Rudd to honor 150th anniversary with sesquicentennial celebration

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Rudd, your birthday party awaits.

The small town of 369 residents in northwest Floyd County will celebrate a major milestone Saturday when its sesquicentennial kicks off to remember 150 years as an official town in the state of Iowa.

Called Bennet’s Ford when it was first settled in 1853, then later platted as the town of Danville in 1869, Rudd has a rich history dating back to its founding father, James Smartwood.

Just ask local historian Joyce Navratil, who has helped chronicle important events in Rudd for decades.

“It’s my hometown. The 150th isn’t going to come again,” said Navratil. “I’m old. I won’t see another 50.”

Navratil said young and old have all helped plan out the big celebration that will see a parade run through downtown, people cutting a rug during the town’s street dance and fireworks being popped off at Rudd Lake.

“Tex Kielsmeier is over 80 years old and has put a lot of time in on putting the parade together,” said Navratil. “The younger generation has stepped up to the plate and put a lot of time in to make sure there is a celebration.”

Navratil remembers 50 years ago when the town celebrated its centennial in 1969.

“Oh, I was there. It was huge,” she said.

Old newspaper clippings Navratil has collected say more than 10,000 people attended the three-day 1969 centennial that featured a greased pig chase, beer judging contest, horse show and talent contest in addition to the parade and dance.

Navratil said she was in seventh grade when the schools consolidated in 1959 to form the current high school with Rudd, Rockford and Marble Rock – RRMR.

Navratil formed the Rudd Historical Society in 2012. She helps run two museums – one downtown at 400 Chickasaw Street and the other in the old Wesleyan Church at 210 Hampton Street.

“The stuff I collected was taking over my house and I had to find another place for it,” she said.

Rudd has seen its fair share of changes over the years. The railroad first made a pass through town in the fall of 1869. There was the big bank robbery in 1903 and the fire that destroyed Rudd’s public school in 1913.

Navratil said Rudd hosted carnivals back in 1906, but they died out after time.

The paving of Rudd’s main drag in 1921 – Highway 18 – provided another opportunity for its residents during the “Roaring Twenties.” Prohibition had just been instituted nationwide a year prior. The Great Depression would sink America into one of its lowest points of the 20th Century some nine years later.

Most memories of that era come from the minds of those who are still alive from that time period, according Navratil. Old copies of Rockford newspapers were discarded by owners of the town’s weekly publication.

“Most of Rudd’s history had disappeared. There are very few of the old newspapers left,” said Navratil.

She combed through hours of microfilm at the Rockford and Charles City libraries in attempt to reclaim history and preserve it.

“There wasn’t correspondence in some years so there’s stuff we have no idea what went on in those years,” said Navratil. “It’s gone.”

A decent amount of that time period is capsulized in the church that was gifted to the historical society that now acts as a museum. From old baseball uniforms to memorialize champions from yesteryear, period dresses, war memorabilia or old printing machines, it’s all there to see in person.

Rudd held its quasquicentennial (125 years) in 1991.

“Rudd has had celebrations through the years, let me put it that way,” said Navratil.

So the big question is it is a sesquicentennial or 150th anniversary? What’s the proper nomenclature?

The former librarian had a simple answer.

“I call it the 150th, because that at least you can spell,” smiled Navratil.