West side of the Mount Ayr square in 2007.
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West side of the Mount Ayr square in 2007.
This week’s photo shows the facade of the Abstract & Title Co.at 115 S. Fillmore office being remodeled. Dr. T. I. Moffet erected this building in 1946.
Now back to 111 S. Fillmore, the current location of Ringgold Insurance Services. The Wilson Estate built this double storefront building in 1931 and the Mount Ayr Post Office moved here in January 1932. Leonard Rusk did the carpentry work and Leonard Kinder and Ollie Guthrie were the masons.
The post office left in 1940 for its new home and Rideta Electric Cooperative moved in during the summer of 1944.
It was necessary to erect new buildings on the west side of the square because of a fire in September 1927. The fire started in the Perry Dress Club at 109 S. Fillmore and spread both directions. The building south of Perry Dress Club was the former Masonic Temple and the building north was erected by R. M. Bowlby in 1898 and was occupied by W. N. Finch & Son. All were lost. A fire in February 1894 took out the five lots north of the Masonic Temple.
Across the alley south of the old Masonic Temple, at 113 S. Fillmore, was the tire and auto shop of E. M. Rosenbaum. Mr. Rosenbaum moved here in July 1923, Dellitt Thompson being the previous occupant. The tire shop wasn’t destroyed but had enough damage that Rosenbaum built new and opened in November 1927. In April 1937 he sold out to George Burnside. Dr, E. C. Sheumaker, a veterinarian, bought this building about December first 1939. REC bought the building from Dr. Sheumaker in October 1959. Bob Roe moved his insurance and real estate office from Hawkeye Bank to 113 S. Fillmore in August 1987 and Tyler Insurance bought the business in April 1998 after Bob’s passing.
As I said, Dr. Moffet built the office at 115 S. Fillmore in 1946 and he passed away in 1954. His wife Sylva continued to live in the apartment in the rear of the building until her passing and the front was occupied by attorneys Arlen Hughes and later Grant Hayes. Abstract & Title Co. opened here in the winter of 2005-06.
The Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce building, 117 S. Fillmore, was built in 1902 by Dr. William Horne. He had previously been located in a back room of his brother’s drug store. John Horne’s drug store was at 109 S. Fillmore, the same location as the origin of the 1927 fire.
Dr. Landes moved here in 1925 and left in 1946. Attorney Frank Wilson occupied this building shortly after that. Next week, we’ll just continue to go around the square.
