Snapshot of History by Mike Avitt

By Mike Avitt The building in this week’s article sat where the Diagonal bank building and post office sit today. A fire on December 11, 1917 destroyed this building and most of its contents. The building was erected in 1896, in part by the Knights of Pythias. The Pythian Hall (upstairs) was dedicated December 29,…

By Mike Avitt Finis Edward McNeiley purchased the Lawhead Drug Company in Mount Ayr in January 1941. Dr. C. C. Lawhead, the former owner of the drug store, retained ownership of the building. Dr. Lawhead opened this business in October 1934 and was associated with Walgreen products, known then as The Walgreen System. Horne Pharmacy,…

Let’s revisit an old, old murder case that still has many unanswered questions. This case was once the biggest story in Ringgold County, but now is known to only a few. Homer Holland was born in 1878 or 1879. Homer died on November 9, 1901 and the newspaper put his age at “about twenty-three.” Isn’t…

By Mike Avitt I found a little more information on the beginning of Redding’s brick schoolhouse. The Redding newspapers from this time frame are not available and the Redding correspondent to the Mount Ayr newspapers was inconsistent or non-existent. The Redding Centennial Book says the school was built in 1914 and added onto in 1917.…

By Mike Avitt Have you ever wondered about the horseshoe on the Kellerton water tower? Allow me to introduce Frank Jackson. Mr. Jackson first appears in the Mount Ayr Record-News on September 17, 1915 as he was in the Kellerton area visiting relatives and looking for a future home. Frank had previously lived in Blue…

By Mike Avitt In 1928 there were 1,160 boys and girls attending rural schools in Ringgold County. The number of rural schools at that time was ninety-six and Silva Dolecheck was the Ringgold County Superintendent of Schools. The Mount Ayr Record-News of October 18, 1928 gives of a view of opening day activities at some…

By Mike Avitt This week’s photo shows Gary Keenan of Des Moines carving an elm tree stump into an eagle over the Liberty Bell. It was Keenan who suggested the design and the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors agreed. Keenan was paid $750 for his effort. I took this photo in January 2006 and I’m…

By Mike Avitt In 1988, the Mount Ayr Record-News moved from 119 N. Taylor to 122 W. Madison. Many lost and forgotten items were discovered during the move including about 20 glass negatives. In 1989 the negatives were made into prints and Shirley Hickman published several in her column, “Ayr Views.” The photos are random…

    By Mike Avitt Many of us remember when burning trash in your backyard was common. And it was free. In 1964 a city dump was established on the “Junk Ditch Road” and I’m sure the Mount Ayr City Council enacted an ordinance prohibiting the burning of trash in your backyard. This week’s photo…

By Mike Avitt Shafer’s Service Station closed in November 1979 and I took several photos before the building was razed to make way for the new Tingley State Savings Bank building. The old filling station was located at 100 E. South Street and was started by Day Shafer way back in 1927. Day moved to…