The Norman Milling Company, named after my grandfather Robert Elias Norman, he was known as “Ellie”. His father died when he was eight years old. He worked, supported his mother and siblings and self- taught himself to read and write. He became a blacksmith in Palma, Ky., married Lula Philley, they had one son Glenn, and two daughters Mary Emma , my mother and Reba. At some point they moved to Calvert City, Ky. I am not sure if he started the mill or if he bought it as a going concern. He also owned a grocery in Calvert. Lawrence Solomon, my father married Mary Emma Norman, they worked in Detroit, Mi. for 8 – 10 years before moving to Calvert City, where dad and grand- father Norman went into business together at the mill. Granddad and Grandmother Norman lived in a house next to and East of the mill. We lived next to them and the John Wallaces were on the other side. The mill was powered by a single cylinder 37.5 horse- power Fairbanks and Norse diesel engine. This powered the mill with (AC) alternating current electricity. The mill, the Nor- man’s and our house plus granddads gro- cery had the only AC electricity in Calvert City at this time. As kids the mill was a lot of fun for my brother Ray and me. We could play hide and seek in the mill and sometimes the workers would toss us up on top of the sacks of grain. Few farmers had trucks, most brought their grain usually wheat or corn to the mill in mule or horse drawn wagons. Some sold their grain other traded for flour and cattle feed. When grain was brought to the mill it would be weighted on the big drive on scale before and after unloading. A sample of grain would be measured out and weighed on a brass scale to mea- sure the moisture content this determined the price paid for the grain. I still have this scale. It is made of brass and survived the fire. Norman Milling Co. was best known for its flour, called Nomco Flour. The flour was tested all the time by mother and a Mrs. Mofield. We sure ate a lot of good biscuits. Sometimes a poor family needed help and they would give them flour and ask the lady to give them a report on the flour. At the time of the 1937 flood, I was eight years old, and we had gone to live with Granddad and Grand- mother Solomon as our house had water in it. The Normans went to Palma, KY, the mill was closed. The part of the mill where the bags of grain were stored was believed to be above the flood water, but the water got about 2 or 3 inches deep and got the grain wet. These sacks fermented and started the fire that destroyed the mill. I remember my Dad coming to tell Mom about the fire, his face and clothes were black with smoke and ashes. They were hugging and crying as he told her it was all gone. The milling company had fire insurance but since it was determined the fire was caused by the flood, they paid nothing. After the flood water receded and they cleaned up the fire mess, Grandad Norman went to the gro- cery store but after four or five years sold to Mr. (Harry) Harrell and bought a farm in Palma, where he died December 20, 1952 while I was in Korea. Dad borrowed $500.00 and Earl Harris of Harris Electric of Paducah rebuilt the generator and eleven busi- nesses and indi- viduals agreed to buy electricity and Rural Electric Service Company was started. The first customers were Mr. and Mrs. John Wallace, Dr. (L.E.) Smith and his office was in his house, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Ford and Ford Grocery, Dr. (W.T) Little and his office which was in a separate building, Calvert Bank, Post Office, Mr. Lee Cox and The Cox Grocery and a barber shop. As the customer base grew, more power was need- ed, a two-cylinder Fairbanks and Morse 65 horsepower engine was purchased. The pistons were 22 inches in diameter. The base for it to sit on and the bolts to hold it in place had to be prepared before it arrived. The engine arrived by rail car. It was exciting to see the men unload and place the engine on its base. It took several days to unload and place the engine on its base, they built a pad of cross ties up to the bed of the rail car, then covered the pad with 2 X 12 planks. Rope pulleys were attached to the engine on both sides some to pull forward and some to hold back. Once everything was ready, they jacked the engine up enough to place round steel bars under it to make it move. It took several days to move the engine and place it on its pad which was eight feet thick. This process was repeated two more times with a 189 horsepower Cummins diesel and another Fairbanks and Morse four-cylinder 165 horsepower engine. As the power company grew, Dad started buying
