VILLISCA''s SESQUICENTENNIAL - 2008

scroll down for more information

~~~~~~~

History - It is each of us - it is all of us. ~~ Liz Murray in Homeless to Harvard

Historically, Villisca provides an environment in which people flourish in-cluding a distinguished FFA Chapter and a broad range of extracurricular programs at the schools challenging both students and parents. It continues to host a summer theatrical production at the Rialto Theatre as well as winter student productions.

"We can't innovate, we can't grow, we can't be competitive, we can't increase our living standards and provide a prosperous and sustainable future for our children and grandchildren unless we preserve, protect and use our history."

-- Richard Florida speaking to the National Trust on Historic Preservation

Dave Higgins has written some remembrances of his teen age part time job in Villisca in his high school years. It is an interesting look at life in Villisca in the 50s. Dave writes "I graduated in 1960, married my high school sweetheart, Jeanette Marvick and we left Villisca in Dec 1963 after we were married in the Meth. Church. My Mom and Dad lived there until 1983, Mom was the librarian and my Dad ran City Hall." Dave is working with Mary Hansen toward some promotion of the Villisca Historical Society so stayed tuned to hear more from him.

Remembering the Town and Country Grocery Store

By D.L. Higgins

I was 15 years old in 1957 and one of the town kids who was lucky enough to have a job to put a little money in my pocket. Many of us in town worked at local gas stations, mowed yards or kept our eyes open for any chance to earn a "buck". The big money was in the farm work if you happened to get a job haying, detassling corn or weeding beans. I had the opportunity to work for Ed and Tillie Weiner in their Villisca Fruit and Grocery store located on the NW corner of 3rd Avenue and 6th Street. I enhanced my understandings about responsibility, reliability and courtesy while working there. Those attributes served me well in later life.
There were several others who worked there, those that I recall were, Mildred Hefflefinger, Irma Patterson, Walt Webster, and Howard Miller. They were the full time people that were raising families and meeting the other responsibilities that grown ups do. There were two other "bag boys" working there at the same time, Judd Nordyke and Richard Phillis.

Believe it or not one of the key elements of the Weiner grocery business was home delivery of groceries that were phoned into the store by the many customers in Villisca. Tillie or one of the other ladies would receive the orders and then place the order into a wire basket. The basket was then filled with the order usually by one of us bag boys. It would be checked by Tillie to insure accuracy and then once enough orders were placed they would be delivered to the many customers throughout Villisca, from High Street to Ninth Street and to all points between. There were at least two groceries in Villisca that were making home delivery, Hy Vee and Weiner's. Joe Lines may have also made some home deliveries on occasion. There are other related stories for the delivery truck but I won't mention those due to the statute of limitations! Ed's delivery truck's suffered at the hands of his teen age delivery boys but he never blinked an eye when problems occurred!

The Weiner family was very proud of the new and aptly named "Town and Country" store which they had built directly across the street from their old store. A recent trip to Villisca confirmed that the old store is no longer there. I think the new building was probably one of the first new construction projects in Villisca at that time. I don't know how long Ed and Tillie ran their store in the old location before they moved to their new store. I do remember all of us moving the store and most of its contents. There was a full basement in the old store and it was chock full of canned goods and other non-perishable goods. I think the moving probably took longer than I recall, but I do remember closing the store on a Saturday and opening the new store the next week. It took quite a bit of effort to move out all of the items into the new store.

(continued from left hand column)

The biggest day of the week was probably Saturday and the store was closed on Sundays, typical for those times. Many of us remember the by-gone days of Villisca's larger population, 11 man football and girls basketball that had 6 players! I think the Villisca Welcome sign used to read "Home of 2002 Friendly People". For me it brings back fond memories of my teen age years and growing up in a town like Villisca.

The population on Saturday night increased considerably with the weekly trip to town for goods and groceries, an evening meal and perhaps a picture show at the Rialto. Parking was at a premium with spaces on the South and West side of the city square being filled quickly. Bumper to bumper activity up and down 3rd Avenue was not uncommon.

Ed and Tillie were gracious hosts to their customers, always courteous and friendly. Ed always managed to be around the front door to welcome folks to his store and Tillie was diligent at the book keeping and the efficient running of the store. I don't think a stranger ever walked in their store, everyone always received a greeting. Dik and Howard, their two sons, were always helping in any way they could.

Closing the store in the late evening on Saturdays was a weekly ritual. The 'bag boys' anxiously awaited for the decision to close for the night. It was our duty and high light of the week to wash, wax and buff the aisles in the stores. Once completed we were able to pick up our paychecks and head for Sierp's for some of those .50 cent burgers and malts! A walk down those aisles today reminds me of how big I thought they were at that time but they seem to have shrunk now! I always manage to make a trip to the store when we are in Villisca, oh I almost forgot, I also try to lasso at least one tenderloin sandwich when in the area.

The Town and Country was good for Villisca then and it remains so today under the ownership of the Munstermans. It was a vital piece of the fabric that makes up "Small Town America". Ed and Tillie were good business people and citizens, they were good for Villisca and Villisca was good for them.

Dave Higgins
Sierra Vista Arizona
Sept 2007

On October 31, 2006 Dr. Ed Epperly gave the famous axe from the 1912 unsolved Villisca Ax Murders to the Villisca Historical Society. Mary Hansen, with Elinor Brown and Susie Enarson, received the ax on behalf of the historical society at the State Historical Society in Des Moines.

• Fund-raising ideas for building preservation
• Locate a building to house collections
• Genealogy study of Villisca residents
• Research country schools in the area
• Research the history of town including early residents
• Preserve documents regarding the Villisca Axe Murder
• Identify collectors’ items and money sources
• Explore grant-writing, membership drive, alumni association cooperation
• Media publicity
• Program ideas – speakers
• Network with neighboring Historical Societies

Villisca's Unsolved Ax Murders

On Sunday night, or early on the morning of Monday, June 10, 1912, Villisca was the scene of one of the most vicious crimes in all the history of the world. While the city lay sleeping, following a peaceful Sabbath, some fiend incarnate entered the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Moore on East Third street, and, wielding an ax, murdered eight people while they slept in their beds. ...

Villisca Review copyright 2000

On the evening of June 10, 1912, Children's Day, six members of the J. B. Moore familyand the two daughters of Mr. & Mrs. J. T. Stillinger were brutally murdered with the heads of all crushed with an ax.

The murderer was never found. The murders have affected the very fabric of life in Villisca even into the 21st Century. Non-fiction and fictionalized books have been written about the murders, as have film and TV presentations. It has caused a 50-year inquiry by Dr. Ed Epperly.

Carolyn Gage, publisher of the Villisca Review further wrote:

"As is evident, time did not ease the memory of the crime nor did it quiet the gossip.

"No one was ever convicted of these crimes; this certainly altered the lives of all those who were close to the incident. Even now, 88 years later, there is speculation.

"While it is not pleasant for Villisca to be remembered as the site of these murders, it is foolish to ignore what happened. History, no matter how painful, should never be rewritten. Furthermore, it is to the community's credit that no one was 'railroaded' just to bring an end to the incident."

Villisca Review copyright 2000

"The homecoming was joyous - an exuberant hug frozen forever by a camera's flash.

"A homecoming, though, is more than a happy ending. A war hero and his loved ones receive no exemption from life's heartaches - cancer, strokes, bankruptcy, alcoholism, loneliness, the sudden death of a daughter whose embrace was so warm. ...

"At depots across America, the scene was repeated countless times as fathers and sons and husbands returned from battle. Implicit in the joy of each homecoming was the understanding that more than a quarter of a million families grieved for soldiers who would not come home." click here to read the story

Tyler Brothers, now Atlantic Bottling Company, has been a big part in the history and heritage of Villisca. In 1909, brothers Harry and Henry Tyler became partners in an ice-cream and dairy business in Villisca. Three years later, they bought a creamery in nearby Clarinda, and while sorting through papers found in the creamery's warehouse safe, a document granting a Coca-Cola franchise to the business.

The brother's concocted some of the bubbly beverage and bottled it to sell alongside their flavored soda waters. By 1930, they were producing soft drinks full-time, with plants in several towns.

Harry and Henry raised their families in Villisca and their children were graduates of Villisca High School. Harry and his wife Lois' children were Joyce and Jim. Henry and his wife Ethelda's children were Geraldine, Donald, Robert, Kenneth, Carolyn and Marilyn.

In 1949 Harry and Henry divided the business for estate purposes. Harry kept the Atlantic and Creston bottling plants and Henry acquired Shenandoah, Clarinda and Grand Island plants. Harry's son, Jim, joined the business as a bottle washer and eventually became president of the company that on April 1, 1975 also took over the huge Des Moines Coca-Cola franchise.

Today, the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company is one of 100 entities authorized to sell Coca-Cola products in the United States. Producing nearly 24,000 cases of canned and bottled soft drinks each day, the company lists Coca-Cola Classic as its top seller.

Jim Tyler is chairman of the board and Kirk Tyler, his son, became president of the company in 1991.

photo is of the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company truck in the 2005 Heritage Days Parade

The Naming of Sylvia Enarson Elementary School

The following was written by Kris Gourley, VHS Class of 1968, who submitted the suggestion that the new elementary school building be named for Sylvia Enarson. Gourley wrote it in response to being as to submit a story about a teacher who made a difference in her life.

"She used to call me her "little Norwegian." Of course she had taught my parents and she knew my grandparents, so I knew I had to behave in her classroom.
"Her name was Sylvia Enarson, but to all of her students she was lovingly referred to as "Miss Enarson." She dedicated her life to the profession of teaching. She not only taught us the three "R's," but she also taught us a great deal about life.
"Miss Enarson was a no-nonsense, old-fashioned teacher who taught school in rural Iowa most of her adult life. She took this role in life very seriously because teaching was her life. She never accepted the fact that some children might not succeed in school. She gave private instruction after school to anyone who might need additional help. She mad learning fun. She loved spelling bees and games that made history more fun to elementary students.
Miss Enarson probably taught every grade level that there ever was. She was originally a country school teacher. She taught fourth grade when I first met her. She was an elementary and junior high principal. She truly cared about children. She was a great role model for many young people. In those days teachers like Miss Enarson had to be the counselor, the lunch room monitor, the school nurse and the remedial teacher. The days were long and I doubt that the pay was great.
We started each school day with a flag salute and a prayer. We were taught to respect other people, to take care of our desk, our classroom and "our space," whether it was at school or the planet we inhabited. These values made a lasting impression.
Sylvia Enarson valued the basic skills of life, whether it was reading, spelling, arithmatic, penmanship, history or science. She made the time to see that each student succeeded. It was almost a religion with her, a matter of faith. She deomonstrated daily her belief that each child had worth and could succeed at their own level.
When I was in fifth grade I had the opportunity to enter a contest to name a new elementary school in Villisca, Iowa. I submitted my suggestion and had to write why I chose this name. I suggested "Enarson Elementary" and I won. It was a thrill for me and many of her students to honor a teacher who had dedicated more than 40 years of her life to service in education, but even more than that, she was there to enjoy the honor. ....
Miss Enarson would not have understood the need for word processors, calculators, computers or fax machines. What she did understand was the serious need for a good education. She would have noticed a well-written letter, someone speaking clearly, concisely and loud enough to be heard at the back of the room. She would have noticed if you were dressed appropriately, if your hair were combed, how you treated others.
We've come a long way in education since those days, and I am glad for the progress, but I still believe that some of the old-fashioned basics and values of that simpler life can be appreciated and taught today.
Like many teachers she probably never knew the profound effect that she had on many of us. She made a lasting impression on my life and on the lives of many young people in a small southwest Iowa farm town.

Kris (Gidley) Gourley now lives in Derby, Kansas. Kris is the daughter of Ed and Lea Danielson Gidley and the granddaughter of Ernest and Pearl (Johnson) Danielson.

Villisca Historical Society
Preserving the Past, Enlightening the Present, Giving Vision to the Future

Honoring Dr. Ed Epperly

December 13, 2005

In the summer of 1955, 50 years ago, a young college student arrived in Villisca with a burning interest in learning more about the infamous "Villisca Axe Murders". This interest was met with distrust and wariness, as local people did not want to see the story sensationalized and the victims exploited.

Through quiet but persistent inquiry, this young man slowly pieced together the facts and discarded the rumors that had grown up around the story. His original purpose was simply to write an Iowa history paper for his college class that was a little different from everyone else's.

Dr. Epperly in Cedar Falls in front of the Blackhawk Hotel near 1955. He stayed there as a UNI student. UNI was a state teacher's college in those days.

In the years that followed, he continued his dedicated research and study and later, in the 1980's, he was asked by Iowa Public Broadcasting to come to Villisca to narrate and give information on a story they were doing about the murders. There was still a feeling that "This is not his story, why is he the expert?"

But it became evident that he did know the whole story, better than any of the local people and he had a very good way of telling it. He did not take sides, he did not offend anyone, he could make a joke and lighten the situation very easily. All in all, he was very respectful of the event and of the feelings of the town. He was unselfish with his time and came to speak at local events whenever asked.

At this time, we would like to commend that student who has dedicated so many years, Dr. Ed Epperly, for his careful, considerate handling of the story of our town. His meticulous research and conscientious handling of the facts has helped local people to better understand the story and he has helped to make the movie "Villisca" an accurate depiction of the times and the feelings of the community.

Representing the people of Villisca, we the Villisca City Council and The Villisca Historical Society, thank you Dr. Epperly, for 50 years of caring and interest in our community.

City of Villisca
Larry Figgins, Mayor
Villisca Historical Society
Mary Hansen, Elinor Brown, Susie Enarson

4.22.05 By DOUGLAS BURNS
Times Herald Staff Writer
(3-1/2 Stars)

Several major U.S. newspapers, perhaps succumbing to the hyperbole of the times but staying within the bounds of reason, labeled the 1912 Villisca ax murder-massacre one of the more notorious crimes in American history.

That slaughter of eight people, including six children under 12, on a June night generations ago remains an unsolved crime. To be sure, it is one of the creepiest, compelling episodes in the history of the state, and the fact that more Iowans, particularly in the western part of the state, don’t know about this case is evidence of a breakdown in the teaching of Iowa history.

Then again, that oversight might preserve good nights of sleep, because delving into the history of this monstrous case of seemingly inhuman evil is not for the faint of heart.

“It’s just as shivering now as it was then,” says one elderly Villisca woman interviewed in the critically acclaimed documentary movie, “Villisca: Living With a Mystery,” which opens today at the Carroll 5 Theatres.

There is a Carroll connection to the massacre. The only man ever tried for the crime, the Rev. Lyn George J. Kelly, preached at the Carroll Presbyterian Church for about a year after the massacre and several people from this city testified in the sensational cases. He left the courtroom a free man both times, but to this day, theories persist about the minister.

U.S. News & World Report this week published a cover story on the “C.S.I. effect” on juries, the influence of the popular “Crime Scene Investigation” trio of television programs on the American judicial system.
For devotees of those highly rated programs, “Villisca” will not disappoint. If the murders had happened in New York City or Chicago or even New Orleans, instead of rural Iowa, the case would rank among the most infamous, most frequently referenced in film and popular culture.

First and foremost, it’s unsolved. The characters range from a powerful state senator to his nemesis, a Texas detective full of tricks, clever and dastardly, and with an outsized personality an Oscar-toting screenwriter could never create.

In addition, this movie — which the Daily Times Herald gives 3-1/2 out of 4 stars — is an intriguing one because it so deeply examines the culture and history of western Iowa, not only at the turn of the century, but today. Generally, our cinematic experiences involve watching people with coastal sensibilities, people from New York or California or other urban areas. Seldom do we see our own rural way of life on the big screen. While it is true that “Villisca” is ostensibly about murder, it is also about Iowa, ordinary Iowans.

“In the course of investigating the crime, dozens of otherwise obscure lives stood out in high relief, anonymous lives that, if it had not been for the relationship to this sensational event, would have remained obscure,” says Ed Epperly, a retired Luther College professor who has studied this case for 50 years and is the chief historical consultant for the movie.
Epperly is right, and this is what helps make the movie.
Kelly Rundle, the producer-writer of the movie, told me in an interview that several Iowans have said the movie wonderfully captures both the historic and cultural aspects of western Iowa. I agree wholeheartedly with that assessment.

Years in the making, “Villisca” is full of old photos, fascinating interviews, re-enactments and even a “C.S.I”-like computer-generated model of the crime scene, the latter of which is used to offer a new theory in the long-running debates about the identity of the culprit.
There is also a lesson in the movie — beyond looking in your closets or under the bed for an ax-wielding killer, an effect this film reportedly has on some people.
The unsolved crime, the source of rumors and innuendo and outright finger-pointing between families and factions, ripped Villisca apart.

The movie exposes so much of what is wrong about small-town Iowa life — the pettiness, the clannishness, the jealousies and a barely concealed and always brewing animosity between the prosperous and educated and the working classes, all of which are elements festering in communities like our own today.

At the Daily Times Herald we would never fall into the cliched trap of calling any movie a “must-see,” but “Villisca” comes as close to meeting that billing for Carroll residents as any film Fridley has shown here in years.