Snapshot of History
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BY MIKE AVITT
You can see how big the fertilizer building is compared to the depot and the grain elevator. I don’t know when this building was erected or torn down. But I know it was built on what used to be the depot park. I’m guessing this photo was taken about 1958.
The train at the depot consists of one motor, one boxcar, and two tankers. There is a boxcar on the sidetrack.
The concrete plant has not yet been built in this week’s photo. It opened in May 1968 with Gerald and Clair Smith as operators. The previous plant was located north of Stewart Tire on Ringgold Street.
Another reason I ran this picture is because the cattle lot on the north side of Columbus Street, across from the concrete plant, has been removed and the landscape has been graded. Dr. Keith Miller had used the lot for many years. There was a concrete stand on the lot that once held a large propane or anhydrous ammonia tank. In this week’s photo, there is a two-story house with out buildings on that same lot.
I can also see a petroleum storage facility in the top center of the picture.
Of course, the depot park has been restored but I remember the difficulty we had trying to get grass to grow in certain spots as we believe remnants of herbicides had tainted the soil. I would appreciate any information on the old fertilizer building.
Richard Pence asked me about the West Side Car Wash. Charles Swanson opened the car wash in August of 1972 and sold it to Pete Cavender in March 1973. The car wash was located a little south of Hilltop Veterinary Clinic. I don’t know when it closed.
The first power car wash in Mount Ayr was built by Keith Rogers and opened in September 1964. It was called Thrif-T Car Wash in the beginning and is still in operation next to Glendenning Motors.
The last car wash built in Mount Ayr was opened by Kelly and Terri Main. Splash & Dash had a ribbon-cutting in December 1998 and is located on Highway 2 East, next to Stephens Tire & Oil.
