RINGGOLD ROOTS SALUTES BEACONSFIELD IA
HUNTSMAN
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/22/2010 at 02:41:31
Ringgold Roots
Ringgold County Genealogical Society
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
April, 1981, Vol. II, p. 11RINGGOLD ROOTS SALUTES BEACONSFIELD
Beaconsfield was a station on the Humeston & Shenandoah Railroad, and was laid out as a village by a town company in 1881. It had one store and postoffice, blacksmith shop, grocery and United Brethren church.
There is a legend in which a man came through the countryside who could do blacksmith work. He broke a wheel and stopped to fix it. While he was working on it a farmer came along who needed some work and suggested that the man start a blacksmith shop. He did and a town sprang up around his shop. The blacksmith was of English origins and he named the town growing around his shop "Beacon" in honor of Lord BEACON of England. The word "field" was added. There is a Beaconsfield in Canada but no other town in the United States named "Beaconsfield."
NOTE: Benjamin DISRAELI, Lord Beaconsfield (1804-1881), was an English novelist who embarked upon a political career. In 1876, Queen Victoria made him Earl of Beaconsfield [Lord BEACONSFIELD] and Viscount of Hughenden.
According to the abstract, Beaconsfield was platted on July 15, 1881. The CB&Q Railroad took over from the Humeston & Shenandoah in 1882.
In 1898 there were approximately 100 residents in the town and during the election 45 votes were cast.
In 1981, there were 40 or less people in the town. The Methodist Church remains active and the building is outstanding. The present [1918] post office was once the bank building. The Community Center was once the old telephone office, the telephone company giving the building to the town. A blacktop road, P-68, goes through the town.
The inhabitants of Beaconsfield are holding their Centennial June 13 & 14 [1981] with many attractions. The ladies of the town met at the Community Center and made over 200 plates for the Centennial. Mrs. Roy HUNTSMAN designed the plates. There are 5 buildings around the outside edge of the plate and the town pump is in the center.
Here is some interesting miscellaneous information taken out of a friend's diary: In 1890, hens sold for $3 a dozen, eggs 3-cents a dozen, roosters 10-cents each; milk 5-cents a quart; and the butcher gave away liver. A hired girl gets $1.00 a week wages, and men wore whiskers, and boots, and chewed tobacco, and swore!
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2010
Ringgold Documents maintained by Tony Mercer.
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