Snapshot of History
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BY MIKE AVITT
Household appliances existed long before electricity came along. Sewing machines were a common household appliance 140 years ago and were powered by a treadle. The person operating the sewing machine pumped the treadle, providing power to the machine. Then came electricity.
Mount Ayr received electrical power in 1909, although it would be a few years before it was constant and safe. Of course, electrical appliances were in demand after that. A 1916 newspaper announces J. S. McMaster had installed an electric popcorn popper in his meat market at 110 W. Madison.
While many electrical appliances were still in the development stages, fans were a popular item in the 1920s. Radio was another highly sought-after appliance by the late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1928, Iowa Southern Utilities began selling Frigidaire refrigerators.
Iowa Southern Utilities sold appliances until 1994. Appliances were sold in hardware stores, furniture stores, and dry goods stores in pre-WWII Mount Ayr. After World War II, appliances could be purchased anywhere: gas stations, auto dealerships, farm implement dealerships, radio repair shops, clothing stores, shoe repair shops, feed stores, and other retail and service businesses. The first television set in Mount Ayr was a display model in Ted Marrs’ Radio Shop. The first residential TV set was owned by Dr. and Mrs. T. I. Moffet in February 1950. But Mount Ayr didn’t have a store devoted solely to appliances, except for radio shops.
Randy and Ruth McDonnell moved to Mount Ayr with their children in March 1974 from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Randy was district manager for Dakon farm equipment and both he and Ruth immediately got involved with community organizations. By the fall of 1975, Randy was selling and repairing Whirlpool appliances at Roe Implement. After six and one half years at Roe Imp., Randy and Ruth opened McDonnell Appliance at 102 E. Madison on April 22, 1982. Art Luckinbill had a radio shop here thirty years earlier.
On January 1, 1984, McDonnell Appliance moved to 119-121 S. Fillmore and is still here today.
I know of two other businesses that were in the McDonnell Appliance store. Judy Cunning opened The Brass Thimble on January 23, 1984 and closed in September 1990. Also, Shirley (Hightshoe) and Dave’s (Hardy) Computers opened on January 5, 1984 in the McDonnell Appliance store. They moved to their current location, 106 E. South Street in 2008.
Mr. and Mrs. Randy McDonnell, Jr. now own McDonnell Appliance so congratulations to them on their 40 year anniversary. The building they are in was built in 1891 for A. A. Huggins as a farm implement dealership. H. U. Greenlee of Bedford laid the brick. Mr. Greenlee also laid the brick on Morgan Waldeier’s building at 112 W. Madison (1891) Country Blossoms at 108 W. Madison (1893), MODA 106 at 106 W. Madison (1893), and Bill French’s building at 100 S. Taylor (1892).
