AINSWORTH PHOTOS

       From the 1936 Centennial publication by the Washington Evening Journal: When the railroad went through Washington county Iowa in 1858 the present town of Ainsworth was laid out by D. H. Ainsworth and named in his honor.

      A gentlemen, writing of Ainsworth in 1864, just six years after the town was first located, says: "Ainsworth is the name of the first station on the railroad east of Washington. It contains a good grain house, two stores, a steam grist mill and several hardware shops. Although it is but a small town now, it is situated in a good neighborhood and having railroad facilities may in the future rank next to Washington in importance."

      The rather large postcard collection owned by Bill and Joann Yagle  included many towns in southeastern Iowa. Primarily in and around Louisa County, Iowa.  Helen Aringdale also had a few photos from towns just outside of Louisa County so most of the scanned images I have from Ainsworth, Washington County came from one of them. 

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

ains_1908.jpg (23069 bytes) 

Ainsworth as it looked in  1908. Source: An old postcard probably owned by Bill and Joann Yagle of Wapello, Iowa as I copied many of their old postcards.

  ains_lcbridg.jpg (61327 bytes)   

Long Creek Bridge near Ainsworth Source: An old postcard owned by Bill and Joann Yagle.

ains_mechurch2.jpg (77335 bytes)   Methodist Episcopal Church. 
                        Source: an old postcard

ains_1920school.jpg (43941 bytes) Source: An old postcard owned by Bill and Joann Yagle of Wapello, Iowa

Ainsworth High School built in 1920. Dedication in February 1921
Source: Washington Democrat 2-19-1921 newspaper clipping of dedication.

 

ains_1928girls.jpg (86578 bytes)

Feed sacks trimmed in red ruffles were costumes for these Ainsworth High School girls in a play back about 1928. BACK L-R: Pauline Clegg, Virginia Moore (now Mrs. Carl Oster­houdt of Polk City), Helen Acheson...
Source: Des Moines Sunday Register ~ 12 July 1970