Snapshot of History by Mike Avitt
Snapshot of History
BY MIKE AVITT I must begin with a correction. In the October 7, 2021 Record-News I was given credit for securing Orr Fisher paintings and sketches. Bob and Kay Sickels get credit for; I wasn’t a part of that. I was able to identify most of the photos in Fisher’s photo album, and that was…
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BY MIKE AVITT This building still stands today and was built in 1892 as Citizens Bank. Day Dunning, who was one of four sons born to Mount Ayr’s founders, Barton and Laura Dunning, hired H. U. Greenlee to do the brick and stone work. Citizens Bank opened its doors in January 1893 with Day Dunning…
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BY MIKE AVITT Dave and Darlene Irving gave me this picture about ten years ago and they didn’t have any information on it. Now, it’s ten years later and I still know almost nothing. I can see the wood sidewalk and I know these had been replaced by cement sidewalks on Mount Ayr’s commercial lots…
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BY MIKE AVITT Although this photo isn’t identified, I feel certain this is owner George Bartow after he restored the old Mt. Ayr House in the early 1920s. The hotel was located at 116 E. Madison. More about George in a minute. The obituary of Frances Ellis says he established the Mount Ayr Hotel…
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BY MIKE AVITT The Tingley Opera House was built in 1894 and opened October 15th of that year with Colonel Hepburn giving a speech. Dedication services were held November 10, 1894. This is a double storefront building occupying two lots. The upstairs storefront on the left has four windows, while the right storefront has five…
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BY MIKE AVITT I took this week’s picture on February 24, 2014, when the old VFW Hall was a dance studio. The building is still standing on East Monroe Street in Mount Ayr. Mount Ayr established a chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in January 1949. Officers were: Lyle Dulany, commander; Bob Hudson, senior…
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BY MIKE AVITT This picture was taken at the intersection of Center Street and Dunning Avenue looking northwest. In the background on the left is the Swimming Pool parking lot today. The Mount Ayr Commercial Club established this tourist park in 1922. The park was very important as automobile travel had increased greatly after WW…
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BY MIKE AVITT I don’t have anything planned for this week so let’s look at my “miscellaneous” folder on my hard drive. This folder is mostly for topics that are short or lack details. A blurb in a December 6, 1883 newspaper says Dr. J. T. Merrill has returned from Colorado with several silver bricks…
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BY MIKE AVITT I scanned this week’s picture from page 31 of Raymond Banner’s book, “ Ringgold City, Iowa 1844-2002: From First Settlement to Forgotten Community.” The photo in the book is credited to Linda Swanson. Ringgold City was located about nine miles south of Mount Ayr on county road P46, and two mile east…
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BY MIKE AVITT Many of you have heard Jesse James and his gang spent time in Ringgold County. Many of you believe it. I don’t. But, I’m about to tell you why you heard it in the first place. This week’s photo was scanned from a book by Ringgold County artist Holland Foster, who grew…
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