Iva Pearl Emerson Dahlgren Part I

Iva Dahlgren - Christmas 1957

The following is extracted from:
100 Years by, William Dahlgren
(This history was written with
assistance from his sisters Elsia,
Esther, Mary and Naomi)

"Iva’s father’s name was Alfred A. Emerson and her mother was Mary.  (Iva’s) grandfather was named Russell Emerson, born (13 April 1827)…in Bath, New York.”

“We are quite sure that Iva’s great-grandfather, Charles, had fought in the War of 1812 and as a veteran was eligible to buy land in what is known as the Western Reserve.  The Western Reserve stretched from Connecticut through New York and into Ohio.  Alfred’s father, (Robert) Russell, used this grant to buy land in upstate New York in a town called Painted Post.  The land cost him one dollar per acre.  They farmed the land and flourished and it is where Iva’s life begins.”

“(Iva’s mother) was born Mary Adelaid Ward (or Grey), a Welsh woman from Ithica, New York.  Together they bore nine children, three boys and six girls.  Iva was born (June 25 1895)  at Painted Post, New York.  The names of the other children in the order of their age were, (Cora) Edith, Blanche, Maude, Nelson, Amos, Ward, Iva and Celia.”

“The trail of the family is a bit vague at this point but we do know that they moved from Painted Post into Bath, New York and then, while Iva was rather young, moved again into Pennsylvania…”

“The family settled in a small town called Tainters, a short distance from Bradford, Pennsylvania.  The town was nestled in the hills of Pennsylvania complete with cool fresh air, mountain springs and access to Bradford which was prospering from the oil industry.  Tainters itself was not involved with oil but was a lumbering town which made its way by selling lumber and (byproducts)….”

“(Iva’s father) Alfred set up a saw mill in his new home and began building the business. The sawmill was run with team-driven equipment powered with wood.  The trees were cut with axes and crosscut saws.  Horses were used to drag the trees from the woods…At the same time, Iva’s mother, Mary, was the community midwife.  It was a strong family undertaking requiring each to make their contribution with skill and long hours of work.  As I reflect on this period in my mother’s life, I remember detecting a feeling of peace and fond memories as she would talk about those days.  It was a simple, but hard life where a child could grow and gain strength from a stable family unit.”

Kinzua Bridge - this bridge crossed the valley by Tainters and Painted Post.  Family stories indicate that Iva, her  brothers, and sisters crossed the bridge on foot to get to school.  They also learned how to climb down unto the trestles in case they were on the bridge whenever a train came along.

“While Tainters was a small town, it did have a one-room schoolhouse which the children attended.  The classes were oriented to the basics and as the families needed the children for household chores the class schedule often reflected the availability of the children…Iva attended school in Tainters like the others, starting we assume about 1900.  We are not certain how long Iva attended school, but assume it was through the eighth grade.  It was during this time that her character was formed…The lifestyle in the hills and the family upbringing would instill the following qualities in each member of the family.  They, above all, would be self-reliant with a profound sense of responsibility.  As a result, they were also strong-willed with an (impeccable) work ethic.  The quality that pulled all of them together was a (deep) sense of moral values…By the time Iva was out of school, we assume 1908, her character was formed and she would face the world and her life in this manner.”

Part II coming...