By Mike Avitt

This picture appeared in my Snapshots of History article from the September 20, 2012 isue of the Mount Ayr Record-News and I have some additional information, so we'll look at it again.

This photo makes its first appearance in the April 6, 1915 edition of the Mount Ayr Record-News accompanied by an article written by W. B. Buck. The article on page eight brings into focus the desperate need for paved streets and roads. Mr. Buck explains, "Mount Ayr is one of five county seat towns in the state that have no paved streets." He points out our neighbor to the south, Grant City, had their town square paved with brick in 1914 and Mount Ayr would be unwise to pave only the square. W. B. Buck would later become Ringgold County Farm Bureau's first agent when it was organized in early May 1918.

The square in Mount Ayr was paved with brick in 1915 and the street we are looking at here was paved all the way to the depot in 1916. All the streets leading away from the square were paved for one block in 1916, as well.

On the far right of our photo we can see Mrs. J. W. Saltzman's "MILLINERY" sign. Her shop was located about where the south end of the Ringgold County Senior Center is today. She bought an interest in the ladies clothing store in August 1910 from Ethel Marshall. Mrs. Saltzman closed her business in July 1919.

The windmill in the distance was erected in late 1908 to pump water to the new electric plant built north of the depot. In August 1915, Ed Ferber bought and dismantled the windmill used by the power plant.

The building currently occupied by the Early Bird breakfast restaurant (115 North Taylor) was a music store in 1911. Ira Merritt owned the business but moved to another location in 1913. At that time Fielding Sullivan took over the building as a harness shop. Around the late 1950s the building became a tavern and a bar was conducted there until summer 2013.

The building north of The Early Bird was built in 1890. H. V. Greenlee was awarded the construction contract from A. C. Payne. Hayes Main would later have his chili parlor here for about thirty years. Don Friday had a shoe repair shop here in the 1960s and the Ringgold County Neighborhood Center opened here for the first time in 1967. Richard Grose was the first director.

So happy 100th birthday to the bricks on the square. Yeah, bricks are bumpy and loud but we haven't had to repave the square in 100 years. Jus' sayin'.

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2015