Zearing, Iowa 1956 History

Orphe Z. Burkhead and Kenneth L. Cerka, G. R. Osborn, and finally in 1933, William and Hildegarde Banninger.

In 1935, Charles G. and Inis M. Grubb bought The Tri County News from the Banninger family. Charles and Inis were from the deep south. The winter of 1935-36 was a rough one. After several months in Zearing the Grubb family moved to Centerville, Mississippi.

William J. Manchester of Minnesota was the next editor of The Tri County News. Bill published the paper until 1945. He left Zearing to work for The Ames Milepost at Ames, Iowa. The Tri County News was never published again.

After some months without a newspaper in Zearing, Paul F. Talmadge returned to our community. Paul was the son of J. C. Talmadge, editor during the 1920's. He established The New Tri County News. The first issue of The New Tri County News was dated Thursday, November 15, 1945. Paul soon built the paper into a well known Iowa weekly.

Paul F. Talmadge died of a heart attack at his home in northeast Zearing on January 29, 1950. He was buried at Marshalltown, Iowa. The paper was sold by Amy Langland Talmadge to John J. Greenwood of Charles City, Iowa. John came to Zearing on May 1, 1950.

Maurice and Geraldine Butler of Charles City, Iowa, bought The New Tri County News on July 13, 1955. Possession was given on September 15, 1955. John J. Greenwood is the owner of the Greenwood Printing Company at Ames, Iowa, in 1956.

Mabel Armstrong Johnson checked the old records at the court house in Nevada and furnished considerable school information for our history. Denison A. Tisdale and his wife, Louise Heidenreich Tisdale, gave us valuable assistance.

Zearing children attended the country school which was located in the northwest corner of the SW¼ of Section 21. They attended the country school until the school house in town could be completed. The area where the country school was located is called Ike's Grove by local residents in 1956.

The teachers who taught the Zearing children in the country school were:

Maggie Smay—1881-82

James Henry Tight—1882-83

The one room Zearing school was completed on December 21, 1883. It was located northeast of the intersection of Pearl Street and Garfield Street. J. H. McCord was the contractor.

We have the following story from Ellis J. Lewis of Denver, Colorado, telling of the opening of the first town school in Zearing,