Snapshot of History by Mike Avitt

BY MIKE AVITT I took this week’s picture with a black and white disposable camera in 2004. The scene has changed a great deal since I took this photo and it is changing again soon. Ground was broken on Wishard Chapel’s new church building the second week of July 2023. The current church building was…

Most people remember this building as either Main Motor Co., Western Auto, or Farm & Home. This week we’ll look at several short-lived businesses that also called this building home and there were many. The building was constructed in 1946 for Gail Dalton and Wilbur Lynch as D & L Motor Co. at 116 N.…

This week’s picture is an ink drawing which appears in an 1887 book called, “Biographical and Historical Record of Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa.” I believe the Ringgold Record building was the fourth brick building erected in Mount Ayr (1881) and it is still standing at 119 N. Taylor Street. It has been modified and…

I took this week’s picture on November 12, 2011. The building is the former Frank Carr dance hall and it is still standing. The last I knew, Don Ray was the owner. On June 17, 1931, a fire destroyed most of Maloy’s business district including the St. Mary’s Catholic Church. So, 1932 was a rebuilding…

Ringgold County and Mount Ayr were both established in 1855. So, 100 years later, it didn’t make sense to have both the Ringgold County Centennial and the Mount Ayr Centennial in the same year. Thus, Mount Ayr celebrated in 1975, 100 years after the town was incorporated. Now Mount Ayr is two years away from…

In April 1970 the Ringgold County Historical Society met to discuss plans to establish a county museum and genealogical library. They discussed two possible locations: the former West End Market building in Mount Ayr and the Ellston High School building. The West End Market building had a $9,500 price tag but was centrally located and…

BY MIKE AVITT 140 years ago the Mount Ayr business district was dotted with livery barns. These facilities provided feed and care for horses while the rider was in town for business or visiting others. Livery barns also provided horses and buggies for rent; a service often used by local doctors. Stagecoach and hack lines…

BY MIKE AVITT This building in Diagonal was erected in 1909 for A. W. Marts and Dr. A. E. Jessup. After the previous newspaper plant burned, Carson Williams bought some printing equipment and placed it in the Jessup building in December 1917. Williams started a new newspaper called the Diagonal Reporter in January 1918. Thomas…

Thanks to Mitzi (McGehee) Hymbaugh for this week’s photo. The staff of the Midway Cafe is shown at the restaurant in May of 1952. Loueva McGehee, Dennis Foltz, Ike McGehee, Jr., and Leona Shaughnessy appear in this picture with others yet to be identified. The owner of the cafe at this time was Lucille (Shaughnessy)…