MASON CITY – What is left of Rayburn Mobile Home Court is being cleaned up.
The former mobile home park is located just northeast of the Rose Bowl at 15229 Partridge Avenue (South Federal Avenue) in Mason City and was once home to over thirty mobile homes.
That number dwindled down to about fourteen trailers about a year ago and then eventually there were only four trailers left on the property, in a serious state of disrepair, clearly visible from Highway 65. It has been said that city officials have been trying to find a way to get the area cleaned up for quite some time.
Jeff Roggeman, a retired iron worker, has been on the scene cleaning up the mess and salvaging what is left. “I started working back here when there were fourteen trailers here. I got it down to four, now I’m just picking up and scrapping what is left,” he said. “I’ve been out here since last year.”
On July 13 at 6:05 p.m., a metal trailer frame that was still hot from a cutting torch caused nearby wood and brush to catch fire and the Mason City Fire Department responded. A fire about 60 feet long and 40 feet wide ensued. “It was a pretty good burn. Our guys were there for awhile,” a Mason City Fire Department official said. A passer-by called in the fire. The MCFD left the scene at 8:27 p.m.
Roggeman says there is quite a bit of metal that can be salvaged, even as the mess dwindles day by day due to his hard work. He said the people that own the property are from out of town and have not been willing up to this point to provide a lot of dumpsters or trucks to haul out the debris so he is left doing what he can.
A large heap of rubble that includes twisted metal, appliances and debris is still there. A few old lightposts are still anchored in the ground, with the house numbers on them.
Roggeman says he’s not sure how much longer the cleanup will take, but he’ committed to staying and finishing the job.
