Zearing, Iowa 1956 History

“Zearing's first game will be played at 10:30 a. m. on March 16. Ottumwa will be the opponent.

“Mr. Rost had intended to go with the boys but because of school business he decided to send Mr. Butts.”

I remember the score of the game as Ottumwa 8 and Zearing 5. Kenneth L. Cerka, a member of the team, thinks that was the score. However, neither of us can be certain. We do know that it was a close game.

The first declamatory contest was held at the school auditorium on March 3, 1922. The winners were :

1st—Lois Robinson

2nd—Okal Dakins

3rd—Clifford Van Orsdel

On May 1, 1925, a Story county girls' track meet was held at Shipley, Iowa. The Zearing high school girls won the county championship.

The following points were won by Zearing :

50 yard dash—Ailene Horst,, Zearing, 2nd. Winning time-7 seconds.

Baseball throw—Florine Chance, Zearing, 2nd. Winning distance was 145 feet, 8 inches.

8 pound shot Florine Chance, Zearing, 1st. Her distance was 26 feet, 9 inches.

In 1956, Florine Chance Dudley is living near St. Anthony, Iowa. Ailene Horst Liechty is living in Iowa City, Iowa.

Council meeting, June 25, 1906 Nathaniel R. Clift moved, and Ed Woehler seconded, a motion to buy six Raff Improved gasoline lamps for lighting Zearing streets. Motion carried.

Council meeting, October 5, 1906—Council enters into a contract with John B. Holcomb for lighting street lamps and keeping them in repair at a salary of $8.00 per month.

At a special election held on March 30, 1914, the voters of Zearing granted free use of the streets, alleys, and public places, to Charles L. Belden & Son, its successors or assigns, within the incorporated town of Zearing, Iowa, to construct, reconstruct, maintain, and operate, a power plant for the generation of electricity, and to furnish electricity to the town and its inhabitants for all purposes, and providing for the furnishing of electric energy to the town for all public purposes.

The franchise to carry out the ordinance was approved by the voters on January 10, 1916. The vote was 104 to 2. Members of the town council at the time the franchise was granted were Roy J. Pulley, Cyrus P. Bean, J. Wesley Deal, Henry Hoberland, and Edward (Ned) Adams. A. Deyo LeFevre was the mayor. George W. Phillips was the town clerk.