In 1981, Clark and Esther Bardole, parents of Nancy Bardole Hanaman, Sharon Bardole McBlain, and John Bardole, compiled an invaluable listing of the businesses in Rippey in 1931; i.e., 50 years earlier. This listing makes fascinating reading for those of us who knew Rippey at later times. The elder Bardoles also designed a map of the Rippey business district, but it is too fragile to present here. Thank you to Nancy and Dale Hanaman for preparing this information for all of us.
(Compiled by Clark Bardole in 1981)
Recollections from Clark Bardole, Map designed by Clark and Esther Bardole
A recollection of Rippey as it was 50 years ago when Clark started to work at the First National Bank, Rippey, in Sept. 1931.
Business places starting at the East End of Main Street on the North Side of the street.
Starting East of railroad tracks.
Kirgis Implements and Corn Shelling
Gilliland & Riley (Stock Buyers)
Stock Yards and Depot
West of Tracks
Hotel-Operated by Ella Brown Feith
Afterwards used as Movie House-Operated by A.V.Lauver and after that cream
and egg buying station owned and operated by Alex Towers
Ferguson & Riley Café. B.M. Riley and Roy Ferguson, owners and operators
Grocery & Dry Goods Store Operated by Allen Senter & Son. -Afterwards a hardware store operated by Claude States. Claude States was also a mortician and had funerals at his home in the house now occupied by Miriam High. Most funerals were held at the churches at that time.
Grocery and Dry Goods: Operated by Mack and Lulu Davis.
First National Bank, Rippey, Iowa: J.H. Van Scoy-Cashier, B.M. Riley, President;
Clark Bardole and Dorothea Dugan, Bookkeepers. (In 1981, Max Riley has been the President continuously for 50 years.)
Barbershop in Basement of Bank: Ira Martin, Operator.
Post Office-North End of Bank: George Fry, Post Master and Halsey Munson, Assistant Post Master; John Dugan and Russell Radebaugh, rural mail carriers.
West of the Bank and also west of Dr. Shipley’s office there still were hitching posts to tie horses to while shopping. North from Post Office was City Fire Hall and in front of it was a watering trough for horses.
Grocery Store and Dry Goods: Owned and operated by Sarah Pelly and her brother. Across the street west of the First National Bank. Crumley and States
formerly operated this store, Halsey Crumley and C.D. States. North of store was a cave for potatoes and other vegetables and Ice House with a barber shop in the basement of store where LeRoy Overman is in 1981.
Cream Station west of store and at one time a hamburger shop operated by Margaret Peterson Franklin
Restaurant- Operated by Harry McDowell
Rippey Savings Bank: Dwight Crumley, cashier, Theo Holmes, President,
Hugo Norgren and Margaret Moore (Burrell), Assistants
Between McDowell Restaurant and Cream Station in the summer time they had outside picture shows. (Silent, of course)
Rippey Mutual Telephone Office-Roy Blakely, lineman, and his wife Mrs. Blakely,
phone operator
Fry Auto Company-Everett Fry (Jigs) and his father, owners and operators. (West from here at one time Thornton had harness and shoe shop and later Floyd Derry had a grocery store.)
On Corner Dr. Shipley office and at one time Dr. Hubbard had dentist shop in basement.
Across the street West was Harvey Van Horn dwelling and filling station.
Glenn States operated the tank wagon.
STARTING AT EAST END OF MAIN STREET ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF STREET ACROSS TRACKS
Standard Tanks and Rippey Oil company-Harvey VanHorn owner and
Jas McCormick was the Standard Oil man.
WEST SIDE OF TRACKS ON MAIN STREEET-SOUTH SIDE OF STREET
Livery Barn-Ira White, Chet Riley and Lewis Thornburgh previous owners and operators. I believe Lewis Thornburgh was the last operator. The owner of the livery barn also ran a dray service for deliveries arriving at depot for business houses.
Meat Market: W.E. Tuttle, owner and operator. Sankey John did butchering for meat markets and also went from farm to farm and did butchering for farmers and as I remember the price was $1.00 per animal.
NW Bell Telephone Company-operated by Hattie Smith King and Frances Bilson Garren. Same building used later for shoe shop.
Osborn Flats, east of corner drugstore above Osborn Drugstore, Cream and Egg station, millinery shop-Apartments
B.F. Osborn Drugstore: B.F. Osborn started in Rippey in 1878 and operated a drug store until his death about 1933. Building now vacant.
South from Drug Store Dr. W.G. Martin, M.D. office. (Later Dr. W.E. Chase office)
Across the street West from Drug Store-Burk’s Garage-operated by Frank Burk.
Town Pump on Burk’s corner.
I.O.O.F. Lodge-in basement harness and shoe shop, M. Adams operator.
South end of Basement used for storage by Burk Auto Company.
Building West of I.O.O.F. Hall now used as Beauty Parlor by Eloise Overman. Previously used as Cream and Egg Station and feed store and Millinery shop.
I believe George Crandall operated the Cream Station at that time.
Dr. Rail was a veterinarian. George Naylor, Plumber, Knute Van Horn worked with wells. H.E. Smith ran dairy and did painting. S.D. McDowell was a painter. Burk and Harold McCain operated Farm Dairy. Harold McClain was also City Assessor.
Carpenters: Art Frizelle, George Mercer and Frank Glidden, John Porter (also known as Aaron) repaired watches.
Town Marshal part of the time Doug Garren and part of the time Everett John. Doug Garren was a brick mason also.
Everett John also did day work and sexton at cemetery. At that time (1931) digging a grave cost $10.00.
Tile ditchers: Everett John, Jesse Ervin, Ed Moore and Phil Miller.
John Dugan was auctioneer in addition to work as mail carrier.
Rippey formerly had their own newspaper but at that time same arrangement as we have now.
O.R. Stevens was just beginning his career as auctioneer and afterwards sale barn owner and operator.
STARTING AT ELEVATOR ON PERCIVAL STREET ACROSS THE TRACKS. Percival Street is first street north of Main St.
Clark Brown Grain Company-John Munson, manager
WEST SIDE OF TRACKS ON PERCIVAL STREET
E.J. Clapp-Blacksmith shop and horse shoeing. Jack Naylor also had a gas pump and lived in same building, just east of Blacksmith shop, on north side.
N.P. Burk & Co.-On south side of street. Owned and operated by N.P. Burk and
his son, Oscar, operated a lumberyard.
On north side of street at 2nd and Percival: F.R. Howard filling station and farm implements. Then on 1st and Percival (where Maxine Johnson lived) was an implement storage for F.R. Howard-Top floor Masons’ Lodge and the building that was formerly a Presbyterian church. West on Percival Street is the Rippey Consolidated School as it as it was in 1931.
Bijo Nichols had a blacksmith shop in the south part of town near the water tower.
Other information in 1931:
Rippey had a semi-pro baseball team. Three active churches, Methodist, Baptist and Christian. All located on the “Church” corners where the Methodist Church now stands. Lodges in Rippey were Masons, Eastern Star, I.O.O.F., Rebekah, Modern Woodmen and Royal Neighbors.
Louis Anschutz (grandfather of Donald Anschutz) was section boss.
Robert Groves (Bob) and Billy Johns both operated corn shellers and lived in the country.
In 1931, there were at least 35 different business places. Lots of business and social activities in the old town. In the summer time on Saturday nights, we had a free band concert in public square on a band wagon. On Wednesday nights outside picture shows shown against the brick wall of what was later Thornburgh’s Café.
With Harry Cofer, Doug Garren and the Kinkead brothers, we had continuous entertainment with stories (some good and some bad). Before one was finished, another one was ready to be recited.
The changes in the farming community and modes of farming likewise changed tremendously. Fifty years ago, I would say at least 95% of the farmers had chickens, milk cows and hogs. In fact the egg and cream checks were what kept most farmers in groceries and provided for other household expenses. At that time folks had very little but seemed to get along on what they had. With horses for farming and raising their own hay and grain to feed the horses, they didn’t have nearly the farm expenses they do now. In spite of modern households and modern farm equipment and electricity, I would say people were just as happy and content as they are now (1981) and who knows, maybe more so.
If I have missed any business places in Rippey at that time (1931), it was not intentional.
CLARK BARDOLE, RIPPEY, IOWA
Jean Borgeson read the 1931 business listing and provided a copy of the map the Clark and Esther Bardole created. It is shown below and helps us see where the businesses were located. Thank you, Jean.
