Ringgold Record
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
1898

NOTE: This article has been transcribed as it was written in 1898, which by today's standards is not politically correct. It serves as an insight into how things were perceived in the time it was written. -SRB

Mt. Ayr, the county seat and trade center of Ringgold county, is pleasantly situated on a high rolling prairie, almost on the excat geographical center of the county which occupies the highest piece of table land between the two great rivers [Mississippi and Missouri]. It has as healthy a climate as can be found anywhere. The great beauty of this climate is the almost perpetual sunshine. The site of the town commands an extensive view of the surrounding country, with its landscapes of thrifty groves, fields of grain, running waters, the flocks and herds on a thousand hills of Iowa's famouse blue grass pastures, meadows green, interspersed with orchards, farm houses and barns, forming a picture so pleasant that it requires not the conception of poet or painter to force the term "beautiful" from the lips of the beholder.

The city had 1395 inhabitants by the census of 1895, and is populated by a sober, intelligent, industrious, English-speaking people. It does not have the honor of having as citizens any colored persons or unnaturalized foreigners. It has no saloons, and never will have, under our mulct law, which is well enforced. Of our 1400 population, very few are habitual users of intoxicating liquors. Of our business men, the habitual drinker is the rare exception.

It is a matter of congratulation that we have a mayor, marshal and town council who work in harmony to enforce the law against gambling dens and all forms of vice which will undermine and drag down the business, social and moral interests of any community. Our business men sustain a reputation for solidity in business circles. The absence of vulgarity and profanity on our streets is commendable and noteworthy. No inflated boom period has occurred in the history of our city but on the other hand conservatism has marked its history, it hardly keeping pace with the surrounding country, so that we may look for the steady natural growth of a prosperous country town, with no bonded debt nor vacant houses.

Mt. Ayr has three newspapers, an elegant school building, and commodious churches, and these three great educational agencies of the age are well represented and sustained. Our newspapers sustain the reputation among competent critics of ranking very much above the average local newspaper in point of ability, reliability, and of high moral standing, advocating and defending the principles of their respective parties without stooping to the low personal invective, billingsgate style, each and all loyal to the best interests of the town and community. Two are weekly and one semi weekley, representing the principles of the republican, demorcratic and prohibition parties respectively.

The public schools of Mt. Ayr ae among the best in the state. Eleven teachers are employed and 540 pupils enrolled. The graduates from the high school are prepared to enter the state university and other colleges of the best standing. The school building, a three story edifice, including the spacious basement, a story above the ground, was erected last year at a cost of $20,000.

The church organizations are exceptionally strong. The Methodist, United Presbyterian, Old School Presbyterian, Christian and Baptist denominations each have substantial modern church buildings, all supplied with pastors who stand in the front ranks of their respective churches, with well equipped Sabbath schools, young peoples' leagues, Christian endeaver societies, etc.

Those who are "lodgeward" inclined can find a congenial bortherhood among the secret socities of the several orders. . . [rest of the paragraph cut off].

The leading fraternal organizations are all well represented in Ringgold County. The A.F. and A.M. [Ancient Free and Accepted Masons], I.O.O.F. [Indenpendent Order of Odd Fellows], K. of P. [Knights of Pythias], A.O.U.W. [Ancient Order of United Workmen] and M.W.A. [Modern Woodmen of America] have lodges, the total membership of all being 616, or more than one in every eight voters in the county.

Numerically the odd fellows take the lead, with a membership of 260 in the county, distributed among nine lodges at Mt. Ayr, Benton, Ellston, Diagonal, Kellerton, Knowlton, Redding, Delphos and Caledonia. The woodmen rank second with 130 members in five camps at Mt. Ayr, Tingley, Kellerton, Redding and Diagonal. The Mt. Ayr camp has the largest membership of any lodge of any order in the county. The masons are third, javomg 81 members in the two lodges of Mt. Ayr and Kellerton. The phythians have two lodges, at Tingley and Diagonal, aggregating 71 members. The workmen are represented at Mt. Ayr and Tingley, 65 members being their total.

Thus every town in the county has one or more secret orders represented. The oldest lodge in the county is Faith lodge, No. 179, A.F. and A.M., instituted at Mt. Ayr June 30, 1865, with nine charter members. The oldest odd fellows' lodge is also at Mt. Ayr. This is Mt. Ayr lodge No. 169. Of its six charter members, three still belong to the lodge.

Every lodge in the county is in a prosperous condition, nearly all being out of debt and several owning their own halls. In financial condition the Mt. Ayr I.O.O.F. lodge leads, owning a two-story brick building and a surplus of $3000. The odd fellows at Diagonal, Redding, Ellston and Delphos also own their places of meeting, the former having besides a neat surplus, and the Benton lodge is putting up a new hall. The masonic lodge in Mt. Ayr also owns its home.

Within the last six months the odd fellows have instituted two lodges and the woodmen five. The first camp in the county of the latter order was instituted at Mt. Ayr Nov. 13, 1895.

Our business houses are built principally of brick, with a fine court house, costing $40,000, located in the center of a beautiful lawn 280 feet square, surrounded by ornamental and forest trees. Last year a county jail was erected of stone, brick and steel. it is fire proof and one of only a very few constructed in the state conforming to the law requiring the separation of youthful and female prisoners from the old and hardened class of criminals. While it is very seldom that our jail is occupied, the citizens of Ringgold county are justly proud of their county buildings. The property of our city is protected by a regularly organized, well-drilled, effective fire company, with Howe chemical engine, hose-carts, hooks and ladders, buckets, etc., necessary to do effective work in fighting the fire fiend.

Mt. Ayr is a typical rural city. Its high elevation, shady streets, well-kept lawns, beautiful residences and neat brick business houses bear evidence of the substanial prosperity and contentment of its citizens.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2010