Our Yesterdays

1971

Roy’s Upholstery which is operated by Steve R. (Roy) Rusk has moved from the Morgan farm near Rubio to the east half of the Greeson building on the south side of the square in Richland.

Wilford Cox has taken over the school bus route formerly driven by Louie Egbert who resigned. Mr. Egbert will work for Camper Supply and Distributers out of Ottumwa. His territory includes Eastern Iowa and northeast Missouri.

A Davenport man was killed when a North Western freight train rammed his car broadside at a railroad crossing just north of the Bernard Mottet farm on Highway 1.

Jack Schreiner, Ollie, produced a documented yield of 144.5 bushels per acre of corn. We are proud of this outstanding yield because it is a good indication of the kind of corn performance Funk can produce in this area.

1946

Gaylord Yule arrived home with his Army discharge after serving four years and four months in the service with time spent in New Caledonia, Bougainville and in the Philippines.

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hiatt celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Some of the ads were a Closing Out Sale by Mrs. Etta Jones. Announcement ad of the purchase of the Produce and Feed business by W.R. Davis and Son from Harold E. Greeson

1951

A meeting was held at Farson to form a basketball league. There were four schools represented; Farson, Hedrick, Ollie, and Batavia. It was decided to form a basketball league for next year consisting of the four schools mentioned and Agency.

The Pekin, Iowa Post Office closed. The patrons of that office will be served by the Packwood rural route, carried by Walter Clark. There are eleven patrons.

The following excerpts are from an article written by Dora Halferty Chacey in the Richland Clarion, March 1, 1951, entitled The Park and Business Houses Around the Square.

Back in the seventies, I remember that captain Leslie Bassett had a small store, where Dr. Irwin’s dental office stands now, the home of our editors. He kept a sort of notion or variety store. Captain Bassett was our postmaster for a long time. Going east on the south side, was the Bryfogle Harness shop, the Coleman’s General Store, the Robert Isreal store and home attached; then the Logan residence, Andy Logan did all the mason work in our home. The Logan home later became a hotel. Where the Isreal’s were so long, they at last sold to Al Goodwin, who became a well-liked and successful businessman. On east was the Swayze store and residence, last building on the south side. The Masonic Hall occupied the third floor of the Swayze building.

Across on the outside corner, was the Charlton and Stalker Bank. Then across on the east side, it seems rather uncertain as to business houses for I don’t recall any before the Mart Bristow Store. On north, I remember the Morgan Jones residence, then the corner room where the Schreiner Drug Store was located, but both these places were some years later than the ones mentioned before. Then across the corner still stands the Thompson hotel. I was sure it had been built prior to the time that James Brown came with his bride from Ohio in late August, 1856.

A name perpetuated by a district

The town of Pekin is located only a short distance northwest of Linby in Polk Township and was served by the Burlington Western, the first railroad that passed through the area in 1882, but it didn’t enjoy the rapid growth of that enjoyed by Linby.

That is probably because the second railroad that served Linby and caused its rapid growth didn’t serve Pekin.

Pekin straddles the Jefferson-Keokuk County line. It is possible for a person to walk only a few steps from one county to the other and still be in Pekin.

While the town has dwindled to only a few homes and a going elevator business, its name will be perpetuated for many years to come because of the Pekin Community School District named after the little community.

The area was once an auxiliary landing field for the Ottumwa Naval Air Base during World War II. The U.S. Government purchased 36 acres in 1943 and concrete runways were built.

Following the war the Pekin Community School District purchased 90 acres of the government land for one dollar.

Perhaps the community’s only claim to fame is the fact it was the home of the McCreery Family male quartet. It was composed of James, Fred and Harry McCreery and their father, Roy McCreery. Roy’s wife served as accompanist.

The Pekin post office was established December 7, 1903. The hardware store across the street south was owned by Will Eckley. Later Ralph Hayes had a garage in connection with the store. A mill was located a short distance west. The bank was located on the north side of the street west of the general store.

The original railroad that passed through the area was sold to the CB&Q Railroad shortly after the turn of the century and its depot at Pekin was a lively place. There were a number of daily freight and passenger trains each way. Area farmers shipped large numbers of hogs and cattle from the Pekin stockyards.

It was also stated the new town was first named South Ioka after a small community that was already in existence a short distance away in Keokuk County.

A number of acres were laid out in lots and streets as early residents expected the town to grow. But that growth didn’t materialize.

A history of the Pekin Church states the first meeting of the group was held March 2, 1889, at Ioka Station, later named Pekin. Peter Eckley was named chairman. It was reported $787.85 had been raised and labor promised for the church building. There were 105 subscribers. A suitable location was needed for the building. Among a number of sites offered, a site donated by A. Flint in Pekin was decided upon.

George Herman signed a contract to erect the building 28 x 36 feet and 14 foot high posts with arched ceiling and alcove at the rear, for $725 except for the rock foundation. The rock was donated by Alex Patterson quarried from his farm located four miles northwest of the site. The quarrying and hauling was done by volunteer labor.

The church was originally non-denominational with no one group allowed to use the building without consent of the trustees and not more than once a month.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized during the winter of 1893 and 1894. This congregation gained permission to use the building two weeks each month and later services every week.