It all started on November 13, 1928 when a group of Norwood women met to organize and form a chorus club. The objectives of the club were to improve themselves, and to foster and maintain a desirable community.
The next year, in 1929, the group voted to add a study club to the organization and became members of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service, and later became the Norwood Federated Women’s Club.
The Norwood Federated Women’s Club contributed many things to the community throughout the years to help improve the lives of Wright’s Mesa residents. Through holiday activities they raised funds to bring in a doctor and a hospital, along with many other things benefiting the community, and carried on the tradition of Pioneer Day throughout the years.
Making Wright’s Mesa A Better Place To Live
Throughout the years the women of the club worked on many projects to improve their community and help make Wright’s Mesa a better place to live. In 1938, the chorus and study club tasked themselves with the project of bringing the first library to Norwood.
The cabin used to house the library was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Steve Herndon, and was moved from their homestead on Oak Hill to its present location on Lucerne Street next to Norwood’s current History Museum. The club had later purchased the land on the corner of Lucerne and Summit Streets where they would later place the library building. The one-room library was furnished with homemade wooden shelves, painted bright red. The women took turns volunteering to run the library, and it became a source of pride for the community of Norwood over the years.
When the old Log Cabin went up for sale in 1939, the club purchased the cabin for $50. Club members, school children and community members all banded together to help dismantle the logs, move them to the cabin’s new site and build it back together again. Money was donated to purchase new doors and windows, as the fireplace and chimney were rebuilt. The women of the club maintained the cabin often by doing the chinking between the logs. The Old Log Cabin currently sits next to the former library and serves as Norwood’s History Museum.
Pioneer Day Throughout The Years
1935
The study club championed the first pioneer festival in 1935. As tradition continues today, there was a parade in the morning, followed by a chuck wagon dinner at noon featuring hillbilly music and songs by five local men dressed as cowboys who arrived on scene in the chuck wagon.
Also in 1935, the club acquired a stagecoach from Telluride Transfer, which they housed in a club member’s barn. The stagecoach had previously been used in Telluride as a school bus as well as to carry passengers from the train depot to hotels.
1935
1939
In 1939, the Norwood Ladies Chorus and Study Club repaired and painted the stagecoach and debuted it during the Pioneer Day Parade, where to this day, it continues to serve as a carriage for royalty and their families on Pioneer Day.
1939
1942, 1943 & 1944
Pioneer Day celebrations were put on hold during World War II, and there were no festivities in 1942, 1943 and 1944. However, that didn’t stop the women from keeping busy. They continued to work, gathering materials needed for the war.
1942, 1943 & 1944
1950
Once the war was over, Pioneer Day continued on, and in 1950 a kitchen and restrooms were added to the Log Cabin so that the Pioneer Day chuck wagon dinner could be prepared more efficiently.
1950
1952
To celebrate Wright’s Mesa’s homesteaders and pioneer families (old-timers as the locals refer to them), nominating Pioneer Day royalty became a tradition. In 1952 the first Pioneer Day Queen, Anne Snyder along with Judy Oliver and Nadyne Mock were honored. These ladies were chosen from among Norwood’s high school students and the community voted for their favorite pick by placing pennies in donation jars at local businesses.
Anne Shaffer is the daughter of Lorna Swain and Neil Snyder. The Swains were one of the first families to settle in Paradox Valley, and Anne’s great grandfather Tom Swain had the first store in Paradox.
1952
1955
In 1955, Horace and Pearl Joseph were named Pioneer Day King and Queen. Horace was known throughout the communities as the pioneer child born in San Miguel County by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Joseph, who in 1886, was the first pioneer family to settle Wright’s Mesa.
1955
1964
In 1964, the governor of Colorado, Mr. John Love and his wife attended Norwood’s Pioneer Day celebration along with Congressman Wayne and Mrs. Aspinall. The Governor crowned the Pioneer Day Queen Mrs. Mary Wilson that year.
1964
1971
In 1971, the Norwood Chamber of Commerce hosted street games, the Norwood Study Club fed over 300 people during the famous Pioneer Day chuck wagon dinner, the Norwood firemen held a water fight between themselves and the Nucla-Naturita Fire department hosted a dance that evening.
1971
1972
In 1972, Pioneer Day Queen Louise (Palmer) Robinson and her family appeared on radio and television on September 29th.
1972
2004
In 2004, Doyle and Janet Ivine were named Norwood’s Pioneer Day King and Queen. In 1962 The Irvine’s, along with three other families, the Hodges, Herndon’s and Tessman’s opened one of the first ski areas in the region known to all as Ski Dallas, located on Dallas Divide between Placerville and Ridgway. Ski tickets were $1.25 per person per day or $5.00 for the whole family. Ski Dallas operated until 1976.
2004
Pioneer Day is held in commemoration of the brave men and women who endured the hardships of frontier life on Wright’s Mesa and around the region. It serves as a reminder to protect the foundation in which a present and prosperous future community might be laid.
Study Club members have dwindled over the years, but continue to maintain a presence in Norwood’s community by organizing the annual Pioneer Day celebrations on the last Saturday each September. The Town of Norwood, the Norwood Chamber of Commerce, the Rodeo Club and many other organizations come together each year to see to it that Pioneer Day tradition and festivities continue.
For more on the history of Norwood, Colorado, please visit our History of Norwood page!