Snapshot of History by Mike Avitt
Snapshot of History
BY MIKE AVITT This week’s photo was contributed by the Mount Ayr Public Library. I’m going to try and cover Mt. Ayr bank news in the 1980s in one article. The Farm Crisis not only changed the financial landscape of Ringgold County, it also brought in new players. Production Credit Association moved to 122 W.…
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BY MIKE AVITT Last week I said A. Palmer handled the abstract books for Clyde Lesan Co. after Clint Allyn died in 1949. Well, maybe not. I don’t know who did the abstract work during the 1950s. In fact, I don’t have much info about Clyde Lesan Co. during this time. But, in 1960, there…
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BY MIKE AVITT The former Iowa State Bank had new occupants by 1932. Before I continue, let’s go down in the basement. In February 1915, an exterior entrance was built to the basement on the north side of Iowa State Bank at 100 S. Taylor. The basement would be used as a barber shop for…
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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 I can see the wood sidewalk and I know these had been replaced by cement sidewalks on Mount Ayr’s commercial lots…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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