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William Timby in 1895.
By Mike Avitt
Many of us have heard the phrase “Timby Building” or have seen the name “Timby” at the top of the building at 100-102 W. Madison Street in Mount Ayr. But, who was Timby?
William Timby was born January 11, 1829 in Norfolk, England. He married Mary Painter on June 4, 1853 and they headed for America. They came first to New Orleans, then St. Louis, and finally settled in Collinsville, Illinois.
In 1863 the couple moved to Lotts Creek Township, Ringgold County, Iowa. Here Timby built up a large herd of livestock and established a modern farmstead. Around 1872, William and Mary made a trip to England to visit the home folks.
The railroad came to Mount Ayr in 1879 and in 1880, Timby financed his first brick building located at 122 S. Taylor.
Five years later, he and lawyer J. F. Mount financed the brick storefronts at 116, 118, and 120 S. Taylor, connecting them to the original building at 122 S. Taylor. Timby sold his farm and moved to Mount Ayr in 1883.
The next Timby building is still standing today at 101 W. Monroe – the Princess Theatre building. This occurred in 1886 after a fire had destroyed all the buildings in that half-block in November 1885.
Timby hired master mason George Smithson for most of his projects.
In 1887, Timby and his wife made another trip back to England to visit family. It would be Mary’s last trip as she died, September 14, 1887, in Chicago on the return journey. Timby would take another wife; more on that in a moment.
I have found one wood-frame building put up for Timby and that was near the alley where the Senior Center is now. That was in the 1880s.
In 1890, Timby had two brick buildings erected: one at 100-102 W. Madison and a one-story building at 109-111 N. Taylor (torn down in 1996). Of all the brick buildings constructed by Timby, only one bears his name at the top, the building still standing at 100-102 W. Madison Street.
In 1892, Timby put up the money for a two-story, double storefront brick at 108-110 S. Taylor. This building burned in 1897 and Timby built back, on the same foundation, a one-story, double storefront brick. Today, Lucky Lanes occupies this brick. This was the last building William financed.
William Timby remarried on November 28, 1888. His new wife was the former Martha E. Lee and she was born March 11, 1864. So, when she got married, she was 24 and her husband was…..59! William obviously wanted a family and he got one. Martha gave birth to William Thomas, Susan, and Lee.
William Timby died July 15, 1901; his children being young. So, William was gone but two more Timby buildings would be erected.
Martha paid for the construction of the two-story, brick building at 116 W. Madison (Irving’s Clothing Store). It was built in 1902 at the same time as the building next door west (118 W. Madison) being put up by Amos “Fatty” Collins. That building was demolished in 1988 but Martha has another brick still standing.
In 1912, Martha Timby had built the one-story brick at 108 E. Madison. The building next door east was built at the same time by Martha Merrill, widow of Dr. J. T. Merrill, a successful doctor and druggist. Both of these buildings are still standing. Martha died January 29, 1933.
William Thomas Timby was the only child to remain in Mount Ayr. He died in 1966 and his widow, Lucy, in 1975.
So, out of a total of nine brick Timby buildings, we still have four left. Enjoy.
