| 76 | Community History, Zearing, Iowa | 76 |
Christian Church. The man who rode the balloon cut himself loose and descended by parachute without mishap on the first day of the celebration.
On the second day he could not cut himself free and had to ride the balloon to its destination. The balloon came down a short distance south of Zearing. The rider was battered and bruised but was not seriously injured.
The Cairns Brothers tent show played in Zearing on June 3, 1921. The title of the play they presented was, “The Price He Paid.”
In fact, Zearing was host to the Cairns Brothers show for several years. There were seven brothers. The show had its own baseball team. Their team would play the Zearing team in the afternoon before the show.
The first airplane came to Zearing soon after the close of World War I. The pilot spent a busy Sunday hauling passengers. It cost $15 for fifteen minutes of riding. The passenger had to sign responsibility papers before he could ride.
For Trade—August 16, 1923: My little six Oakland, all in good running order with battery and starter. Will trade for a Ford with demountable rims, battery, and starter.—Charles L. Belden.
In 1927, Robert H. Wickham, a pioneer resident of our community, was found dead in the grove at his home northeast of Zearing. He was a bachelor and lived alone. Cause of death was never determined. He was buried the same day.
According to The Tri County News of July 26, 1934, Mrs. Farlow Rubottom of Zearing, and John Dillinger, the famous bandit, attended the same school classes from the third to the sixth grades.
In September, 1939, Catherine F. Norman won the popularity contest sponsored by a Nevada, Iowa, skating rink. The contest was for the girls of Story county. Catherine polled more than 800 votes.
An estimated 40,000 people attended the National Soil Conservation Field Day sponsored by The Des Moines Register & Tribune. The event was held on September 19, 1950, on the Samuel W. Dakins farm, north of Zearing. The weather was ideal.
Governor William S. Beardsley and many other prominent officials were present. Herma Twedt of Roland, Iowa, was crowned the queen. Many thousands of dollars of farm and home equipment was on display on the grounds. The entire farm was given modern soil conservation treatment. A dam was built.