In the early days when the river meandered through the wooded area between Sections 21 and 22, a few business places sprang up along its banks. The wooded area was a dense natural grove on the east side of the Platte River.

Mike RUSH opened a little store near a bayou and was successful in getting a post office established there. The post office was called Delphi. Formerly, the nearest post office had been at the Bozaris School about 2 1/2 miles west of the river.

About 1880 Colonel John FOX purchased the store. Colonel FOX was an avid hunter and kept a large number of hounds. To some, the little village became known as "Hound Town." However, when the Colonel had a picture of a large red fox painted on the side of the building, the name "Foxtown" seemed more appropriate.

J. M. FOX - This wide-awake and affable merchant at Delphi settled here in 1869. He sold a valuable farm in west Benton township to engage in merchandise at Delphi, where he succeeded Mr. RUSH as merchange and postmaster in July, 1880. Mr. FOS has a first-class stock of dry goods, groceries, boots, and shoes, crockery etc. He is very popular where ever he is known which accounts for his big custom. He is a Republican.
~ Ringgold Record, November 18, 1880

Colonel FOX had taken up land near the site of Maloy in 1868. Born in 1830 in Harrison county, Missouri, he grew to manhood there. At the start of the War Between the States, he joined the Union Army in Missouri, probably the 25th Missouri Infantry.

He survived the siege at Vicksburg and marched with SHERMAN to the sea. He was proud of his military record and enjoyed recounting tales of some of the hardest battles of the war.

Probably his chief characteristic was love of his country - patriotism.

He was a Seventh Day Adventist and a Mason.
~ Ringgold Record, January 24, 1895

A Mr. ARGO opened a tavern, a blacksmith shop was nearby, and a few houses were built. Across the river, a log schoolhouse was built, and a low water bridge was constructed.

With the coming of the railroad in 1887, progress was rapid. Lewis REYNARD bought Mr. FOX'S store, the area was surveyed, and the town was platted. M. N. HART built a hardware store where the bank building stood later. William HART built a general merchandise store as did SMITH and PARR. Rube McCLURE and J. M. HARTLEY operated a lumber yard and livery. Elias COWELL came from Taylor County in 1888 and opened a hotel. Later he ran a dray and made deliveries with his mules and wagon.

In 1901 a petition was circulated seeking the incorporation of the town of Maloy. The petition, signed by 33 qualified electors of the territory to be included, was presented to the District Court on April 11. There being no objections, Judge H. M. TOWNER ordered that 5 commissioners be appointed to hold an election as provided by law. Commissioners appointed were L. WORTHINGTON, J. M. HARTLEY, E. W. BAXTER, Day CARTER, and W. M. SIMS. The election was held, and few dissenting votes were cast.

After the incorporation, the town grew rapidly and probably enjoyed its greatest activity and properity during the next few years.

J. M. HARTLEY bought out his partner McCLURE and operated both the hardward store and lumber yard. The hall over the hardware store served many community purposes. At one time Methodist Church services were held there, and it was briefly a school room while the construction of a new building was completed. With the advent of movies, a film was shown now and then. "One moment please" was flashed on the screen at regular intervals, and the audience waited patiently while the reel was changed.

T. S. SHAY purchased the store on the north side of the street from William HART in 1903. Later SHAY sold it to Creston FINCH, who operated it until it was destroyed by fire in 1921. It was called the Mercantile, and FINCH had a large stock of everything. He had a lively trading business as women brought their eggs to town and traded for groceries and other items.

Tripoli POOLE had a blacksmith shop during the late teens and early twenties.

ROONEY had a variety store and restaurant just east of the Community Building. (He advertised "Board and Lodging.") The lodging space was upstairs in the large frame building.

Subsequently the store was owned by Jess HERRINGTON and by John WARD. Following the 1931 fire, T. S. SHAY, Sr. built an all-brick store at the same location. It was operated by James MULLIN, Doyle KING, Hugh CRAWFORD and Vern McELHANEY.

Some other buisnessmen were Johnnie DANT (cream station and groceries), Harry AUGUSTINE (hardware), Guy POOR (gas station and small restaurant), Frank CARR (filling station, general store and dance hall), Ed O'CONNOR (hardware and general store), Louis KESSLER (IGA store), J. D. WARIN (filling station and wholesale oil business), and Wilbur KOBBE (garage).

Benjamin Bissel WARING was born in 1860 in Plainsville, Ohio and came to Iowa with his parents in 1873. They settled on a farm west of Maloy where they lived for a number of years.

When their children were grown, the WARINGS moved on to Colorado, but Benjamin stayed behind. Maloy was home.

Benjamin lived only 47 years, but they were very busy years. After teaching in various schools, he enrolled in the Medical Institute in Kansas City in 1887. Returning to Maloy, he practiced medicine there until his death.

His patients were widely scattered, and in those days doctors made house calls. Knowing a doctor was available was a tremendous consolation to the pioneer families. He also served several terms as president of the Ringgold County Medical Association.

In 1889 he married Maud PORTER of Clearfield. To this union were born three daughters: Mabel (1892), Porter (1908) and Ruth (1905).

Mabel married Leslie HARTLEY, son of J. M. and Hannah HARTLEY. Leslie and Mabel lived first in Maloy, then moved to Mingo, where Leslie was a station agent. Their son Paul lives in Des Moines.

The Maloy Mercantile was destroyed by fire in 1919. It was owned and operated by Creston FINCH.

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
June 18, 1931

A $50,000 fire loss was suffered by the businessmen and residents of Maloy Wednesday forenoon when nine buildings including the Catholic Church, the parsonage and Forester Hall, five business houses, a barn, and one residence were reduced to ashes.

The fire started in the general store of J. E. O'CONNOR and Sons and was discovered by Joe O'CONNOR when he took a cream can to the testing room. The room was filled with sacks, and the fire had gained such headway that it was impossible to control.

No fire fighting equipment was available, and the flames soon spread to the adjoining building. A strong south wind was blowing which carried sparks to the building across the street and they too were soon burned to the ground.

Fire departments from Mount Ayr, Bedford and Blockton were summoned and of valuable assistance in protecting the remaining properties.

Following is the list of properties destroyed.

Frank CARR, post officer, grarage building and stock valued at $3,000.
E. O'CONNOR and Sons, general store, stock and fixtures, valued at $3,500.
Robert AUGUSTINE, building valued at $3,000.
James MULLIN, general store, stock and fixtures valued at $4,750.
Catholic Church, parsonage and hall, valued at $29,500.
J. B. HULL residence, valued at $1,500.
A. J. MATTHEWS, barn valued at $1,000.
J. E. GRAY, houshold goods stored valued at $1,000.

The Church was insured for $20,000 and each of the businesses was partially covered.

On the seventeenth day of June, 1931, a very destructive fire visited the little town of Maloy and destroyed the beautiful fram church building, the rectory, and the rather new community hall, as well as the post office, the lumberyard, hardware store, two general merchandise stores, oil station, residences, and other buildings.

The Register

MALOY -- Construction underway here, including a $33,000 Catholic Church and rectory, involves approximately $38,000, local contractors reported Saturday.

Other projects include a store remodeling costing $1200 and the erection of a store building costing $2500.

The Messenger, November 5, 1934

Tuesday, October 23, was an eventful day in the lives of the parishioners and pastor of the Immaculate Conception parish of Maloy. On that day His Excellency, the Most Reverend Gerald T. BERGAN, D.D., Bishop of Des Moines, dedicated the recently erected Immaculate Conception Church to the honor, service, and glory of God.

The contract for a new church was let during October of 1931, and the work of building was completed during 1932. It was to be dedicated during 1933, but because of the death of the then Bishop of Des Moines, the dedication of the new church was postponed until the present year.

Frank CARR operated his business for 45 years, finally closing up shop in 1973. WARIN Oil Company, the last surviving business in Maloy, was closed in 1986.

The post office is still functioning [1987] with Betty CONLEY as postmistress, but the telephone office was closed with the coming of the dial system to the county in 1966.

1896 Maloy Bank Ad	Original Bank Building	Facing Depot
Facing West	1896 Business Directory	Bank Building

WARIN Oil Company

WARIN Oil Company

Frank CARR'S Station & Store

Community Hall	Original Bank Building	Signs
Dance Hall	CARR Station & Store

O'CONNOR-WARIN House	HARTLEY-CARR-OVERHOLSER House	DUGAN-OVERHOLSER House
OVERHOLSER - SHAY House	CONLEY House	Marea SHEIL House
DUGAN House	Jim BOPP House	NOLAN - TODD House
SHAY-BRABY House	MERCER House	SHAY - TODD House
JACKSON House	REEVE - OVERHOLSER House	WARIN - HINTZ House
	DAVISON House

The Lee SHAY Farmhouse, presently [1987] owned by Bob and Kathi SHAY and located two miles northeast of Maloy in Benton Township, was selected for listing in the National Register of Historic Places effective November 6, 1986. This large and elaborate three-story frame house features a two-story solarium wing, five bedrooms, a main-floor bay with balcony and a centered front portico with second-floor bays and wall dormers. Massive solid scrolled and angled brackets support the balcony and bays. The interior plan features a dogleg open oak staircase, fireplace, oak ceiling beams and brackets, built-in oak sideboard and book cases, oak flooring and window seats.

The Lee SHAY house is a visual reminder of the prosperity that Iowa farmers enjoyed in the years preceding WWI.

Designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of KRAETSCH and KRAETSCH, the house aptly illustrated both the impact of this properity and the desire of rural Iowans to enter the national cultural mainstream.

Joseph Leo SHAY (1882-1961) and Teresa Cecilia EASON SHAY (1890-1975) were married in 1911 and constructed the house in 1920-21. The original architectural plans survive.

A farm fire in early August 1920 drew newspaper attention to the on-going construction of the home. After detailing damages and injuries, the local writer noted the new house with the following comments:

"The new house which is nearing completion will be modern throughout and will be one of the finest country residences in the county. It will cost when completed several thousand dollars - ten or dozen - we should judge."
~ Mount Ayr Record-News, August 5, 1920

Tribute should be paid to the various township officers who formerly had many of the duties which are now functions of the county and state governments.

They had entire responsibility for the roads. All roads were dirt and required frequent dragging with a horse-drawn drag. Dragging was especially necessary following a rain. In 1897, the prevailing rate for work on the roads was 25-cents an hour. Poll tax could be worked out at the rate of $1 per day or $2.50 for a man and team.

The trustees also provided for the indigent, acted as a board of health, and many other things.

Some of those who served as trustees are E. W. STEELE, W. A. MATTHEWS, J. H. ERSKINE, T. S. SHAY, L. S. GROVES, J. E. GRAY, S. J. GERARD, J. L. STEPHENS, S. M. SEATON, M. M. SHEIL, Earl WHEELEN, R. E. SHAY and Cleo LYNCH. J. L. SHAY was township clerk continuously from 1908 until 1961.

SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 Pp. 8 - 20. 1987.

Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011