Even with a small population we have been complacent and have lost our appreciation of what we have in our community.
People with small businesses go about their daily activities - with many of us ignoring or not even realizing they exist.
Immediately below is just one example - what would we do without them???

Home Health Services 800 920-2267

BNSF
Manning once had 3 railroads service the town - fortunately we still have one.
Thanks to Orland Fara and the consortium he formed that purchased the bankrupt Milwaukee RR.
This saved the tracks until a new owner would come along.

Sidetracks go to Ag Processing soybean plant

Even when there is no Pandemic...
This is what you generally see for traffic on Iowa's rural roads.
Basically a grid of 1 mile by 1 mile spacings across the state.
In the distance they are pulling some anhydrous tanks.

West Central Iowa Rural Water Association

Tim Jones' lawn care

Snyder Construction

Out for a walk

You've heard about the panic hoarding - if you do it you only make matters worse.
One governor admonished people who hoard sanitizers - if you clean out the shelf for yourself then your neighbors may not find any - they may get infected because of a lack of sanitizers and then you may get infected by them, so your hoarding solved nothing.

Another governor stated: If you get hungry, the restaurants, cafes, and drive-thru facilities are still open, so you don't need to hoard food at your grocery store.

Warner Welding

Rasmussen Lumber

You can walk in to pick up your order.
If you have difficulty or concerns, the employees will bring your order out to your car.

please help support the local restaurants.

Horizon Equipment

Manning City Hall
Due to the COVID-19 global outbreak, we at city hall are encouraging people to use the drive-up drop-off box outside our building and to call ahead for any needs that can be discussed over the phone. It is important that we do our part to help prevent the spread of this virus.
This is important for other businesses too, if you do not have to go into the building, please use other options, such as drop boxes or a phone to call.
Manning Library
The Manning Public Library will enact the following operating procedures for the remainder of this week (March 16 - 21): Tuesday-Friday, March 17-20 - open for pick up only between 10:30 am - 1:00 pm.; Saturday, March 21 - open for pick up only between 10 am - 12 pm
Call/Email/Facebook ahead of time to reserve books for pick up. 655-2260 or library@manningia. com
Grab bags with 5-10 books will be made available for families or daycares for easy pick up and exchanges. Contact us to reserve a grab bag.
All returned books will be disinfected and placed back into circula­tion no sooner than 24 hours.
As a courtesy to all our patrons who currently have library books checked out, all books will have their due date extended to April 24.
Due to the small size of our library, it is difficult to maintain the recommended six (6) foot distance between visitors, which is ulti­mately what led us to choose this plan of action.
Thank you for your patience during this time,
Manning Public Library Board and Staff

IKM-Manning Sixth Annual Gala Scheduled For Saturday Has Been Postponed
The IKM-Manning Sixth Annual Gala scheduled for Saturday, March 21st, has been postponed. The decision to postpone the event was based on the announcement of the school being closed for four weeks and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommen­dation against social gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.
The Gala committee is grateful to all those who have shown their support and will inform community members of the new date as soon as possible.

Manning Food Pantry Available for Emergency Visits
Anyone living within the IKM-Manning School District is welcome to reach out to the Manning Food Pantry for an emergency visit if needed.
During the visit, you would be required to fill out a basic intake form to see if you are eligible for additional services through New Opportunities, per the necessary program guidelines.
Pastor Robert Riggert has agreed to be the main contact for those needing immediate assistance in this area.
He can be reached at 515.570.3137.

I talked to one of the Post Office employees, and they are following instructions from the head office such as keeping doors wide open during normal business hours.
This way, people won't have to touch the doors and handles to get in and out when they pick up their mail.

Door held open by some bricks...

Obviously we don't have to use "high tech" methods - bricks will work

You don't have to touch any door - just drop your mail in the box

You can still purchase stamps and receive services from the employees
just walk right through the open door.
Now obviously, IF you are coughing and sneezing then stay home and definitely do NOT mail things
Help protect our postal workers and delivery people.

Updates: First National Bank Of Manning & Templeton Savings Bank
are asking for the safety of our customers and employees to please use our drive-up facilities and 24-hr ATMs during this time as much as possible, due to the COVID-19 global outbreak.
Take advantage of our online/electronic banking options.
Appointments with our loan officers are available upon request.

Templeton Savings Bank

Manning Rec Center - all services closed

Manning Dental

Brickhaus Brews

Home Mutual Insurance

Manning Police Department

Napa

Spies Fur

Manning is so fortunate to have a Dollar General that can supply us with the basic food needs.
Hopefully people of the Manning area appreciate this essentials of life business.

Dollar General

Caseys

Main Street March 30, 2020

Fortunately our health institutions in Manning are working with the first 3 "Ps" above.

Accura common sense restrictions and recommendations

MRHC common sense restrictions and recommendations

Since we recently lost our grocery store, I've thought a lot about why, about our history of Manning businesses, and how we can maybe get some of them back - at least help prevent losing the ones we still have.

I think this coronavirus may have a silver lining which will give the whole world a reality check and force us to rethink a lot of things today.
I have no major insight or wisdom, but we had better sit back once we get through this present Pandemic and discuss the way we are doing a lot of things.

Bigger - Cheaper - that is what US society has come to expect/want over the last 4 decades or so.
Japan started making cheap electronics so we started buying products from them in the 1970s and 80s, rather than from our own companies here in the US.
Then because of various reasons, governmental regulations/rules, cheap labor - China and other countries with very few or a lot less stringent rules, started making cheap products, so we started buying from them.

Society wanted less costly (cheap) products, and because we have lived in a relatively peaceful time, with all the modern conveniences over the last 4 decades, and with globalism - now when we find ourselves in a Pandemic situation where China produces 80% to 90% of our antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, we are almost totally dependent on them.
Even if this would be a complete friend and loyal ally, why would our politicians, and large companies have allowed us to get into this situation?

Anyone ever hear of the old and very wise saying "Don't put all your eggs in one basket"?

I've written often about how Manning and most small towns were basically self-sufficient during my parents, grandparents and on back generations...the generations that survived 2 world wars, Great Depression, and Dust Bowl, with basically everything done by hard and long hours of physical and manual labor.

Then over the years because of new technologies, governmental regulations, and large companies pushing out the "small boys" Manning and pretty much all smaller/rural communities have lost most of that business independence.

We have been able to hang on to the very basic needs such as facilities for the elderly, a hospital, and grocery store...but now because of even more technology and people who simply wouldn't support the local store - just because they could easily go out of town to shop, we have NO grocery store.

In 1918, during WWI and the Spanish Influenza Pandemic and for many years thereafter, Manning had 3 railroads, grocery stores, creamery, slaughter house/meat locker, and all kinds of businesses and farmers who produced food locally. We had lots of small doctor/hospital like businesses and the Wyatt Hospital was not yet established but the Wyatt family of doctors was here and built the Wyatt Memorial Hospital in 1926.
Orren Wyatt, who built the hospital, named it in honor of his partner and brother, Merlin, who died from the 1918 Spanish Influenza.

What if we wouldn't have our present hospital and elderly care facilities during this 2020 Pandemic?
Would we now be in a better position without them during this Pandemic?
Having these facilities won't stop the coronavirus from getting here, but at least we won't have to drive or be taken by ambulance to the surrounding towns with hospitals...same if we wouldn't have homes for the elderly. Would you rather travel 20 to 30 miles to go visit a parent/grandparent during this Pandemic?

One thing I'm sure this 2020 Pandemic will do is force attitudes and minds to change...here and around the world...and SOME of those changes will be going back to certain aspects in the way our society use to operate and more importantly to supporting our local businesses.

Below is just ONE of multiple hundreds of ways the Manning community was self-sufficient in the past.
I recently purchased the first 2 Snow's Dress Making pictures on the Internet, shown down below...the rest I've scanned from various Manning collections over the decades.

From the 1981 Manning Centennial book
Since the 1920s, Manning has had access to many well-trained beauticians. Nanny Miller was the first; her shop opened in 1926 in the second floor of the Martens Store at 309 Main (now the liquor store). The beauty shop was to the rear, with the Snow's Dressmaking School, taught by Nanny's sister Felicia, being in the front of the building.
Manning young ladies of the area attended the Snow's School of Dressmaking between 1910 and 1925. One of the classes, which included Margaret (Ehrichs) Brus, is shown modeling the latest in dresses and hairstyles.
Young ladies graduating from high school in the late 1800s and early 1900s had little chance to further their education. While their male counterparts could go on to business schools or college, the young women were usually discouraged from these schools; they were guided instead to music or dressmaking classes.
Manning was fortunate in having an advanced training program called Snow's Dressmaking School, where young women could perfect their sewing skills, learn to make patterns, measure materials, and cut and sew garments. At the conclusion of the six-week course, the students made a dress for another woman.
The school opened about 1910 at the second floor of the Rober-Wehrmann Store. Felicia (Jans) Albert-Campbell and her sister Nanny Miller were the first owners. About three years later, they sold the school to sisters Hulda Jensen (Mrs. Clarence Grundmeier) and Minnie Jensen (Mrs. George H. Struve), who employed their sister Nora (Mrs. Frank Musfeldt). Miss Viola Horn, the third owner, continued the school until 1926.
Between 15 and 25 students attended each session; they came from Manning and many of the surrounding towns. Some of the students were just out of high school, while others were older. A few used their skills to enter the dressmaking business, but most wanted the training for their own personal use.
In addition to teaching classes, Miss Horn was a local dressmaker. She also opened the school on Saturdays to Manning school teachers, who were charged $1 a day to use the sewing machines, irons, and other equipment, and receive advice when needed.

To Opal from Mary written on back

Other members of Snow's Dress Making class not pictured: Adale Johanna, Gray; Marie Meyer, Gray; Eva Armstrong, Marie Christensen, Aster; Minnie Fasking, Agnes Jensen, Halbur; Mrs. Claus Nielsen, Manning; Myrtle Hambleton, Guthrie Center; Hulda Jensen, Manning

Right side front is Jessie Nissen and to her left is Minnie (Hansen) Bruhn

Back Row: #1 Bertha (Fredricksen) Joens - Mrs. John Joens, #8 Selma Derner
Front Row: #1 Hulda Jensen Grundmeier Mrs. Clarence Grundmeier, #2 Minnie (Jensen) Struve

Nellie Ohrt in the second row, second from the right in the sailor's dress she made.

It is possible this picture was taken in Aspinwall - it came from the Emma (Schroeder) Schilling collection.
If not in Aspinwall then probably somewhere in Manning for one of the parades.

Made by Emma at Snow's Dress Making - actual size 49 x 14 inches