Snapshots of History by Mike Avitt

By Editor | January 14, 2026 |

By Mike Avitt

Ringgold County’s first courthouse was a log structure northeast of the Mount Ayr square. The second courthouse was a two-story, frame building on the east side of the square. By the 1880s, the railroad was in place, the population was rapidly rising, and a new, beautiful courthouse was needed.
Excavating for the new Ringgold County Courthouse began in mid-April 1883 on the Mount Ayr square. Cost of the project would be around $40,000. Previously, the town square had served as a park.
The August 30, 1883 Ringgold Record says contractor R. K. Allen bought a kiln of brick from Mr. True. I know Mr. True and George Smithson were the bricklayers on the Mount Ayr High School addition in 1881, so Mr. True’s work was known and accepted. A shortage of bricks slowed the progress on the new building. Contractor Allen had previously been responsible for the construction of the courthouse and high school at Maryville, Mo.
By the end of October 1883, the second story had been completed. In mid-November the workers were preparing to install galvanized iron and windows. The plastering could began after that. I found the architects were Messers Eckel and Mann.
In January 1884, a conflict arose between the architects and the superintendent of the project, J. M. Gile. The Ringgold County Board of Supervisors dismissed Mr. Gile and replace him with J. E. Penniwell of Leon. In April, plans were being made to purchase interior furnishings including cuspidors (spittoons).
A history of this undertaking appears on page three of the May 15, 1884 Ringgold Record newspaper.
The new courthouse was 77 feet wide and 98 feet long. The clock tower, facing east, was 102 feet high at its peak.
We get a look at the floor plan in the newspaper. Most of the county officers had their rooms on the first floor. There are five rooms marked “vault” and one “water closet.” For you kids, Water Closet is another term for restroom. The upstairs was devoted mostly to court business (courtroom, jury room, etc.) except for the Coroner’s Office and the Surveyor’s Office. The courtroom measured 40 feet by 68 feet and could seat almost 300 persons.
All went well until 1894 when drought caused the ground to shrink and the southeast corner of the courthouse settled, causing cracks and crumbling mortar. An inspector ordered the foundation on the southeast corner be replaced.
Problems continued with that corner until a state inspector condemned the building in 1921. Inferior mortar and lack of drainage were pointed out. The 1884 Ringgold County Courthouse was demolished in 1922. There is also a brief history of this courthouse in the Mount Ayr Centennial Book.
This week’s picture was scanned from a June 12, 1896 Twice-A-Week News newspaper and the original photograph was taken by local photographer M. G. Maxwell.
I have enough room to tell you about an item Max Buckner left for me at the Record-News office. It’s a coin dated 1874 and says “ONE PENNY” in the center. The perimeter says Mount Ayr, Iowa. R. A. M., and No. 75. There is other writing but the coin is very corroded.
This coin is from the Ancient, Free, & Accepted Masons fraternal organization and R. A. M. stands for Royal Arch Masons. The No. 75 refers to Salem Chapter 75 which existed in Mount Ayr in 1874. The value of the coin is unknown to me. If I was a Mason I might know the answer. I also see the words October 21st, but I don’t know the significance to that. Very cool, anyway.
Feel free to leave Ringgold County stuff for me at the Record-News office.