Mrs. C.C. Berry – Surviving The 1859 Tornado.

As the old saying goes – when life hands you a bunch of lemons – make lemonade. So it was with Calista Clarinda Worden Berry – known around Johnson County as Mrs. C.C. Berry.

* historical records are not consistent – C.C. Worden was born in either 1925 or 1926, and her father – Nathaniel Worden – died in either 1841 or 1849.

Calista C. Worden was born in Cattaraugus County, New York on March 19, 1826* – the daughter of Nathaniel Worden (1802–1849*) and Calista Stacy (1803–1898). The Wordens had five daughters – Sarah P. (1823), Calista C. (1826), Esther L. (1829), Lucy M. (1832), and Ann Ursula (1835) – and one son – Edward N. (1827). Details are not clear on how the Worden family chose to live in Johnson County, but historical records do indicate that C.C. arrived in 1839 – just as Iowa City was coming into existence. Her father – Nathaniel – died in Illinois in the 1840’s, but in the 1850 U.S. Census – C.C.’s mother – Calista Stacy Worden – and four of C.C.’s siblings – Edward, Esther, Lucy, & Ursula – are living here in Johnson County. Which brings us, now, to C.C., and why – in 1850 – she is not living with the rest of her Worden family…

Three years after arriving in Johnson County, Calista C. Worden – age 16/17 – married Jesse Berry on April 14, 1842.

Jesse Berry was born to Henry & Phebe McGuire Berry in Rockingham County in Virginia around 1814, and just like his young bride, arrived here in 1839. Interestingly, Jesse – who was a farmer – also became Iowa City’s first school teacher, building our very first school house in Block 84 (see map above) – just a short walk from Walter Butler’s Capitol (see below) which served as the Iowa Territorial Capitol Building during the 1841/1842 Legislative Session. Read more here. Could it be that the 28-year-old school master met his future wife as she was finishing up her schooling here in Iowa City? Hmm – curious minds want to know.

Arriving here from Franklin County, Indiana in 1839, Jesse Berry had his hands in many early building projects of Johnson County. Besides building the first school and serving as its first school master (see above), Berry also helped design the first county jail in 1841 (see below left), and was elected – in 1842 – to be Johnson County’s first recorder (see below right).

In the 1850 U.S. Census (below), we find our pioneer couple – Jesse & C.C. Berry – living in District 9 of Iowa City. According to this census – taken September 10, 1850 – Jesse is age 35 and Calista is 25, with two children – Phebe (1843) – age 7, and Henry N. (1844) – age 5. From family records, we know that there was one more son – George L. – born later that same month – September 1850.

And as we mentioned earlier, the Worden family – in 1850 – is living here in Iowa City as well – Above we see C.C.’s mother – Calista – age 47, her brother – Edward (farmer) – age 23, and her 3 younger sisters – Esther – age 21, Lucy Maria – age 18, and Ursula – age 15.

Here’s the **1856 Census Record from Johnson County**, Iowa. It shows **Jesse & C.C.** (Clarinda) with daughter **Phebe**, sons **Henry** & **George**, plus three boarders – who live with the Berrys *and possibly help with the farm*.

As we report elsewhere, on Tuesday evening, May 24, 1859 – between the hours of 6 and 7 pm – a massive tornado swept through Johnson County. In that disaster, Jesse Berry – who was working on the family farm that was located about seven miles east of Iowa City – and one of his laborers – Mr. McCoy – died from their injuries when the barn they were taking shelter in collapsed. Jesse & C.C.’s oldest son – Henry Nathaniel – was working on the farm that day as well, suffering serious – but not life-threatening – injuries. Below is a full account of the tragedy from the June 1, 1859 Iowa City Republican…

*Read a full account of the 1859 Tornado with artwork provided by Iowa City photographer Isaac A. Wetherby.*

Sadly, Jesse Berry was only 45 years old when he died, leaving his wife C.C. and three children – Phebe, Henry and George. It’s at this point when Calista’s only brother – Edward N. Worden – began serving his extended family in countless ways over the next two decades. Records indicate that the Berry family – with the help of Edward – sold the farm outside the city (see above) but kept the homestead on College Street (see below) – the land where the first school house was built.

One newspaper story (above) reported that C.C. Berry – soon after her husband’s death – built and operated – what would eventually become – the Hagen House on the College Street property (above) – which also included a large stable, becoming one of Iowa City’s popular stopover spots until the turn-of-the-century.

The 1860 U.S. Census (above) shows Calista (spelled Keleste) – age 35, daughter Phebe – age 17, sons Henry – age 15, and George – age 9, plus Edward Worden – age 32, and John Leving – age 23. Note that Edward is now a surveyor in Johnson County, and from other census records, he also kept a residence back in his home state of New York over the next 20+ years.

In Calista Berry’s photograph album are these wonderful pictures of her two sons – Henry (left) & George (right). For more pictures from this rare album click here.

As you can see from the U.S. Census reports (above), by 1870 – with sons Henry & George now on their own – C.C. and Phebe are still living together – while Edward is still in the Iowa City area – living in a separate location, but still, obviously, assisting his sister as needed.

As we mentioned earlier, Jesse & C.C. Berry had three children – Phebe, Henry Nathaniel, and George. By 1880, Henry – a farmer – was making quite a name for himself in local politics. The 1880 U.S. Census (above) indicates that Henry & his wife Amanda (Maude) are living in Iowa City with their four children – Jesse, Harry, Mable & Arthur. Note that Uncle Edward Worden is now living with the Berry family as well. Below, C.C. – now age 55 – is still going strong – living & working in the Hagen House on College Street – the boarding house she built after Jesse’s death in 1859.

The 1900 U.S. Census shows us that C.C. moved from her long-time home in Iowa City to Cloud Chief in Washita County, Oklahoma where her son Henry and his family are now living.

In a short note – dated August 9, 1899 – addressed to the Old Settlers Association (OSA) of Johnson County, Henry and C.C. send their regrets for not being able to attend the August 17th, 1899 annual gathering held at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.

A review of OSA yearbooks find that C.C. Worden Berry, the entire Berry family, and C.C.’s brother – Edward N. Worden were long-time friends of the Old Settlers Association of Johnson County, attending many of the reunions in the latter part of the 19th century.

Above (bottom left) is a picture taken at the 1886 OSA Reunion – note that C.C.’s family circled her face in the picture! Another intriguing photo (above right) from C.C.’s collection is the James Photography Studio cabinet card taken sometime around 1900. The picture features Edward N. Worden (seated) and – we believe – his friend – Newton C. Butler – who is the grandson of Iowa City’s infamous pioneer – Walter Butler.

This rare photograph (circa 1900-1906) of the Henry N. Berry family was taken sometime after they arrived in Oklahoma. Sitting – left to right are Henry Nathaniel Berry, **Calista Clarinda (CC) Worden Berry**, and Jeremiah Swafford Minick (Henry & Maude Berry’s son-in-law). Standing is daughter – Mabel (Berry) Minick, and Henry’s wife – Maude Amanda (Alt) Berry.

Ruth Ann Easter – our main contributor to this page – adds these notes…

“It’s hard to see, but the little girls inside the house with cute dresses on, are my grandmother and her sister(s). They were the last children born in Johnson County, Iowa, before the move to Oklahoma. Grandma Alice Dorothy (Minick) Sutton never let us forget where she was from. She also always made us understand that the Minick name was spelled with one “n”. Her mother, Mabel (Berry) Minick (pictured above) went to college in Iowa, which was rare for women of that time period. Mabel educated her daughters, too. They were all incredibly intelligent women of their era. And, true pioneers of the Oklahoma frontier, too.’

Calista Clarinda Worden Berry without a doubt was a true survivor! Living to the ripe old age of 79/80, C.C. passed away on February 19, 1906 and is buried at Lawnview Cemetery in Cordell of Washita County, Oklahoma. C.C.’s faithful brother – Edward N. Worden – died three years later – on January 22, 1909, in Clayton of Jefferson County, New York, at the age of 82. Sadly, at this writing, no burial records for Edward have been found.

In closing, allow me to share a bit more about the nearly-unspeakable struggles C.C. and her extended Worden/Berry family experienced over a span of three generations (1859-1909). In an article published in the January 27, 1909 edition of The Iowa City Republican, we find all the heart-breaking details…

Godspeed – Jesse & Calista Clarinda Worden Berry – Godspeed!

Click here to access our list of stories of those who have made a difference in this call for Unity Through Diversity…

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**May 24, 1859 – The Johnson County Tornado** **killed five people – including Iowa City’s first schoolmaster – Jesse Berry.**

Kudos to the amazing resources below for the many quotes, photographs, etc. used on this page.

A special thanks to Ruth Ann Easter & Deanna (Sutton) Cooley Clark for their contributions to this page. Family photographs from the Calista Clarinda (Worten) Berry Family Photo Album Collection are used by permission of Deanna (Sutton) Cooley Clark and Ruth Ann Easter – keepers of the repository.

Nathaniel Worden & family, FamilySearch.org

First School, History of Johnson County, Iowa – 1883, p 381

History of Johnson County, Iowa Schools, IAGenWeb-Johnson County

The First School House Is Torn Down, Iowa City Weekly Republican, May 13, 1891, p 7

First County Jail, History of Johnson County, Iowa – 1883, p 220

Democratic Nominations, Iowa Capitol Reporter, July 9, 1842, p 2

Jesse Berry & family – 1850 U.S. Census, Ancestry.com

Catista Worden & family – 1850 U.S. Census, FamilySearch.org

Particulars of the Whirlwind Or Water Spout, Iowa City Republican, June 1, 1859, p 2

Berry Administrator’s Sale, Weekly Iowa State Reporter, August 17, 1859, p 3

Edward N. Worden, FamilySearch.org

Jesse Berry Family, 1856 Census, Ancestry.com