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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BY MIKE AVITT The story of Bonnie and Clyde visiting Ringgold County never gets old so I’ll tell it again. Thanks to Doug Still for this week’s photo. The story is really about Marvin “Buck” Barrow, who was one of five members of the Barrow Gang when the outlaws passed through Ringgold County on July…
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BY MIKE AVITT The story of Bonnie and Clyde visiting Ringgold County never gets old so I’ll tell it again. Thanks to Doug Still for this week’s photo. The story is really about Marvin “Buck” Barrow, who was one of five members of the Barrow Gang when the outlaws passed through Ringgold County on July…
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BY MIKE AVITT Hopefully, you’re familiar with a shop in Chariton, Iowa called Piper’s Candy Store. They have home-made candies and doughnuts, but also groceries. The store still has hardwood floors and wooden shelving. Vintage food and soap packaging is on display throughout the store. This week, we’ll look at Mount Ayr’s connection to the…
Read MoreBY MIKE AVITT I see where Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds recently had supper at Rumors in Mount Ayr. While she was dining in Mount Ayr, I was dining in Des Moines. About 6 weeks ago, I met a man named Butch and he gave me Des Moines restaurant memorabilia like matchbooks, coasters, and swizzle sticks.…
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BY MIKE AVITT Posing for the picture are (left to right): Frank Sheldon, Zella Campbell, Bernice Moore, and Clare Allyn. Zella married Roy Swartz on May 6, 1925 and Bernice married John (Clem) Sheil on November 10, 1928. Frank Sheldon was president of the Mount Ayr State Bank when this photo was taken. He had…
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BY MIKE AVITT I’ve waited many years to get an early photo of Mount Ayr’s roller rink and here it is. Thanks to Linda Swanson for this week’s picture. In 1931, Fay Bryant built the…
Read MoreBY MIKE AVITT A friend was asking me about the commemorative blocks placed in the sidewalks, around the Mount Ayr square. The blocks are etched with the names of towns, communities, and post offices, and the year they were established. There are about 44 of them. My friend didn’t understand that some of these post…
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BY MIKE AVITT We all have our “favorite” blizzard or winter, but this week we’ll look at a winter very few, if any, remember – the winter of 1936. The Mount Ayr Record-News began reporting on Ringgold County’s worst winter on January 23, 1936. Nearly all of the county roads were blocked by the latest…
Read MoreBY MIKE AVITT I found some very early information about Ringgold County’s only main line railroad, the Chicago Great Western. This week’s picture shows a typical CGW depot. The Minnesota & Northwestern Railroad was reorganized as the Chicago, St. Paul, & Kansas City Railroad on June 1, 1886. The C,St.P,&,KC soon purchased the Wisconsin, Iowa,…
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