the Merica homestead just north of the present river bridge.  Another site where this same mill was in operation was on the Nordmark farm near the Norway-Scandia Township line.  Many pioneers had cottonwood lumber sawed there.

Mead's Ford was a mile and a quarter south of the present Norway bridge with the trail across Roy Moore's south farm.

A few peach trees from pioneer times may be seen on the Daniel David homestead in the Sec. 33 now owned by Milton Stensaas.

Faint marks may be seen on the farm of the late J. A. Brewer in Section 28 across from the Valley Cemetery.  This is the Ft. Riley-Ft. Kearney mail and stage route from Junction City through Ft. Sibley.  Delivered mail to the McCathron Post Office in 1870 and Ole Tiller's Post Office in 1876 and on to Scandia and into Nebraska.

There is a two room stone house build in 1868 in Sec. 30 that is now part of a home there.  The Lehns and Ericksons lived there.  Ole Erickson was a grandson.

The Rodger's ford was 300 yds. north of the present bridge and was used more than the Mead's ford.

A lime kiln and a stone quarry on the P. O. Larson estate in Sec. 18--All the stone for their home was quarried there and all the lime burned in the lime kiln.  Their trees furnished the wood for the fuel.