Our Yesterdays

A growing number of residents are coming on board with a project to renovate the Richland School Building. Approximately two years ago, a core group of 12 to 15 people came together to look into preserving the school house.

Chris Henderson and three daughters of Packwood lost their home and all possessions to a fire. Area fire departments responded to the blaze, but were unable to save the home.

Steve Oswalt of Richland joined Hadley Plumbing and Heating as a new tech.

1989 … 34 years ago

Raymond ‘Bud’ Miller, son of Ethel Hanze of Brighton, has announced his retirement as Fairfield Police Chief, effective May 1. He has been chief of police since January 1972. Miller graduated from Brighton High School, served four years in the Air Force and worked for five years in New London. He returned to Fairfield in 1961, where he was employed by Bob Hiatt in the service station.

The Richland Volunteer Fire Department is taking donations for building a new firehouse, with a goal of $25,000 being set. To help keep track of the firemen’s progress, a sign was erected just east of the Union Bank and Trust in Richland.

1979 … 44 years ago

Wilson Terrell has sold his hardware store to Mr. and Mrs. Norman Gott who will take possession July 15. Terrell has been in the business for 42 years. It was first operated by J.J. Terrell and sons Dave and Frank in 1906. J. J. was his grandfather, and Dave his father. Terrell plans to help the Gotts for a while, then enjoy his retirement.

C.E. Tharp, 70, of Gilman died March 31 at Grinnell General Hospital. He was in school administration at Pleasant Plain, Richland, Schaller, Farmington, Pekin, Pella, and Gilman, where he retired in 1975.

1963 … 60 years ago

Mrs. Walter Cox has purchased the Charles Stroud property in west Richland. Mrs. Cox plans to move to town from her farm as soon as a public auction of the Stroud household furnishings can be held and remodeling work completed.

Miss Ella Ward, 96, quietly observed her 96th birthday. Miss Ward is Richland’s oldest lady and is making her home at the Mrs. Helen Hadley Rest Home. Miss Ward is a member of the Methodist church. She has lived in Richland for nearly a nearly half century, and took care of her mother until her death and then lived alone until three years ago when she moved to the Hadley Home.

1959 … 64 years ago

The Hannah Cleaners of Fairfield, South Side Cleaners of Sigourney, and the Fairfield Laundry and Dry Cleaners inaugurated regular pickup and delivery service in Richland. As the Richland Dry Cleaners have ceased business operations in Richland, other dry cleaning firms will service the local territory.

The present status of the proposed Lake Darling Community School District is that the proposal is tied up in the District Court. When the Keokuk, Jefferson, and Washington County School Boards turned down the proposal last winter, an appeal was made to the State Board and the decision of the County Boards was upheld. An appeal to this decision was filed in District Court and that is where it stands at present.

Paul Strathman, former Richland coach, has resigned as head football and basketball coach at Wash-ington where he has served three years since leaving Richland.

1943 … 80 years ago

Kenneth Steinbeck of Rubio has been awarded the Hawkeye athletic board’s scholarship cup at the University of Iowa. Steinbeck, track captain, is Iowa’s best pole vaulter in many years. He tied for first place in the Big Ten indoor meet with a vault of 13 feet, 3 inches, becoming the first Hawkeye vaulter since 1929 to figure in a conference title.

The Richland Fire Department was called to Packwood to help fight a fire at the J.E. McCreery general store. By strenuous effort flames were prevented from spreading to other nearby stores. It has been reported that the Secress Jack Sprat store in Hedrick burned, too.

Loren Hinshaw reports the sale of the Robert Curtis farm south of Richland to Lee Chambers. The 160 acres sold for $125 an acre. The deal, totaling $20,000 was made on April 17.

1928 … 95 years ago

Elmer Steele has had built in his backroom on the east side of the square a refrigerator for the storing of ice. He had torn down his ice house earlier in the season where he had kept for a number of years natural ice. In this storage room Mr. Steele will keep on hand a supply from the Polar Ice Co. and be able to accommodate his customers with pure ice made from distilled water which guarantees its purity.

The dining room suite that the Allen Furniture Co. at Richland is showing are of genuine walnut veneer (not imitation). Eight piece suites are $85.00 and up.

Sheriff Beasley, one of his deputies, and two state enforcement officers swooped down on Wes Jack-son, a recent newcomer in the Silver Hills vicinity, living on the Stewart farm three miles southwest of town, and took possession of a fully equipped thirty gallon still and four gallons of “synthetic” whiskey. Jackson is in jail with a $500 fine and eight months sentence hanging over him.