Anyone you Recognize?

The guy who's third from the right, with his hand in his pocket is Laura Langhold's father, Carl Schwarz. We estimate this to be from around 1912. Can anyone identify any of the rest of the guys in this picture? What were they together for? This was on a post card from Dean's Art Gallery in Denison, IA. The fellow on the far left looks like he's wearing a railroad conductor's uniform- or is he a postman? Was this some kind of church picture?

William Howard Taft was President, Teddy Roosevelt ran against him for the Bull Moose Party, splitting the vote so that Woodrow Wilson would be elected. WWI was several years off. Republican Beryl F. Carroll was Governor.

Steam and Antique Shows

Steam engines from the turn of the century puffed there way around the prairies. No one in charge of the 75th Anniversary history book knew who was in this picture or when it was taken, only that it was on a farm around Ricketts.

Ricketts was known for decades for their famous Steam & Antique shows every summer. Missing the old iron plow horses? Here are a couple of links to help you get back into an old hobby:

Hans Schlosser is an ornamental blacksmith or gatesmith working on all sizes of wrought iron ornamental gates and railings and other items. He's also a mechanic and for those of you who just have to ask, yes he's a trained farrier with a preference for heavy draft horses. Gates and decorative work are his main focus along with draft horse shoeing and manufacturing heavy duty hardware and repairing machinery used with draft horses. He has a video out called "Fire & Roses." He demonstrates his work at a number of Steam and Antique shows in Iowa, here's his website: http://www.beautifuliron.com/steam_power.htm


Steam-Era is the annual show produced by the "Ontario Steam & Antique Preservers Association" held at the Milton fairgrounds in Milton Ontario, Canada every "Labour" Day weekend. Our members are devoted to the preservation and restoration of heritage equipment and bring their painstakingly restored machinery to display and operate at Steam- Era. Here's their website: http://www.steam-era.com
(They had the coolest website when I Googled "Steam & Antique.")

Got any other steam tractor sites you'd reccomend? Let our webmeister know.

Strike up the band!

In the early days, a group of men in the Hanover Township congregation, St. Paul's Lutheran, organized a band. They gave many fine concerts and on special occasions they played during church services. They also played in the surrounding towns for special celebrations- sometimes for as long as three days at a time.

Making Hay

An Excerpt of
Making Hay
By Iowa poet Tom Montag

... put
one bale in place, underway &
my father
carries
back the second/ first
bale parallel
to the end
of the rack,
second
bale next to
it/ right side
of the rack & the third
placed into center/ right
angles to the end
& fourth
& fifth
parallel to
the end/ again. & we are
underway. movement sound & move-
ment jerking as we move
over sharp stubble &
clumps of dirt/ hay
dust fills
our eyes....

The Middlewesterner
http://middlewesterner.typepad.com/middlewesterner
Exploring the heart of the country; or as Nancy Besonen has said,
"Tom Montag is defining the character of the Midwest - one character at a time."

Some historic photos

If you think that Ricketts is a small town NOW, just take a look at what Main Street ORIGINALLY looked like, facing South.

Here's Hugo Ricks and Nick Dryfus working for Dray Line freight. Bet they'd give UPS or FedEx a run for their money!

Presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, John McCain?... yeah, they haven't bothered campaigning in Ricketts yet- but hey, back when the town was only 11 years old and had a population of 102 (not counting surrounding farms) the Governor of Iowa itself came and paid us a visit. Suppose the town of Carroll was named for him?

You named it WHAT?

Family portraits of some of the founding residents (and possibly name sakes). Left, the Henry Ricks family. Right, George Sciford's family.

The folks who put together the 75th Jubilee history book back in 1974 weren't sure how the town of Ricketts got it's name exactly. The Chicago Northwestern Rail Road said only that it was named for an early settler. So why isn't there anyone around here named Ricketts today? Some people think that it was just named for some guy who worked for the railroad.

Turns out it was supposed to be named "Sciford" after the family who sold the land on which the town was built, but Mr. Sciford didn't like that idea and told the town fathers to find something else.

Some say that a bachelor farmer who lived east of town is said to have been the first to have plowed up the prairie around these parts. His name was Ricketts and he died just about the time Sciford declined the honor, so they named the town for him. That would explain why there are not Ricketts families around today.

One last theory was that the Railroad had originally meant to build the depot near the farm of one Henry Ricks (later changed to Rix). They instead built it a mile West but somehow his name sort of became the towns name.

Whatever the reason, they're stuck with it now. One nice thing is that even though nobody named Ricketts lives here, back in 1999 as part of the town's centennial people with the last name of Ricketts from all over the United States held their first NATIONAL family reunion. All kinds of folks, presumably at least vaguely related came from all over and made friends here in "the middle of nowhere."

May 10, 1899

The Ricketts Depot of the NorthWestern Rail Road c. 1906?

I pulled this from the Rickett's 75th Jubilee book, so it's originally from either the Charter Oak Times or Schleswig Leader, but I'm not sure which- May 10th, 1899--- Town of Ricketts--- May 11th Town of Schleswig. These towns will have a railroad soon and are good openings for all kinds of businessess and professions. These towns are in the midst of the best, richest and most prosperous farming districts in Western Iowa.

Men's underwear 19¢
Men's solid leather boots $1.48
Ladies' Oxfords 42¢
Baby shoes for 29¢

Jacob Dieber died of a nose bleed at the age of 33

St. Luke Lutheran, Ricketts, Iowa Celebrates 50th Anniversary

St. Luke celebrated its 50th anniversary on June 20, 1999, with the theme, "Partners in Prayer." Two special services were held and the public was invited to join in worship.

At 10:00 a.m. the Rev. Robert Hines, former pastor of St. Luke, was the guest speaker. A noon meal followed this service at 12:00. At 2:00
p.m. a Festival Service was held with Rev. Richard Kapfer, President of
Iowa District West, LCMS as guest preacher. Following the afternoon service
there was be a fellowship and coffee hour.

Although Ricketts was founded in 1899 with the coming of the railroad, it was
50 years later that the first and only church in town was established. The
beginning of St. Luke Lutheran Church dates back to the first quarter of the
century when service were first held in town.

On April 8, 1949, St. Luke was formally organized at the Aid Assossiation for Lutherans (AAL) Hall. During the summer of 1950 it was learned that Immanuel, Schleswig, Iowa was willing to sell their church building and furnishings to St. Luke. Due to delays in getting the mover and other reasons, a year and a half passed between the purchase of the building and the actual move. The church was moved from
Schleswig to Ricketts in March of 1952.

In March of 1972, a dual parish formed with St. Paul, rural Charter Oak,
Iowa. Then under the guidance of Pastor Gebhardt, St. John Charter Oak, a
vicarage program was begun in 1980. St. Luke was served by nine vicars.

On February 19, 1989, a meeting was held about forming a triple parish
between St. Luke, Ricketts, and St. Paul and Immanuel, rural Charter Oak.
Pastor Robert Hines was the first pastor of the Triple Parish followed by
current Pastor Eugene Ernst who was installed in March of 1994.

J Riessen's entry on Rootsweb

St. Luke Lutheran Church, Ricketts Iowa (LCMS)
PO Box 60
Ricketts, IA 51460-0060
Phone: 712.679.2701
E-Mail: geneviv@longlines.com
Pastor: The Rev. Eugene Ernst
Worship: Sunday- 8:30 a.m.