Norris, John W.

NORRIS

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 10/3/2008 at 16:20:45

John W. Norris

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.190, Neola Twp.)
John W. Norris, huckstering, Neola, was born in Penfield, Monroe Co., N. Y., September 20, 1824. His father, John Norris, was born in New Jersey May 3, 1778. When quite young, he went to New York State, where he was engaged in farming. In the spring of 1834, he moved to Michigan, where he died in 1862. Subject's mother, Mary (Hall) Norris, was born in New York State April 27, 1780, and died about 1834. She was the mother of thirteen children, of whom our subject is the youngest. Mr. Norris was a farmer for seventeen years, and then learned blacksmithing. After serving an apprenticeship of three years, he started a shop of his own in Nankin, Wayne Co., Mich., where he worked at his trade about three years, and then bought a farm on which he lived till about 1855. He then sold his first place, and bought another near Lansing, Mich., where he remained till 1863, then went to California, remained ten months, and returned to Michigan. In 1864, he sold his property in Michigan, and, coming to Iowa, located in Council Bluffs, and worked at blacksmithing two years; then, after farming in Harrison County for three years, he came to Neola, in September 1869, his being the first American family to settle in that place. Mr. Norris was married, in Nankin, Wayne Co., Mich., March 18, 1849, to Electa A. Greenman, born in New York State March 29, 1831, daughter of Hiram and Henrietta (Delong) Greenman; he, born March 23, 1799, died about 1861; she, born in New York State September 7, 1802, died in 1842. The children of this marriage are as follows: Hattie, born January 23, 1850, died September 13, 1852; George O., December 10, 1851, died September 13, 1852; Ida J., born July 21, 1853; Eva J., November 11, 1855, and Henrietta, July 12, 1860. After first settling in Neola, Mr. Norris worked at his trade one and a half years, then farmed six years, and in December, 1878, returned to Neola, where he has since followed huckstering. In politics, he is a Democrat.

[Note: According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary "huckster" means 1. to deal in or bargain over, 2. to promote by showmanship.]