Twice-A-Week News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Friday June 12, 1896

Forest Home, so called, is not a town or city by a community of people having a common interest and holding their different society meetings at home rather than go to the surrounding towns to attend preaching services, Sunday school, etc.

This community was formerly known by the inelegant name of "Rooster Bend", and was so called for nearly 30 years; but while as I have said this is not a town we desired to be recognized in the history of Ringgold county as gathered by the NEWS. We believe that we form an important part of the county. Our soil is good and we have a diversity of it, being situated in the valley of west Grand river on the divide between Grand and Platte rivers. Owing to our location we are always sure of plenty of water for our stock, which is quite an object during the dry seasons through which we, in common with all parts of the country, have been passing for a few years. Our pastures are covered with a luxuriant growth of blue grass. We have more timber than we can use for fuel so have a saw-mill at work nearly every winter and in passing through our place one can see plenty of corn cribs, cattle and hog sheds, etc., built from native lumber. The timber on our branches and our artifical groves and orchards, which are numerous, have given us the name of Forest Home.

Among our old settlers we can mention the following, who have lived in the county the number of years indicated: H. T. MILLER, 35 years, who owns a large tract of land, a good house, and the best barn in the county; R. O. DAIN, 30 years, who is at present building a handsome and commodious house; Wm. DIEBERT, 32 years, the owner of "the big orchard on the hill"; Ed POLLEY, 24 years, who has lately built a substantial residence; Ed BENNETT, 30 years, who lives at Forest Home center; Abner LOWDER, 28 years, and Frank SEATON, who owns a farm improved in 1870. Many other good citizens have come in later.

Among our trades carried on here independently of surrounding towns are, one dealer in fruit and nursery stock, one dealer in pumps and mills, etc., one cattle dehorner, one shoe maker. Of the township offices we have our proportion. And last, but not least, nearly every family reads the TWICE-A-WEEK-NEWS.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2010