Snapshot of History
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The old laundromat building in Mount Ayr in 2005.
I believe the last business in the old laundromat building was Mount Ayr Video which had its grand opening August 30, 1991. It was owned by Dan and Mona Rummans and the business moved to Highway 2 after a couple of years. Dave Chartrand opened a sports card shop next door in January 1992. This week we’ll look at the history of laundry and dry cleaning in Mt. Ayr.
L. C. Main and Charles Bitner operated the Star Laundry as early as 1895. The business changed hands frequently. I find the appearance of C. V. L. Thompson in 1897 and this is the first dry cleaners to my knowledge. Thompson, later assisted by his son, Earl, owned a tailor shop in Mount Ayr for many years. They also sold men’s clothing.
Ed Smith had a clothes cleaning and pressing business by 1908. In 1914, Charlie Chong and his cousin Ben Chong opened a laundry on North Taylor Street. Hand-cranked washing machines must have come into use as I see no mention of laundries after 1918.
C. V. L. Thompson & Son left in 1924 and T. J. Shonley took over their business. There was another clothing business at this time that I believe also did dry cleaning and that was Perry Dress Club. In 1930, the Beaman Brothers, Mike and Floyd, opened a dry cleaning business one half block east of the northeast corner of the square.
I believe their location was 111 E. Madison, the present location of Lefty’s, as my information has all the other buildings in that location occupied. Mike and Floyd “Brady” Beaman would move their business, Mount Ayr Cleaners, to the newly constructed building at 109 S. Fillmore in January 1932.
Ed Smith sold his clothes pressing business in 1930 and I failed to see it again. The Perry Dress Club moved to 105 W. Monroe and opened in December 1927 after their building at (ironically) 109 S. Fillmore was burned to the ground in February 1927.
Early in 1942, Mike Beaman was called to military service and Brady bought his brother’s interest in the firm. Perry Dress Club, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Earl Perry, was sold to Mr. and Mrs. George Farmer on January 1, 1947. Mrs. George Farmer was the former Leta “Jo” Davis. Their business would be called Fairway Cleaners. Also in 1947, Brady Beaman leased the Mt. Ayr Cleaners to employee George Jackson.
Jo Farmer married Whitey Wiseman in the 1950s and leased out her cleaners several times. I believe it closed in 1963. George Jackson bought the Mt. Ayr Cleaners from his former boss in 1955. Mr. Jackson passed away in 1976 and his shop never reopened. George’s slogan was, “Let George Do It.”
Someone told me there was another dry cleaners after 1976 but I know nothing about it. I’ll have to finish the history of Mount Ayr laundries at another time.
