Snapshot of History with Mike Avitt
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Mount Ayr’s Timby building circa 1920.
Thanks to Phil Freeland for this week’s photo. I won’t have the space to go into detail about the offices upstairs so I’ll just say many of Mount Ayr’s more well-known lawyers, dentists, and photographers had offices on the second floor at 100-102 W. Madison.
This building was constructed by William Timby in 1890 after a fire took out the frame buildings that previously occupied this address. One of Mount Ayr’s most successful retailers would operate here for many years.
John Rowell was the first occupant in January 1891 with his dry goods business. In only two weeks he sold out to Mr. Henderson and Montgomery Edward Freeland. M. E. Freeland bought out his partner in 1892, though he would have several more partners in the next twenty years. I don’t know how many years Freeland had both storefronts but in 1920, Luce’s Drug Store moved into the east half at 100 W. Madison.
Freeland moved to 114 W. Madison in 1933 after 42 years in the Timby building. Luce closed in the early 1930s.
R. E. Mayland opened a Ben Franklin Store at 102 W. Madison in 1934. He would stay until 1947 when P. M. Place bought him out and opened Place’s Dime Store. George Baldner opened a grocery store at 100 W. Madison in 1938 and sold to C. Eldon Price in 1948. In 1951, Price was bought out by Harry and E. F. Bisbey, but they only lasted one year.
In 1952, Place’s expanded into the double store I knew as a kid. Place’s moved to N. Fillmore Street in 1978 after 31 years in the Timby building.
Don and Edna Small opened Small’s Corral restaurant and lounge in 1980. Small’s was leased out a couple of times and then sold to James and Sarah Hanawalt in 2000. Pheasant Run restaurant opened here in 2001.
Bob Smith opened Smith’s Sports and Spirits at 104 W. Madison in 2003. He needed to expand and put a doorway in the wall so as to access 100-102 W. Madison. All of the restaurants that followed Smith’s also used the Timby building. Terry Howie remodeled the Timby building exterior about twenty years ago.
Phil Freeland, who loaned me the picture, is the son of John Freeland and John was the only child of M. E. Freeland and his second wife, Marge (Dowling) Freeland. John married Mary Hill, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. J. W. Hill. So, Phil had two very well-known and successful grandfathers in Mount Ayr.
Next week, we’ll look at 104-110 West Madison.
