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Where to find Ringgold County's town centennial books that are still in print, Ringgold County books, town museums and contact information, local history books, genealogical materials, school yearbooks, and other such nuggets of information, materials, and resources.

Images of America: Ringgold County, pictorial history book about Ringgold County by Mike Avitt and Sharon R. Becker, Arcadia Publications, 2011.

Bonnie and Clyde, the book by Sharon R. Becker, Paragon Press, 2011

Local Newspaper Office

Mount Ayr Record-News
122 W. Madison St.
Mount Ayr, IA 50854
(641) 464-2440
(641) 464-2229 (fax)
Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

The Mount Ayr Record-News is available on-line.

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Local Libriaries

Mount Ayr Public Library
121 W. Monroe St.
Mount Ayr, IA 50854
(641) 464-2159
mlibrary@mchsi.com

NOTE: Photocopies are 25-cents/page. Donations are welcome

Mount Ayr Public Library Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
1:30 p.m.   -   5:30 p.m.

Thursday
10:00 a.m.   -   5:30 p.m.

Saturday
9:30 a.m.   -   12:00 p.m.

Closed on Sundays

Collections and Resources at the Mount Ayr Public Library Local, county & other county histories BANNER, Raymond V.  Cemetery Gravestone Recordings of Ringgold County, Iowa A project of and published by Ringgold County Historical Society, 2003
LESAN, Mrs. B. M. Early History of Ringgold County: Cetennial History of Mount Ayr, Iowa 1875-1975
KNUDSON, Ruth BLANCHARD. American Pilgrimage for LESANS, BLANCHADS, and SWEARINGEN, 1974
CORBIN, Bernard & HARDY, Joseph. Across Iowa on the Keokuk & Western and the Humeston & Shenandoah Railroads
    not available for check out but available for reference at the library
Family histories Ringgold county atlas, plat maps & plat maps of other counties Ringgold Co. federal census 1860-1920 Oral history collections Various county church records (1800-1924) Bohemian settlers, 1856-1900 Zaruba family records 1864-1900 Ringgold Co. BEALL directories 1896 & 1899 Misc. cassette tapes of old-timer interviews Newspapers (microfilm): Ringgold Record (1872-1908) Twice-a-Week News (1892-1907) Mount Ayr Journal (1893-1920) Kellerton Globe (1894-1907) Mount Ayr Record News (1908-1989) Redding Herald (1915-1919; 1926-1947) Redding Rustler & Redding Register (1901 and 1906) Shannon City Messenger (1915-1918) Diagonal Reporter (1918-1972) Tingley Vindicator (1903-1948) Ringgold County "Old Timers" Bulletin (1930-1946) Vital statistics resources at Mount Ayr Public Library: Register of marriages 1855-1912 Birth records for Ringgold co. (index 1880-1897) County death records (index 1880-1897) Marriage records for county (index 1880-1913) Index to wills (1858-1880) Gravestone records (1800-1930) Cemetery records for county Obituary collection for county

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Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 01, 2007, Pages 1 and 4

New book lines out land owner history of first county settlers

A new book that maps out the original homesteads settle in Ringgold county is now available.

"Family Maps of Ringgold County, iowa: Deluxe Edition," by Gregory A. BOYD has recently been published by Arphax Publishing Co. of Norman. OK.

This title is a new addition to the historic family maps book series where original land-owners in counties throughout the south, midwest and far western United States are being mapped.

For the first time, historians and genealogists can quickly determine not only where early settlers lived, but who their neighbors were.

So far, over 200 counties around the country and 12 counties in Iowa, including Ringgold county, have received treatment from Gregory A. BOYD, an attorney, genealogist and software engineer.

BOYD spent two years developing the software that allows him to map these pioneers' land-purchases. Arphax Publishing, a Norman, Oklahoma-based company, which BOYD co-founded with wife Vicki, is putting these first-owner maps into book form.

The books that make up the "family maps" series are bing published at a rate of about three new books each week. The project was first announced at the National Genealogical Society's "Conference in the States" in June of 2005.

The real value to these maps for counties in Iowa, is that people can find their ancestors' neighbors and therefore can figure out what families they most likely have married into.

The other value is that users can also easilty go and find the land. These maps make sense of townships and ranges and meridans, and all the things that make up a legal description. Now users can cut through all that and actually go and find ancestral land.

The book is 208 pages in length, and includes 53 total maps, including three maps for each of the 16 Congressional townships that make up Ringgold County. Each township has a patent map (land of first-owners), a patent index, [Page 4] a road map, and a historical map which includes waterways, water bodies and railroads. The road and historical maps also include the numerous city-centers and cemeteries.

There is also a separate surname/patent index and a surname township indix to help readers find the right area of the book for details.

No research tool more quickly and adeptly places the nation's pioneers into a meaningful context with their neighbors. To a genealogist, that means finding lots of candidates for families which potentially married into families they are researching. These books are often called "brickwall" busters by family historians who had all but given up on finding maiden names for their ancestors.

The web-page can be reached by clicking on the "Book Store" like at www.arphax.com. A copy is also available at the Mount Ayr Public Library.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2012

CORNWALL HOME, ELLSTON, Iowa
photograph by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2009

INDEX of HISTORIC MANUSCRIPTS of RINGGOLD COUNTY, IOWA
Ringgold County Pioneer Library
CORNWALL HOUSE
Ringgold County Pioneer Musuem, Ellston, Iowa

"Memories of Ellston" by Mrs. H. H. CORNWALL
Twice-A-Week-News
    Story of first Ellston Commencement
Catalog of first Annual Tingley Fair, 1908
Oldest Ellston Newspaper, 1899
    CORNWALL Collection
Tingley Vindicator, 1906
"Life of Emeline CORNWALL", Part 1
"Life of Emeline CORNWALL", Part 2
Post cards sent by Addie CORNWALL from Europe, 1910
    CORNWALL Collection
Methodist classmate, 1891, CORNWALL Collection
"History of Benton Township and Maloy" by Maxine CARR
Historical Articles about Ellston, Iowa
    Written by Clark JENNINGS, Harley WILHELM, Lloyd JONES, and Luci O'GRADY
Achievements of Frank JACKSON, Champion Horseshoe pitcher
Redding Rustle, 1900, published by Judge Charles LEWIS
Souvenir edition of Twice-A-Week News, in 12 parts, June 1896
    donated by Mr. and Mrs. Flavel MALOY
Part 1 "Elements of Ringgold County Prosperity" by A. C. TALLEY
Part 2 "Prosperity of Kellerton" by Benjamin HARRIMAN
Part 3 "Tingley - An Up-To-Date City" by J. L. GALLOWAY
Part 4 "Faternal Orders in the County" by W. A. TODD
Part 5 "Delphos - A Desirable Place To Live" by Hon. P. L. PRENTIS
Part 6 A poem about Ringgold County by Miss Ollie BEARD
Part 11 "Extensive Religious Interest" by Rev. W. C. MARTIN
Part 12 "The Horticulturial Possibilities of Ringgold County" by Edwin BENNETT
Part 13 "Assorted Biographies and Buildings of Ringgold County" 1896
Part 14 "For Farmers - Mutual Benefits" by Hon. W. S. SHRIVER
Part 15 "The Fine Education and School Facilities of Ringgold County"
    by J. W. WILKERSON
Part 16 "Ringgold County - The Home of Improved Livestock"
    by Charles H. ROBINSON
Part 17 "The Advantages of the Town of Redding" by J. M. BAIRD
Part 18 "Assorted Biographies and Pictures of 1896"
Part 19 "Communication and Transportation in Ringgold County"
Part 20 "Assorted Pictures - Ringgold County Education"
Part 21 "History of Benton and Historic Pictures of Buildings in the County"
Part 22 "History of Diagonal and County Directory"
United Presbyterian Childrens' Sunday School papers, 1895
    CORNWALL Collection
"History of Liberty Township" by Stewart L. THOMPSON, 1914
Holland FOSTER diorama of Caledonia, Iowa

Also on the grounds are the Hazel Glen School and the Pioneer Museum and National Old Thresherman's Hall of Fame, housed in the former Ellston Telephone Manufacturing building.

Ringgold County Pioneer and Rural Life Museum is open on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. from June through August.
It is also open by appointment. Phone: (641) 783-2155 Fax: (641) 464-2568.
There is an admission fee.

FamilySearch.org
A free genealogy site with many records avaiable

Ringgold County Vital Records

transcribed from regional newspaper abstracts

Births
Marriages, Anniversaries, and Divorces
Deaths, Surnames A - M
Deaths, Surnames N - Z

Death Certificate Index
Ringgold County, 1923 - 1933

Surnames Page
Surnames and contacts with those who are researching those families.

Don and Scharmal Connley will do look ups from the book Ringgold County, Iowa Marriage Records 1855 - 1900. Please include all known information for Don and Scharmal when requesting a look up. Thank you.

Ringgold County Look Up Volunteers

 

 

In the 1930’s the WPA canvassed and recorded burials in most Iowa Counties. The link for Ringgold County's Surnames on this database may be found at:

Ringgold County WPA Surnames

 

Ringgold County Chapter Iowa Genealogical Society
204 W. Jefferson
Mount Ayr, IA 50854

Ringgold County Genealogical Society
Sadly, Betty Ruby has passed away.
At this time it is unknown if anyone has taken her place.
Betty will be sorely missed by all of the many people
she has helped over the years
and by those at Diagonal Printing Museum,
where she lovingly and tenderly devoted much of her free time.

Iowa Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 7735
Des Moines, IA 50322-7735
The IGS publishes an excellent quarterly journal, Hawkeye Heritage.
Dues are $20 per year per person.

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of IOWA

Library
600 E. Locust, Capitol Complex
Des Moines, IA 50319
They charge $5 per one half hour of work.

Information & Hours, State Historical Society of Iowa

Ringgold County Historical Society, Inc.
Mount Ayr, Iowa 50854
Phone: (515) 464-2615

Cemetery Gravestone Recordings of Ringgold County, Iowa
by Raymond V. BANNER
A project of and published by Ringgold County Historical Society, 2003

Genealogical Glossary