Great Extremes of Heat & Cold
Ninteen thirty will probably go down in the memories of Ida County people as “the year of the big drought” as well as bring the hottest summer on record, with more than a dozen days in which the mercury reached 100 degrees or higher. Due to the superior soil and subterranean drainage, Ida County emerged from the dry period in good condition and her crops were much better than the average locality where severe drought occurred. The northern part of Ida County escaped the severest dryness and produced bumper crops. Almost forgotten is the record of last January, which was one of the coldest months in the history of Northwest Iowa, with a long procession of days in which the mercury was below zero. The minimum of 28 degrees on January 17 was the coldest in 18 years. Ida County’s production of fat cattle and hogs, poultry and eggs, cream, corn, oats, and hay was almost up to par to other years, in some respects ahead but lower prices have reduced the county budget. However in the main, Ida County’s trade was as satisfactory as those of previous years.
Number of Cars and Population
For the first time in the county’s history, the number of passenger auto registrations passed the 4000 mark and went to 4008, an average of one car to each 2.97 inhabitants. The revised census figures show that Ida County has gained several hundred people since 1920, and has a total of 11,933.
Public Works – Buildings
The past year was an important one in public service circles. The Iowa Public Service Company partially rebuilt its Ida Grove plant and equipment at a cost close to $50,000. The telephone companies at Ida Grove and Battle Creek passed into the ownership of the Western Telephone Corporation, which late in the year offered a new exchange building and new equipment to Ida Grove, as a consideration for upward revision of rates in town. During the year, the Oberfell interests received a franchise for a gas system in Ida Grove. Among the important structures erected during 1930 was the $45,000 addition to the Battle Creek high school and the Skoins garage building in Ida Grove. The Ida Grove rendering works spent $15,000 replacing their building which was destroyed by fire the night of May 29. This company now employs a dozen men and makes a superior grade of tankage, besides other by-products. Continued progress was made in highways in 1930. Trunk road E was completed as to grading and gravelling throughout its length in Ida County and on December 1, the south end, from Ida Grove to the Crawford County line was incorporated into the state system as an extension of No.21. The board of supervisors formulated a three year plan of improving county local roads and as a starter built ten miles north and west of Arthur in Blaine and Silver Creek Townships. Many more miles of snow fence was erected this winter than in any other year in the county’s history, with a view of keeping open all mail routs and school bus routes.
Schools
In school circles, Holstein won the county declamatory contest taking three firsts, captured first in boys basketball, and defeated Ida Grove in football; Ida Grove girls took first in county basketball and advanced to the state tournament, where they landed in third place. Ida Grove boys basketball players went out on the first round of the sectional tourney at Sac City. Ida Groves’ band took first honors in the state musical festival. Battle Creeks, entrant in the state academic meet took first place in English correctness. Late in the fall the Ida Grove school board took a ten year lease of a portion of the city park and will erect and equip a modern athletic field in 1931.
Crimes
Nineteen thirty was marked by many crimes and convictions in Ida County and by several violent deaths. Several prisoners were taken to state institutions on charges varying from murder to arson, forgery, passing bad checks, robbery, hold-up, and driving autos while intoxicated. The county jail has been filled to its capacity practically all year with violators of liquor laws and bad check artists. The major crimes of the year were Lester Mohr’s slaying of his mother and the Fred Richardson accident, while intoxicated, resulting in the death of Bobbie Bevins.
Auto Deaths - Suicides
After a year and a half without auto deaths, six occurred in the county within 3 months time. Mrs. Kluever was killed August 1, near Battle Creek, Bobbie Evans, Sept. 23, Mrs. Albert Larsen near Battle Creek, Oct. 9 and on the evening of October 23, three persons were killed within a short time of each other, two at Galva and one near Holstein. The worst accident in many years occurred August 1, when four Holstein firemen were killed while in the line of duty, when their truck overturned while rounding a corner. Several cases of suicide were reported in 1930.
OBITUARY LIST OF THE YEAR LONG
Among the prominent persons who died in Ida County in 1930 were:
Walter ANDERSON (March 6, 1894 - February 5, 1930)
Wilhelm M. BAAK (January 6, 1849 – June 4, 1930)
Francis D. BABCOCK Jr. (June 24, 1879 – November 18, 1930)
John Vincent F. BABCOCK (November 24, 1876 – December 26, 1930)
Jesse Earl BARRETT (May 11, 1854 – December 17, 1930)
Wilber BOYER (April 16, 1865 – June 20, 1930)
Henry BREMER (July 30, 1854 – May 3, 1930)
Albert Ernest BRIGHT (May 22, 1853 – January 24, 1930)
Arvine Bethel CAMPBELL (November 3, 1917 – December 26, 1930)
Carl August CARLSON (June 19, 1853 – April 22, 1930)
Ella Cynthia CHAFFEE (February 2, 1851 – December 10, 1930)
George Washington CHARLES (February 22, 1852 – March 14, 1930)
Emma Cora CLAPSADDLE (April 28, 1856 – November 22, 1930)
Walter Leverington CLEMENT (July 4, 1871 – November 30, 1930)
William S. CRAWFORD (June 18, 1872 – January 10, 1930)
Josephine CRONQUIST (April 29, 1851 – June 9, 1930)
Ruth DAUGHRITY (April 27, 1905 – December 20, 1930)
James H. DEAL (October 5, 1842 – March 12, 1930)
Otto C. DREWS (July 28, 1886 – September 19, 1930)
Mathilda Dorothea ERICKSEN (October 9, 1902 – March 16, 1930)
Henry Keagy FERGUSON (April 21, 1838 – April 11, 1930)
Margaret A. GUESS (May 21, 1843 – November 18, 1930)
Jane HARPER (September 14, 1839 – October 4, 1930)
Mary Elizabeth HAWN (April 3, 1855 – February 23, 1930)
Lawrence O. HEFNER (February 8, 1895 – December 17, 1930)
Mary Louise HENDERSON (January 29, 1841 – February 10, 1930)
Minnie Irene HOAGLUND (February 22, 1897 – May 16, 1930)
Henry HOLZ (September 7, 1852 – July 9, 1930)
Benjamin Frank HOWELL (November 3, 1856 – February 9, 1930)
Roland D. HOYER (March 30, 1905 – June 13, 1930)
Levi ISENBARGER (January 9, 1851 – November 12, 1930)
Carl G. JENSEN (August 14, 1893 – May 2, 1930)
Anna KEPHART (July 20, 1863 – December 18, 1930)
Thomas LACKEY (March 15, 1855 – March 15, 1930)
John LINDSAY (May 30, 1861 – November 1, 1930)
Felton LINGLE (March 7, 1892 – December 19, 1930)
Josephine M. LLOYD (November 21, 1869 – August 4, 1930)
Jens H. MEIDELL (June 13, 1857 – September 11, 1930)
Adam MILLER (August 7, 1852 – January 18, 1930)
Menno MILLER (April 18, 1864 – August 19, 1930)
Lillie MOHR (October 25, 1890 – July 17, 1930)
Eliza MULLER (July 28, 1852 – April 16, 1930)
Michael MURRAY (May 1855 – June 28, 1930)
Mary Evelyn NEAL (January 26, 1857 – August 31, 1930)
Tilda NELSON (June 28, 1861 – January 21, 1930)
Beverly Rae PARKER (January 19, 1921 – July 7, 1930)
Dora A. PARKS (February 27, 1888 – November 30, 1930)
Carl Otto PAUSTIAN (June 6, 1849 – February 9, 1930)
Herbert Burdick PIERCE (October 12, 1858 – October 12, 1930)
John Theodore PIERCE (January 10, 1861 – May 20, 1930)
Augusta L. PLAUTZ (April 30, 1875 – December 19, 1930)
Alvera C. ROHWER (February 20, 1902 – August 20, 1930)
Faye ROWE (December 20, 1898 – June 28, 1930)
Anson J. SCHAEFFER (June 26, 1864 – August 7, 1930)
Jurgen Titus SCHAU (April 18, 1865 – September 26, 1930)
Carl Frederick SCHROEDER (February 2, 1876 – November 1, 1930)
Henry SENHEN (March 29, 1870 – June 15, 1930)
Oscar Alvin SHIPP (September 1, 1857 – February 2, 1930)
Robert H. SMITH (July 26, 1857 – October 11, 1930)
Jacob Edward SPOTTS (January 26, 1859 – June 2, 1930)
James Orr SPOTTS (May 23, 1893 – April 24, 1930)
Charles STRICKER (November 1, 1855 – August 27, 1930)
Fredricka SUITER (1826 – July 18, 1930, age 104)
Bertha TREIBER (September 18, 1853 – October 22, 1930)
Charles Ward TROUSDALE (March 5, 1853 – March 25, 1930)
Mary Louise TROUSDALE (July 20, 1851 – March 29, 1930)
Swan Peter TUNBERG (March 25, 1861 – January 29, 1930)
William H. VOHS (December 30, 1864 – April 20, 1930)
Arthur Fremont WAIT (February 26, 1863 – February 15, 1930)
Clarence Melville WARN (August 23, 1869 – February 24, 1930)
Gray WARREN (June 22, 1874 – June 21, 1930)
Thomas William WEBB (October 19, 1864 – September 5, 1930)
Frederick William WERNER (January 27, 1842 – November 9, 1930)
David N. ZIMMERMAN (June 25, 1860 – January 11, 1930)
Sources:
Ida County Pioneer Record, Ida Grove, Iowa, Thursday, Jan 1, 1931, p.1
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