NORWAY TOWNSHIP

Township valuation:  $1,282,613  The 1961 population of Norway Township, including Norway Village, is 324--a loss of eight.

There are 20 kinds of soil (Bedrock) in Norway Township.  Bottom land--Republican River Valley (20%).  Land is rolling or river bottom.  Terrace or Second Bottom.

1. Detroit silty clay loam-1% of total area
2. Detroit silt loam-2% total area
3. Muir-5% total area
4. Canadian loam-1% total area
5. Unnamed-tentative name-Norway-3% of total area*

Average rainfall is 26½ inches.  Average temperature 53° F.  Temperature -31° F. to 115° F.  78% of the rainfall comes during the six-month period from April 1st to September 30th.  Latest spring freeze on record, May 24, 1924.  Earliest fall freeze September 20, 1918.  Prevailing wind direction--south.

Two thousand acres or 13% of Norway Township land is irrigated.  Irrigation wells are on the following farms: Harold Hammer, Iver Hammer, Leslie Stensaas, Milton Stensaas, C. B. Stensaas, Lloyd Blosser, Karen Ross, John Graham, Martin Blosser, E. A. Carlgren, Martin Larson, P. Arands, Harry Buer, Clarence Herrman, Archie Brewer and the Sanborne farm.  Some of these farms have more than one well.  Swen Larson has a well and he is also in the Bostwick project.  Roy Moore has several ponds in his pasture land.

All the machinery used by farmers is modern.  Some use horses and mules, but the also use tractors.

Telephones:  The Southwestern Bell Telephone Company supplies the telephones.

Electricity:  The Western Light and Telephone Company and Rural Electrification Association supplies the electricity

No natural gas is supplied.  Liquified petroleum (Propane gas) or electricity for cooking, propane or fuel oil for heating. 

There are 72 miles of county roads.  Six miles of state road, twenty-four miles gravel and thirty-two miles of mail routes.

Poultry:  Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and guineas.

Livestock: Beef cattle, milk cows, hogs, sheep horses and mules.

Crops:  Corn, wheat, barley, oats, sorghum, rye, alfalfa and wild hay.  Also fruits and vegetables.

Norway Township was organized April 3, 1871 at that time the following officers were appointed:  J. B. Burk, clerk; John Hill, trustee; Noble Rodgers, treasurer, and Sivert Lehn, road overseer.  All homesteaders.  The Township Board in 1961: Myron Reed, chairman; Myron Kellogg, trustee, and Russell Fraser, treasurer.

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* Sandy loam soil, suitable for all crops common to the valley, good corn soil down river from Scandia, (vegetables) responds to nitrogen, lime not needed.