BY MIKE AVITT I scanned this week’s photo from page 369 of the book,”Biographical and Historical Record of Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa (1887).” This is one of the earliest history books of our county. This building still stands today at 119 N. Taylor in Mount Ayr. I recently found out the former Mount Ayr…
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BY MIKE AVITT After years of searching, I finally found the beginning of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows building in Mount Ayr. It was constructed in 1877, two years before the railroad arrived, by John Currie and the Mt. Ayr Odd Fellows Lodge. John Currie was, I believe, the second owner of the Mount…
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BY MIKE AVITT The west side of the Mt. Ayr square was being renovated when I took this photo on October 11, 2012. Deb Larson has been at 106 E. South Street with her insurance business since 2008. At first, she was with Farmers Insurance, but is independent now with The Insurance Station at the…
Read MoreBY MIKE AVITT Last week, I skipped an important player in this series, Deb Creveling. She came to the William H. French Agency in 1994 after Bill’s daughter Amy left. Deb is still there today. So, Firstar Bank became US Bank in 2002. Firstar was the name for only two years. I missed when Citizens…
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I took this week’s picture on November 18, 2010. We continue our look at Mount Ayr’s banks, insurance and real estate firms. On August 11, 1988, the law firm of Wilson & Christensen moved to 111 S. Fillmore. This business owned Ringgold County Abstract, which moved to 109 S. Fillmore at the same time. A…
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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…
Read MoreBY 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…
Read MoreBY 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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