By Mike Avitt

That's probably Ora "Pete" Reynolds riding shot-gun with "Push" and I don't who who that is pulling up the rear. The occasion is the promoting of the Ringgold County Centennial in 1955 and the promotions spilled into our neighoring counties, as well. Mr. Skinner would win first place, in his division, in the parade contest pulling a miniature prairie schooner with his miniature mules.

The business behind "Push" is unfamiliar to me. I've never seen an advertisement or mention of Miller Produce in all of the past newspapers I've read. I do know of past businesses located here, though.

This building is where the Mount Ayr Journal was printed beginning in at least the 1890's. The Journal was a newspaper directed to members of the Democratic Party and the Greenback Party and was one of three Mount Ayr Newspapers until 1907 when the Twice-A-Week News and the RInggold Record merged. Owners included J. S. Shepherd, George Bartow, John Mills, and the son of J. S. Shepherd. George Shepherd. The paper folded in January 1925.

There were at least two radio sales and repair shops in this building after the print shop closed. Atwater-Kent Radio Shop was here in 1931 and Art's Radio Shop was here in 1949. These smaller, older buildings were ideal for businesses like shoe repair shops. William and Frank Kimble operated a shoe repair business in the building to the right of the one shown in this week's picture. Before that, C. V. L. Thompson and Son had a tailor shop here. They also had a limited line of clothing. These buildings were still standing in 1970 when I had my paper route.

Well, this is the 5th Anniversary of "Snapshots of History." The first such article appeared December 23, 2010 and I'll rerun that photo when I get to article number 250. I'll also explain how the article started and what the result has been. While I have some space left, I'll share some (old) news I found recently.

The September 10, 1953 Mount Ayr Record-News told the story of how the Delphos High School closed. School began as normal that year but everything changed one week into the school year. It turns out only four students were enrolled in grades 9 through 12 so high school was cancelled permanently. Grade school continued.

The state highways in Ringgold County were graveled in 1931 using rock from the quarry one mile west of Decatur City. The earliest county road graveling I have found was the Watterson Road which was rocked in 1935. The gravel came from the Watterson Quarry.

Fife's Grove, one mile north of Mount Ayr, was owned by the State of Iowa in 1952 but they turned it over to the Mount Ayr Lions Club that same year. In 1953, upgrading and construction was completed. The work was sponsored by the Lions Club and C. O. Willey was the construction foreman.

Thanks to Cyndi Bennett Sobotka for this week's photo. It is greatly appreciated.

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2016