Middle names were first used as a status symbol by German nobility during the 15th Century. The use of a middle name was not common in the United States until after the Revolutionary War when it was considered fashionable to use the mother's maiden names as the child's middle name.

Where to find Ringgold County's town centennial books that are still in print, Ringgold County books, town museums and contact information, local history books, genealogical materials, school yearbooks, and other such nuggets of information, materials, and resources.

Local Newspaper Office

Mount Ayr Record-News
122 W. Madison St.
Mount Ayr, IA 50854
(641) 464-2440

The Mount Ayr Record-News is available on-line.

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The Diagonal Progress
Patty NEWTON, editor and publisher
505 Jefferson Street, Diagonal, Iowa 50845
Phone: (641) 734-5507  Cell: (641) 344-5599  Fax: (641) 734-5002
E-mail: dprogress@iowatelecom.net

Home Page: http://www.diagonalprogress.com/

Local Libriaries

Mount Ayr Public Library
121 W. Monroe St.
Mount Ayr, IA 50854
(641) 464-2159
mlibrary@mshsi.com

NOTE: Photocopies are 25-cents/page. Donations are welcome

Mount Ayr Public Library Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
1:30 p.m.  -  5:30 p.m.

Thursday
10:00 a.m.  -  5:30 p.m.

Saturday
9:30 a.m.  -  12:00 p.m.

Closed on Sundays

Collections and Resources at the Mount Ayr Public Library
• Local, county & other county histories
• BANNER, Raymond V.  Cemetery Gravestone Recordings of Ringgold County, Iowa A project of and published by Ringgold County Historical Society, 2003
  
• LESAN, Mrs. B. M. Early History of Ringgold County: Cetennial History of Mount Ayr, Iowa 1875-1975
  
• KNUDSON, Ruth BLANCHARD. American Pilgrimage for LESANS, BLANCHADS, and SWEARINGEN, 1974
  
• CORBIN, Bernard & HARDY, Joseph. Across Iowa on the Keokuk & Western and the Humeston & Shenandoah Railroads
      not available for check out but available for reference at the library
  
• Family histories
• Ringgold county atlas, plat maps & plat maps of other counties
• Ringgold Co. federal census 1860-1920
• Oral history collections
• Various county church records (1800-1924)
• Bohemian settlers, 1856-1900
• Zaruba family records 1864-1900
• Ringgold Co. BEALL directories 1896 & 1899
• Misc. cassette tapes of old-timer interviews

Newspapers (microfilm):
• Ringgold Record (1872-1908)
• Twice-a-Week News (1892-1907)
• Mount Ayr Journal (1893-1920)
• Kellerton Globe (1894-1907)
• Mount Ayr Record News (1908-1989)
• Redding Herald (1915-1919; 1926-1947) Redding Rustler & Redding Register (1901 and 1906)
• Shannon City Messenger (1915-1918)
• Diagonal Reporter (1918-1972)
• Tingley Vindicator (1903-1948)
• Ringgold County "Old Timers" Bulletin (1930-1946)

Vital statistics resources at Mount Ayr Public Library:
• Register of marriages 1855-1912
• Birth records for Ringgold co. (index 1880-1897)
• County death records (index 1880-1897)
• Marriage records for county (index 1880-1913)
• Index to wills (1858-1880)
• Gravestone records (1800-1930)
• Cemetery records for county
• Obituary collection for county

Holland FOSTER diorama of Caledonia, Iowa

Also on the grounds are the Hazel Glen School and the Pioneer Museum and National Old Thresherman's Hall of Fame, housed in the former Ellston Telephone Manufacturing building.

Ringgold County Pioneer and Rural Life Museum is open on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. from June through August.
It is also open by appointment. Phone: (641) 783-2155 Fax: (641) 464-2568.
There is an admission fee.

Ringgold County Vital Records

transcribed from regional newspaper abstracts

Births
Marriages, Anniversaries, and Divorces
Deaths, Surnames A - M
Deaths, Surnames N - Z

Surnames Page
Surnames and contacts with those who are researching those families.

Don and Scharmal Connley will do look ups from the book Ringgold County, Iowa Marriage Records 1855 - 1900. Please include all known information for Don and Scharmal when requesting a look up. Thank you.

Ringgold County Look Up Volunteers

Local Vital Records:

Ringgold County Court House
Recorder's Office
109 W. Madison, P. O. Box 523
Mount Ayr, Iowa 50854-1651
Recorder Office Phone: (641) 464-3231
Recorder Office Fax: (641) 464-2568
E-mail: kschaef@iowatelecom.net
Vital Records and Military Records

Ringgold County Chapter Iowa Genealogical Society
204 W. Jefferson
Mount Ayr, IA 50854

Ringgold County Genealogical Society
% Betty Jo Ruby
202 Adams Street
Diagonal, IA 50845-1001

Iowa Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 7735
Des Moines, IA 50322-7735
The IGS publishes an excellent quarterly journal, Hawkeye Heritage.
Dues are $20 per year per person.

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of IOWA

Library
600 E. Locust, Capitol Complex
Des Moines, IA 50319
They charge $5 per one half hour of work.

Information & Hours, State Historical Society of Iowa

Ringgold County Historical Society, Inc.
Mount Ayr, Iowa 50854
Phone: (515) 464-2615

Cemetery Gravestone Recordings of Ringgold County, Iowa
by Raymond V. BANNER
A project of and published by Ringgold County Historical Society, 2003

Genealogical Glossary

 

Genealogy Research Tools Page
Links to off-site tools for genealogical research:
Currancy Converter, Historical Currancy Convertor, Birth Date Calculator