Nuggets of History

About the Book

So often readers lay aside the long story of history but will read 2-4 paragraphs about a historical subject. With that in mind, the author approached an editor at the Hampton Chronicle, Ray Baltes, with an idea for writing short stories on the history of Franklin County. He was receptive to the idea, and said the Chronicle would publish them. So this book isn’t one long continuous story, but is, instead, a collection of short stories—Nuggets of History about the settling and growth of rural Franklin County, Iowa. They range from the day the first settlers walked into the area; through its progress to the prosperous farming community it is today. As the author collected accounts from her mother, and her own experiences of being raised during the Great Depression, these stories capture a picture of the growth and changes of one small area of Iowa.

About the Author

The author Birdell Paine Butson is the fifth generation of her mother’s family to live in Reeve Township, Franklin County Iowa. She attended the one room rural school called McKensie. After the rural school days, she graduated from Hampton High School and attended Iowa State Teacher’s College.