Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, July 14, 2011

A new pictorial history book illustrating the history of Ringgold county through vintage photographs dating back to the 1840s is being released this week. This book, "Images of America: Ringgold County," will take readers on a nostalgic trip down memory lane through the towns of Mount Ayr, Caledonia, Diagonal, Ringgold City, Beaconsfield, Redding and the former town of Knowlton. The images and brief information on each picture were put together co-authors Mike Avitt and Sharon Becker.

A book signing will be held during the Smokin' in the Ayr Days event Saturday, July 23, at the Depot Museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. where the book will be available.

Readers will get a glimpse of the first Hy-Vee store (founded in Beaconsfield in 1930) and many other important community landmarks such as churches and schools. They'll also see many photographs of the people and families that contributed to making the county what it is today.

"Anyone who grew up in Ringgold county can look at the pictures in this book and tell multiple stories on many of the photos. Our ancestors built these schools and churches; they drove these roads and tilled this soil," said Mike AVITT, who co-authored the book with Sharon R. BECKER.

The book will be available at area bookstores, independent retailers, online retailers and through Arcadia Publishing at (888) 313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com

Mike AVITT moved to Mount Ayr when he was 14 and has spent much of his life in Ringgold county. He is active with the Mount Ayr Depot Preservation Corporation and has written a history column in the Mount Ayr Record-News.His Snapshots of History column continues weekly in the Mount Ayr Record-News. His first book, "Pages and Pictures from the Past … Ringgold County, Iowa 1855-2005" was published in April of 2009.

Sharon R. BECKER grew up in Decatur county on a Century farm located northeast of Grand River. BECKER, who is self-taught, puts her computer skills to work as co-ordinator for both of IAGenWeb’s Ringgold and Cerro Gordo county websites. She is a co-coordinator of IAGenWeb's History website, writing many articles for this project. She is also an avid photographer and has had poems and short stories published in several state and national publications.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, July of 2011