By.....Roy M. Moore
Riverside Farms is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Roy M. Moore, with their two children, Michael Kelly and Miriam Alfarata. They reside on the farm which was formerly the home of Roy's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elias V. Moore. The farm consisting of seventy acres is located one and one half miles west of Norway, Kansas and is part of the homestead of Charles Rogers. Three tracts have been added to the original. Now Riverside Farms consists of about four hundred acres bordering the west side of the Republican River. These additions are from the homesteads of Benjamin Bowley and Phillip Mahar in section twenty and twenty-nine.
Mrs. Moore, the former Mildred Viola Kelly, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Kelly of Montrose, Kansas. She attended Kansas University and taught school before her marriage. Michael and Miriam are students in the Courtland High School and are both looking forward to a college education. Roy graduated from Norway High School in the class of 1925 and is still living on the same farm where he was born in February of 1907.
Roy, with his son, is engaged in general farming and the production of registered Hereford cattle. On this farm a strict conservation program has been practiced for many years. Probably one of the first terraces in Republic County was constructed by Elias Moore more than fifty years ago. Today, there almost three miles of terraces, fourteen ponds, one-half mile of river bank stabilization and nearly a mile of levees. More than a hundred acres of crop land has been seeded to grass. Soil conservation has been their most profitable enterprise. They are proud to state their entire program has been accomplished without the assistance of any governmental agency.
Near the south boundary of Riverside Farms a large bluff lies parallel to the river. This is a popular picnic and camp site. Here children and adults alike have spent many happy hours in search of shark's teeth and fossils. On the limestone and sandrock walls are carved scores of names, some dating back well into the last century. Probably the only coal mine in Norway Township was located in the side of this bluff. About 1880 a man named Peter Petersen, who owned the farm at that time, hired some miners from Minersville to sink a shaft. A small vein of coal was discovered but due to the large amount of water encountered the operation was discontinued.
A short distance from the bluff is an area where many Indian arrowheads, pieces of chipped flint and beads have been found. The early settlers tell of a large pile of stone, known as an Indian guide, located at this point. These guides were built on the higher hills within sight of each other and served as trailer markers for the Indians.
Today, the thickly wooded river banks and grass covered hills of Riverside Farms furnish cover for the many kinds of wildlife common to this area. Occasionally they see a large buck silhouetted on a hilltop or a doe and fawn browsing in a grassy clearing.
The Moores enjoy life on Riverside Farms and hope that each successive generation will leave it in better shape than they found it.
Roy, with his son, is engaged in general farming and the production of registered Hereford cattle. On this farm a strict conservation program has been practiced for many years. Probably one of the first terraces in Republic County was constructed by Elias Moore more than fifty years ago. Today, there almost three miles of terraces, fourteen ponds, one-half mile of river bank stabilization and nearly a mile of levees. More than a hundred acres of crop land has been seeded to grass. Soil conservation has been their most profitable enterprise. They are proud to state their entire program has been accomplished without the assistance of any governmental agency.
Near the south boundary of Riverside Farms a large bluff lies parallel to the river. This is a popular picnic and camp site. Here children and adults alike have spent many happy hours in search of shark's teeth and fossils. On the limestone and sandrock walls are carved scores of names, some dating back well into the last century. Probably the only coal mine in Norway Township was located in the side of this bluff. About 1880 a man named Peter Petersen, who owned the farm at that time, hired some miners from Minersville to sink a shaft. A small vein of coal was discovered but due to the large amount of water encountered the operation was discontinued.
A short distance from the bluff is an area where many Indian arrowheads, pieces of chipped flint and beads have been found. The early settlers tell of a large pile of stone, known as an Indian guide, located at this point. These guides were built on the higher hills within sight of each other and served as trailer markers for the Indians.
Today, the thickly wooded river banks and grass covered hills of Riverside Farms furnish cover for the many kinds of wildlife common to this area. Occasionally they see a large buck silhouetted on a hilltop or a doe and fawn browsing in a grassy clearing.
The Moores enjoy life on Riverside Farms and hope that each successive generation will leave it in better shape than they found it.
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