Ira Businesses-Fires

ARMSTRONG, BARBEE, CAMPBELL, GREEN, HERZOG, PALMER, RUMBAUGH

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 2/12/2018 at 14:13:11

Early Ira businesses suffer ravages of fire by John Britson
(Part of the Jasper County Sesquicentennial 1896-1996 series)
It seems that early Ira businesses had more than their share of fires although almost all small towns of a century ago were plagued by the dreaded fire alarm.
In the early hours of October 21, 1913, fire broke out in the Campbell general store on the east side of Main Street. The fire quickly spread to the Palmer building which housed the post office, a restaurant, and the Palmer residence. Next in line was the Geo. Rumbaugh general store, which was quickly engulfed. The fire then jumped the alley and consumed the Barbee hardware store and residence. A large adjacent barn was also destroyed.
Less than a year later a newly completed two-room school building burned to the ground. In 1915 another fire destroyed a new brick building housing the Herzog general store. In 1924 the Ira Garage caught fire, which quickly spread to a large frame and sheet metal structure used as an implement building and a blacksmith shop. A pool hall and barber shop owned by Wm. Green was next in line, also destroyed. In 1925 fire destroyed the Ira Cash Store operated by Alden Armstrong and an adjoining ice house.
In 1966 an association was formed to develop a water distribution system and this was accomplished. In 1971 a volunteer fire department was organized and two modern fire trucks were purchased. The days of large uncontrolled fires are probably over in Ira…but, alas, too late for the pearly pioneers.
Source: The Jasper County Tribune, Colfax, IA; Thursday, October 26, 1995, page 9