Snapshot of History by Mike Avitt

Kellerton High School’s gymnasium was built in 1951 and beginning in 1952, the remaining Ringgold County Girls’ Basketball Tournament games were played here. Prior to that, most of the tournaments were held at Beaconsfield. The first tournament in the modern era was played in 1942 with the Delphos girls as champs. After that the Tingley…

By Mike Avitt Here’s what the Tingley Vindicator newspaper had to say about sports in its April 2, 1903 edition: “Basketball is becoming as much of a menace to life and limb as football.” The Vindicator was not in the minority on this issue. I have read several articles in local newspapers warning against dangerous…

By Mike Avitt Charles J. Lewis was born in Taylor County in 1877. He moved with his family to Redding a few years later and pursued education. He graduated from Drake University College of Law in 1905 and entered into business with his father. By July 1962, Lewis was a district judge and made an…

By Mike Avitt In this week’s photo we see Ben Thompson being recognized for fifty years of continuous service with the Mount Ayr Fire Department. Ben lived in rural Ringgold County until 1888 and joined the department in 1889 when he was twenty-five years old. Mr. Thompson’s retirement gift was an upholstered chair and ottoman.…

Sometimes folks need to be motivated and on May 10, 1879, they were. Fire broke out in the early morning hours on the north side of Mount Ayr’s square and didn’t stop until it had reached the alley in the middle of the block. Going the other way, the fire turned north on the northeast…

By Mike Avitt The Bever-Grimes Cemetery is located in section 12 of Jefferson Township. The cemetery’s location is about a mile and a quarter southeast of Shannon City. This was also the site of Ringgold County’s first church building in 1858. Frame buildings were not yet being erected in Ringgold County so this would have…

By Mike Avitt The picture with this week’s article shows the Methodist Church at Benton around 1910. It was built in 1890, in part, with money raised by having a livestock auction. It was the first church built in the new town of Benton. Let’s look at the early years in Benton. Before Benton came…

By Mike Avitt This week’s photo shows Norm Klejch, representing the Mount Ayr Lions Club, driving a Kiddie Train at the 2010 Ayr Days celebration. I sometimes get asked about Ayr Days and its predecessors, so let’s look at the history. It all started in September 1956 with an event called “Ridiculous Days.” A committee…

By Mike Avitt I first moved to Mount Ayr 54 years ago and have lived in about fifteen different locations here since then. Many of those residences are no longer standing. Sometimes, I grab a large coffee and drive around Mount Ayr looking at houses, especially older houses. I will point out there is one…