Richland is the oldest town in the county, and was platted in 1840 by Pryor C. Woodward. Among the first residents of the town were Ezra Bales, Charles E. Woodward, John Noyes, John Raines, Ransom L. Mark, and James Williams. Williams was the first post master. The first house was built by John T. Hoover. The first store was opened by Beriah Haworth in 1844, although a few groceries and liquors had been sold the year previous by L. J. Smith. The first hotel was opened in 1845, by Dr. Tingle. In 1848, Williams and McCracken put in operation a steam saw mill in the place.
Coming Home to Richland (2013)
by Bill Anderson, Long Time Richland Resident and Former Pekin Community Schools Middle School History Teacher
"Starting with an idea from H.J. Hoogenbakker in 1909, the Richland Community Club holds a homecoming every 5 years. In 2009 Richland celebrated their centennial year of Homecomings.
There is evidence to indicate that a former Clarion editor, Mr. H.J. Hoogenbakker was having coffee in the kitchen of Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Robison when he made a remark to this effect, "I never saw a town where so many people come back to visit. Say, why don't we plan a regular week for homecoming, send out invitations and really have a time?" This would have been in early 1909. Next morning he went around the square and his idea caught on like wildfire, so an organization was formed and officers were elected. Thus a date was set and the first Homecoming was held in August, 1909.
Where do you start when you begin searching the past for a glance of over 100 years of Homecoming history? I began my journey by asking the Richland Librarian to gather all of the past records and accounts of previous Homecomings. I hit the jackpot with this request and I soon had the whole collection in my hands. I next visited with Korwin Hinshaw of Hinshaw Trailer Sales. The Hinshaw family was among the early settlers in Richland. My visit with Korwin proved quite productive and added much to my original findings.
The 1909 Homecoming was quite an affair. Mr. J.S. Fearis, a native son, came from Chicago and directed a large chorus. The Mills brother orchestra played and speeches were made by many old timers. He composed the music program used in the Chorus of 40 voices that he had trained. The orchestra rendered the "Homecoming Overture" written by Mr. Fearis for the occasion. One day was "Old Soldiers Day" and was one of the big events of the week. The drum corps met at the G.A.R. Hall and led the procession to the Iowa Central Depot. It was no small undertaking at that time to furnish entertainment and amusement for hundreds, even thousands, for four days and it took months of hard labor to complete all necessary arrangements for the affair. Estimated crowds of 6,000 were on hand, of which most had arrived by train over the three railroads, as that was the principal transportation at that time. Many had not seen each other for 30 or 40 years. From the time they arrived until the c lose of the week, there was much visiting, laughter, and merrymaking. Everyone had a great time and it was decided to hold one every 5 years. World War I came on and the second homecoming was not held until 1919.
Headlines from the Richland Clarion tell the story of each Homecoming over the years. The 1919 newspaper headline stated "Homecoming Was A Great Success - Thousands of Visitors Thronged our City Park Each Day". In 1924 the headlines read as follow - "Hundreds of Old Timers Make Merry - Biggest Event of Its Kind Ever - Old Home town". The 1929 headlines featured the Fifth Annual Homecoming. The first one was held in August of 1909. It was a big success and so was the first one. In 1934, the local press states "We Welcome You Heartily, Enjoy Yourselves." In 1938 the homecoming was a huge success. The Homecoming was held one year earlier than usual to coincide with the Centennial of Iowa becoming a Territory. Then, in 1959, the dates of July 23, 24, and 25 brought us the 50th Anniversary of Homecoming. According to reports, the parade on Friday had 102 units and was over 20 blocks long. It was interesting to note that accounts from that time varied on the number of people who witnessed the parade - form 1,500 to 3,000. Who knows for sure, but the crowd must have been enormous to witness this half a century Homecoming parade. The Clarion reported in 1964 that a Welcome Home Day, Parade Day, and Richland Day was featured. This Homecoming was the best ever - "Three Days of Fun for the Entire Family" was featured for this observance.
No Homecoming was held in 1944 because of our involvement in World War II. The 1949 Homecoming was the largest crowd to ever attend Homecoming. Bruce Robinson welcomed the Homecomers. Pearl Harken McClurg gave the response. George Hendrickson, Master of Ceremonies, got the program off to a good start. A fine fife and drum corps played for 30 minutes.
At this point in my research on past Richland Homecomings, I need to pay a special thanks to the work of the late Loree Roach, who wrote a weekly column for the Ottumwa Courier under the heading of "Worth Mentioning". Loree worked at the Ottumwa Courier from 1942 until she retired in 1977. Her parents were former teachers and then operated the Clarion Newspaper at Richland, Iowa. Her father was also a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for 60 years. Of interest to note is that Loree's father realized that farming wasn't very profitable in Missouri, so he traded his Missouri farm for the Richland Clarion, a weekly newspaper. Although the new owners of the newspapers knew little about small town newspapering, they figured they had nothing to lose, so a swap took place.
At the Courier, Loree worked as a switchboard operator, classified advertising solicitor, darkroom technician, proof reader, photographer and editor of the religion and women's pages. For her, it was a satisfying career.
Much of the history of Richland Homecomings would have been lost if it wouldn't been for the writings of Loree Roach as she traced Richland Homecomings from 1909 to present. The following was taken from her "Worth Mentioning" columns which won her a first prize in the State Presswoman's Writing Contest. "Dateline-Richland. In the heart of every adult there is a warm spot reserved especially for a home town, our home town dear to us. Sometimes the further away it is, the dearer it is.....To really enjoy a home town, it must be lived in long enough to have been a part of its life, not only the fun, but the work...Almost everyone has someplace which he considers HOME. The mobility of our present way of life disrupts home ties quite often and most of us have a yearning to that place called HOME." It is too bad we have to leave our homes to appreciate them most. The songwriter must have left his home and returned before he wrote the line "You'll find your happiness lies right under your eyes, back in your own back yard".
My visit with Korwin Hinshaw of Hinshaw Trailer Sales proved to be most interesting as we talked about past Homecomings he remembers. His first recollection of Homecoming activities was the 1964 event. "We had a carnival and my brother John was running for State Representative for Keokuk County." Korwin reflected on how he felt Richland was a focal point for surrounding communities, It is significant to note that our community is the oldest in Keokuk County. Ancestry has always been important to the citizens of Richland and still exists prominently today. From horse pulling contests to colorful parades have the earmarks of the past Homecomings.
History records that Richland was deeply involved in the settlement of a strong Quaker faith. "Heritage has made Homecoming so successful throughout the many years, Korwin mused. Our town square use to be round with hitching posts and the community was tied together by three railroads less than 2 miles apart."
Richland has grown as a community, but not necessarily in population. Agriculture has been the heart of the community. But as we know, today there are fewer farmsteads and larger farms. Since 1950, the business community has developed strong along Highway 78. Opportunities for employment have increased dramatically in recent years.
The Richland Community Club and its active members look back on previous Homecomings that began back in 1909 and continue to today and think about how we can make next year a special moment in our life again.
Postscript - For some interesting reading and a look at a loving view from the American heartland by a warm, sensitive writer, check your local library for a copy of "Look Ma, I'm Dancing" by Loree Roach."
by Bill Anderson, Long Time Richland Resident and Former Pekin Community Schools Middle School History Teacher
"Starting with an idea from H.J. Hoogenbakker in 1909, the Richland Community Club holds a homecoming every 5 years. In 2009 Richland celebrated their centennial year of Homecomings.
There is evidence to indicate that a former Clarion editor, Mr. H.J. Hoogenbakker was having coffee in the kitchen of Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Robison when he made a remark to this effect, "I never saw a town where so many people come back to visit. Say, why don't we plan a regular week for homecoming, send out invitations and really have a time?" This would have been in early 1909. Next morning he went around the square and his idea caught on like wildfire, so an organization was formed and officers were elected. Thus a date was set and the first Homecoming was held in August, 1909.
Where do you start when you begin searching the past for a glance of over 100 years of Homecoming history? I began my journey by asking the Richland Librarian to gather all of the past records and accounts of previous Homecomings. I hit the jackpot with this request and I soon had the whole collection in my hands. I next visited with Korwin Hinshaw of Hinshaw Trailer Sales. The Hinshaw family was among the early settlers in Richland. My visit with Korwin proved quite productive and added much to my original findings.
The 1909 Homecoming was quite an affair. Mr. J.S. Fearis, a native son, came from Chicago and directed a large chorus. The Mills brother orchestra played and speeches were made by many old timers. He composed the music program used in the Chorus of 40 voices that he had trained. The orchestra rendered the "Homecoming Overture" written by Mr. Fearis for the occasion. One day was "Old Soldiers Day" and was one of the big events of the week. The drum corps met at the G.A.R. Hall and led the procession to the Iowa Central Depot. It was no small undertaking at that time to furnish entertainment and amusement for hundreds, even thousands, for four days and it took months of hard labor to complete all necessary arrangements for the affair. Estimated crowds of 6,000 were on hand, of which most had arrived by train over the three railroads, as that was the principal transportation at that time. Many had not seen each other for 30 or 40 years. From the time they arrived until the c lose of the week, there was much visiting, laughter, and merrymaking. Everyone had a great time and it was decided to hold one every 5 years. World War I came on and the second homecoming was not held until 1919.
Headlines from the Richland Clarion tell the story of each Homecoming over the years. The 1919 newspaper headline stated "Homecoming Was A Great Success - Thousands of Visitors Thronged our City Park Each Day". In 1924 the headlines read as follow - "Hundreds of Old Timers Make Merry - Biggest Event of Its Kind Ever - Old Home town". The 1929 headlines featured the Fifth Annual Homecoming. The first one was held in August of 1909. It was a big success and so was the first one. In 1934, the local press states "We Welcome You Heartily, Enjoy Yourselves." In 1938 the homecoming was a huge success. The Homecoming was held one year earlier than usual to coincide with the Centennial of Iowa becoming a Territory. Then, in 1959, the dates of July 23, 24, and 25 brought us the 50th Anniversary of Homecoming. According to reports, the parade on Friday had 102 units and was over 20 blocks long. It was interesting to note that accounts from that time varied on the number of people who witnessed the parade - form 1,500 to 3,000. Who knows for sure, but the crowd must have been enormous to witness this half a century Homecoming parade. The Clarion reported in 1964 that a Welcome Home Day, Parade Day, and Richland Day was featured. This Homecoming was the best ever - "Three Days of Fun for the Entire Family" was featured for this observance.
No Homecoming was held in 1944 because of our involvement in World War II. The 1949 Homecoming was the largest crowd to ever attend Homecoming. Bruce Robinson welcomed the Homecomers. Pearl Harken McClurg gave the response. George Hendrickson, Master of Ceremonies, got the program off to a good start. A fine fife and drum corps played for 30 minutes.
At this point in my research on past Richland Homecomings, I need to pay a special thanks to the work of the late Loree Roach, who wrote a weekly column for the Ottumwa Courier under the heading of "Worth Mentioning". Loree worked at the Ottumwa Courier from 1942 until she retired in 1977. Her parents were former teachers and then operated the Clarion Newspaper at Richland, Iowa. Her father was also a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for 60 years. Of interest to note is that Loree's father realized that farming wasn't very profitable in Missouri, so he traded his Missouri farm for the Richland Clarion, a weekly newspaper. Although the new owners of the newspapers knew little about small town newspapering, they figured they had nothing to lose, so a swap took place.
At the Courier, Loree worked as a switchboard operator, classified advertising solicitor, darkroom technician, proof reader, photographer and editor of the religion and women's pages. For her, it was a satisfying career.
Much of the history of Richland Homecomings would have been lost if it wouldn't been for the writings of Loree Roach as she traced Richland Homecomings from 1909 to present. The following was taken from her "Worth Mentioning" columns which won her a first prize in the State Presswoman's Writing Contest. "Dateline-Richland. In the heart of every adult there is a warm spot reserved especially for a home town, our home town dear to us. Sometimes the further away it is, the dearer it is.....To really enjoy a home town, it must be lived in long enough to have been a part of its life, not only the fun, but the work...Almost everyone has someplace which he considers HOME. The mobility of our present way of life disrupts home ties quite often and most of us have a yearning to that place called HOME." It is too bad we have to leave our homes to appreciate them most. The songwriter must have left his home and returned before he wrote the line "You'll find your happiness lies right under your eyes, back in your own back yard".
My visit with Korwin Hinshaw of Hinshaw Trailer Sales proved to be most interesting as we talked about past Homecomings he remembers. His first recollection of Homecoming activities was the 1964 event. "We had a carnival and my brother John was running for State Representative for Keokuk County." Korwin reflected on how he felt Richland was a focal point for surrounding communities, It is significant to note that our community is the oldest in Keokuk County. Ancestry has always been important to the citizens of Richland and still exists prominently today. From horse pulling contests to colorful parades have the earmarks of the past Homecomings.
History records that Richland was deeply involved in the settlement of a strong Quaker faith. "Heritage has made Homecoming so successful throughout the many years, Korwin mused. Our town square use to be round with hitching posts and the community was tied together by three railroads less than 2 miles apart."
Richland has grown as a community, but not necessarily in population. Agriculture has been the heart of the community. But as we know, today there are fewer farmsteads and larger farms. Since 1950, the business community has developed strong along Highway 78. Opportunities for employment have increased dramatically in recent years.
The Richland Community Club and its active members look back on previous Homecomings that began back in 1909 and continue to today and think about how we can make next year a special moment in our life again.
Postscript - For some interesting reading and a look at a loving view from the American heartland by a warm, sensitive writer, check your local library for a copy of "Look Ma, I'm Dancing" by Loree Roach."