Snapshots of History by Mike Avitt

By Editor | July 8, 2026 |

This is the fifth installment of my memories of Mount Ayr from 1970 to 1973. Things were a little different back then.
I think it was the winter of 1972 Tom Terry and his friends built a very large snow bunny on the north side of the courthouse. I’d say it was eight to 10 feet tall and was quite a work of art. That was a great idea that I have not seen duplicated.
Tom was also the owner of a 1940s (International ?) pickup truck called “The Orange Parasite.” Those words were painted on the driver’s door. I was told this vehicle was equipped with a 1961 Oldsmobile motor and transmission. This truck was easily recognized from blocks away. There were others. Darrell James’ first car was a 1948 Chevy Coupe and there were very few pre-1950 vehicles on the streets of Mount Ayr in 1972. I think Ann Horne’s first car was a 1958 Plymouth Hornet and you could hear that car coming before you could see it! We called that car the “Batmobile.” Greg Drake and Lonnie Horne both had circa-1950 pickups.
Billie Finch drove a green Jeep Wagoneer and it could be recognized by the extremely slow speed he drove or by a pack of stray dogs following the Jeep. Billie was a retired produce man and he went regularly to Hy-Vee to pick up fat, bones and meat scraps which he used to feed stray dogs. The dogs soon learned what Billie drove.
We bought our fireworks at the Missouri State Line on Highway 169. The trailer on the east side of the highway was there in 1972, but the trailer on the west was not. Redding had a grocery store back then and we often stopped at Charlie Reidlinger’s store for a Pepsi on the way back.
Mount Ayr had two trailer parks — Payne’s Trailer Park and Smith Trailer Court. Smith’s was located south of the current high school, now occupied by a parking lot, the bus barn and the new CTE building. Payne’s was across the street east of the swimming pool parking lot. It was the larger of the two.
Pickup football games were held west of the United Presbyterian Church on Sunday afternoons. I didn’t play because I was afraid of Billy and Larry Roach. They were huge! But, that didn’t stop others from playing like Wayne Ward who was younger and smaller than me.
Most businesses were closed on Sundays 55 years ago. Warin Oil Company was open on Sunday as were the Lucky Lanes bowling alley and Princess Theatre. The stock car races were held on Sunday evening but by Sunday night I had spent every penny I had. Merle Walter and Kirk Elliott called the races and they were both still in high school.
There were a few places inside the city limits where cattle were kept. North of Columbus Street between Hayes and Taylor streets and north of Columbus east of Lincoln Street was one. Another place was between Polk and Hayes Street, just north of Highway 2. And just south of Highway 2 between the sale barn and the south grain elevator. My favorite cow lot was just north of Highway 2 and west of West Street now occupied by Mount Ayr Manor. This was a good sized lot south of the Barton French residence (he may have owned it). The French family had a large, wooden toboggan and we used it in that pasture. We just had to be careful of the barbed wire fence at the bottom of the hill.
The Ringgold County Hospital had a maternity ward but no ambulance service. Ambulance service was handled by a funeral home or the Mount Ayr Volunteer Fire Department. Today, the hospital has the ambulance service but no maternity ward.
On Saturday night the town square was filled with young people. It was a social gathering. There was some drinking and an occasional fight, but it was mostly just “hanging out.” The cars went round and round the square for long hours. Now, there is only the Princess Theatre and Lucky Lanes showing any signs of life. Where did the kids go?

Posted in Snapshot of History by Mike Avitt