Norman MELROSE

1854 - 1922  (67 years)

• Name	Norman MELROSE
  Birth	28 Feb 1854	Edwards County, Illinois
  Gender	Male
  Education	University of Michigan  [1]
  Death	2 Feb 1922
  Person ID	I22	James Melrose
  Last Modified	8 Apr 2025

  
  

  Father	William MELROSE,   b. 28 Mar 1815, Wood County, West Virginia d. 20 Mar 1888, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA (Age 72 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Nancy MICHELS,   b. 30 Apr 1815, Kennebec County, Maine d. 18 Jan 1900, Acton, Los Angeles County, California (Age 84 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	6 Oct 1836	Edwards County, Illinois
  Notes	In the 1850's William and Nancy moved to Iowa where William's brother John Solomon Melrose and sisters Mary (Melrose) Hanna and Rebeckah B. (Melrose) Virden had moved in 1845. This group first settled at, and were founders of Waterloo, Iowa. Later John Solomon moved to Goldfield in Wright County and operated a store there. William and Nancy Melrose later moved to California.
  Family ID	F13	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Florence COOK
  Family ID	F18	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	8 Apr 2025

  
  

• Photos

  NORMAN_2.jpg

  
  

• Notes

  Norman Melrose is the subject in the legendary story of the Melrose Broome shootout. Several accounts portray Norman as a newcomer to Acton arriving from Kentucky with a 'Go West young man' contengent. (Acton Rooster abt. 1986) In these same accounts, Wiliam Broome was said to be a "leading citizen of Acton". However, in actuality, five branches of the Melrose family migrated from Iowa and began to settle in Acton from 1886 through 1888. The Broome family, on the other hand, did not make their home in Acton until January of 1903. The same year of the legendary feud. The outcome of which was the death of William Broome and the beginning of several murder trials for Norman Melrose. Norman hired famous attorney, Earl Rogers in his defense. Norman was tried, according to written account, three times, all with the result of a hung jury. However, according to the murder weapon (an old yellow handled Smith & Wesson revolver) there are four file marks along it's barrell. Marks made by the courts for each time the revolver was used as evidence.

  
  

• Sources

  [S3] Meryl Adams, Heritage Happenings, (Name: Kimberly Press, Inc. Goleta, California 1988;), 30. "George and Norman received advanced study: George Melrose at Cornell, Norman Melrose at University Michigan."