Story County Historical Alliance

Nevada - Murder Mystery Dinner - February 25 and March 3, 2012

2012-02-01T18:40:00.000-06:00

The Nevada Community Historical Society is again presenting a Murder Mystery Dinner at the Dyer-Dowell House on 5th Street. You can participate in this either Saturday, February 25th or Saturday, March 3rd beginning promptly at 5 p.m. Advance tickets ($25) are required and can be obtained by calling Maxine at 382-6703 or Paula at 382-4005.

Slater Area Historical Association Annual Meeting and Luncheon - February 15, 2012

2012-02-01T18:14:00.001-06:00

The Slater Area Historical Association has its Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. Lunch is at noon and the meeting begins at 1:00 at Heritage Hall. Members, guests, and anyone who is interested in learning more about the Association are invited. More details in their Winter Newsletter and soon on their website.

Ames Historical Society Has New Old Town Brochure

2012-01-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

The Ames Historical Society has a new brochure showing many of the historic houses of the Old Town Historic District. This 28 page PDF describes the history of many houses in the area between 7th and 9th Streets from Duff to Clark.Avenues. This 12 block area was designated a local historic area in 1989 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The pictures and description show the history of homes in Ames from the 1870's to the mid-1920's. Included in the brochure is a suggested walking tour.

The link to the 26 MB PDF can currently be found on the main Ames Historical Society page. If this changes, we'll add the new information here.

Ames Historical Society 2012 Lecture Series

2012-01-21T16:18:00.000-06:00

The 2012 Ames Historical Society Lecture Series begins Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 7 p.m. with Outside In: African-American History in Iowa by Hal Chase. This and the other lectures in the series will be at the Ames City Auditorium, 520 Sixth Street A $2 freewill donation is requested at the door to assist with auditorium rental.

The subsequent lectures in the series are:

Iowa in the Civil War by O. J. Fargo February 28
Trains Across Iowa by Rudolph Daniels March 27
From Small Town to the Big Top: the Leininger Sisters Join the Circus by Zellettia Leininger Streit April 24

All are at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month.

Additional details of these lectures is available at the Ames Historical Society website.

Gilbert - First Museum Work Day - January 21, 2012

2012-01-16T20:03:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the Gilbert Historical Society on their museum! To help prepare it, they are having their first Museum Work Day on Saturday, January 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Everyone is invited to help out with general cleaning and preparing the walls and surfaces for painting.

Huxley - Meeting Schedule and Website Address Update

2012-01-16T18:35:00.000-06:00

The web address for the Huxley Historical Society has changed with the new website for Huxley, Iowa. It can now be found at http://history.huxleyiowa.org/ (previously a www. was required; now that redirects to the city's homepage). Please update your links. (We have updated the link in our sidebar.)

Their meetings are usually held at City Hall and generally start at 6:30 on the last Monday of the month. Feel free to call 515-231-9174 for more information.

Gilbert - Next Meeting January 12, 2012

2012-01-10T19:40:00.000-06:00

The next meeting of the Gilbert Historical Society will be Thursday, January 12, 7 p.m. at the Gilbert Lutheran Church. We will be discussing moving forward with the museum.

Ames - Making Sense of the American Civil War - Series Begins January 8, 2012

2011-12-26T17:22:00.000-06:00

The Ames Public Library has a series of presentations and other events in Making Sense of the American Civil War. These begin January 8 with Point/Counterpoint: Was the Civil War Necessary?

Then a five-part reading and discussion series Let's Talk About It begins January 23. You can sign up for this series and borrow copies of the readings at the Library.

Included in the presentations is one that is part of the Ames Historical Society 2012 Lecture Series. This will be February 28 at the Ames City Auditorium on Iowa in the Civil War.

Further details at the Library or on the poster.

Slater - Winter Newsletter Published

2011-12-13T21:50:00.000-06:00

The Slater Area Historical Association has published the latest edition of their newsletter. It includes highlights of their recent activities and notices of upcoming ones. See it to learn about their exhibits and opportunities to participate. It can be found here.

Slater - Growing Up in a Small Town, Slater, Iowa, First Volume Now Available

2011-12-07T20:34:00.000-06:00

The Slater Area Historical Association now has the first volume of your stories from their exhibit "Growing Up in a Small Town, Slater, Iowa" available for sale for $1.00. The exhibit is still available and you are encouraged to share your stories for future volumes!

Story City - Christmas On The Home Front (1944) - December 10, 2011

2011-12-05T17:13:00.000-06:00

The Story City Historical Society will have a large variety of artifacts from the period of Christmas 1944 on display on Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Bartlett House Museum. In addition, you can share your own experiences during World War 2 at the oral history station. Tell us what life was like in Story City during the period.

Admission is free with a small donation encouraged.

Ames - Story County World War II Veterans Index Online

2011-12-01T16:47:00.000-06:00

The Ames Historical Society had their World War II Veterans Index online in time for Veterans Day. This contains nearly 5300 service personnel from all branches, both from Ames and throughout Story County, Iowa. There are thousands of scanned articles, photos, and other materials available online.

Preparing this information for online availability was aided with a grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa. Learn more about the creation of this material during WW II and its history in this Ames Tribune article. The Ames Historical Society.also describes how it came to be available online.

As an example of the range of information that may be found, see the entry for Ralph L. Miller.

Note that the Ames Historical Society welcomes additions to the project.

Gilbert - Gilbert History Documentary DVD, December 8, 2011

2011-11-18T14:09:00.000-06:00

The Gilbert Historical Society has its next meeting December 8, 2011 at 7 p.m. in room 121 in the high school. The main program will be viewing the Gilbert History DVD produced last year by two Gilbert students. All are invited to see this.

Slater - Growing Up in a Small Town, Slater, Iowa - Opens Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-18T10:58:00.000-06:00

The Slater Area Historical Association will have a new display Growing Up in a Small Town beginning on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011. This is a display through the eyes of kids growing up in the 1940's and 1950's with memories, stories, and photos. They will be open from 2 - 5 on both Thanksgiving and the next day (24th and 25th) and then Sundays during the holidays from 2 -5 and their usual Thursday hours.

The Opening Reception will be Sunday, December 4, 2011 from 2 to 5, the same time as Slater's Christmas on Main celebration.

Story County Theaters in Hollywood in the Heartland

2011-11-15T14:11:00.000-06:00

Hollywood in the Heartland is a research project of Preservation Iowa and the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office that seeks to document Iowa's movie legacy. Part of this has been identification of motion picture theaters and other buildings that have served as theaters. Their online database of these buildings allows searching by name, city, county, and architect or builder.

There are 16 buildings found by searching for Story (as a county) in the database as shown below.

Theater	Address	City
Varsity Theatre (85-00961)	2410 Lincoln Way	Ames
Ames Theatre (85-00962)	2420 Lincoln Way	Ames
Princess Theatre (85-00990)	115 Main St	Ames
Scenic Theater (85-00994)	121 Main St	Ames
Collegian Theatre (85-01049)	411 Main St	Ames
Opera Hall (85-01133)	233 Main St	Ames
Shattuck Theater (85-01459)	Wallace Rd	Ames
Maxwell Opera House (85-01670)		Maxwell
State Theatre (85-01681)	73 Main St	Maxwell
Camelot Theatre (85-01840)	1114 6th St	Nevada
Nevada Opera House (85-02005)	Lynn St	Nevada
Roland Opera House (85-02025)	217 Ash St	Roland
Grand Auditorium and Hotel Block (85-02243)	500 Broad St	Story City
Alderman Building - Palace Theater (85-03209)	1038 6th St	Nevada
Collins Theater (85-04389)	203 Main St	Collins
Cambridge Theatre (85-04390)	222 N Water St	Cambridge

16 theater(s) found in county search for story.

Follow the theaters links to see information about its history, current use(s), and historic status including whether it is listed on the National Register.

The project is continuing to look for information about the theaters it has identified and any that it has missed. You can help them by adding to their survey as described in Get Involved on this page.

Also, be sure to check out the section labeled Extras. This includes Iowans in Hollywood and Hollywood in Iowa.

Postcards of Story County on the Web

2011-11-13T12:40:00.000-06:00

The Penny Postcards site, a USGenWeb Archives Web Site, includes a number of early photo postcards from Story County. Ames, Cambridge, Nevada, and Story City all have postcards shown.

Penny Postcards from Iowa, part of the site, has links to the postcards by county. Then within the counties many are arranged by town.

Story City - World War One Presentation Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011-11-07T13:39:00.000-06:00

The Story City Historical Society will present Trench Knives and Mustard Gas: Central Iowans in World War One on Thursday, November 10 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be in the Carriage House Museum with a small donation encouraged for admission.

Story City - Traveling Civil War Exhibit, November 2 - 3, 2011

2011-11-02T14:46:00.000-05:00

The traveling exhibit Fiery Trail - Iowa and the Civil War will be located within the Story City swimming pool parking lot on November 2nd and 3rd. It will be available to visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 2nd and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday. This exhibit from the State Historical Society of Iowa is a 32 foot trailer that shows Iowa's involvement in the war.

“The Fiery Trial” exhibit includes:

A visual timeline of Iowa’s participation in the Civil War
Panels about Iowans and their Civil War experiences
Information about Annie Wittenmyer, a Sanitation Agent for Iowa who oversaw the needs of Union Army soldiers
The impact of the Civil War on Iowa
The role Iowa played in the Civil Rights movement when it approved the right to vote for African-Americans
A computer program that allows visitors to research Civil War ancestors by person, town, township or congressional district

See additional information on this History on the Move exhibit.

Story City All Members Meeting September 29, 2011

2011-09-23T18:12:00.000-05:00

The Story City Historical Society will have its All Members meeting Thursday, September 29, at 7 p.m. in the Carriage House Museum. This is an opportunity to meet the new director and learn upcoming plans for the museums of Story City. Also, Rev. Glen and Mary Kappelmann will share the story of Mary's ancestor, Jens Ritland, a Story City resident that fought in the Civil War.

Nevada - Cemetery Walk September 24, 2011

2011-09-01T13:17:00.000-05:00

The Nevada Historical Society will have a Historic Cemetery Walk at the Nevada Municipal Cemetery on Saturday, September 24, 2011. Tickets ($8) should be purchased in advance as the number is limited. See the files on the left for additional details (click on them and click it a second time for a larger version) or contact Kris at 382-4854 for additional details.

Story City - From Prairie to Corn Belt - August 20, 2011

2011-08-11T20:05:00.000-05:00

The Story City Historical Society is hosting "From Prairie to Corn Belt," a special event focused on the evolution of agricultural technology from prehistoric cultures through the present. Located at the green space near the historic Sheldall School, this special event is scheduled for Saturday August 20th from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Admission is free with donations accepted.

(Note: To see a larger version of the flyer, click on it and them click the flyer again.)

Ames - Second Saturday History Walks on Main Street

2011-07-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

The Ames Historical Society has a series of historical walking tours in conjunction with the Main Street Farmer's Market. The next tours are Saturday, August 13 and Saturday September 10, 2011.

Story City - Horse Brasses July 10, 2011

2011-06-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

The Story City Historical Society will have a presentation by Cindy Doolittle on Horse Brasses at the Carriage House Museum on Sunday, July 10, 2011. The museum will be open from 1:30 to 4 with the presentation at 2 p.m.

Slater Agenda for June 14, 2011

2011-06-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

SLATER AREA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

June 14, 2011

1:30 P.M. Meeting

AGENDA

Call to Order

1. Minutes of March meeting - Louise

2. Treasurer’s Report - Mary

3. Old Business and Updates

Board of Directors position to be filled
Garage Sale results
Photo requests from

South Story Bank
Sheldahl Crossing Antiques
Ballard High School

4. Proposed projects:

Slater School Alumni reunion July 2 (provide info about SAHA open house during Ballard reunion) - Howard
4th of July
Ragbrai - July 27 (participate or not)
Cemetery Walk - Sunday, September 25
Ballard reunion - Sept 30 thru Oct 2 - Open house
Heritage showcase event for visitors over Thanksgiving and Christmas
Wedding Heritage exhibit (no report - keep on agenda for June 2012)
Recipes/memories/histories book (no report - keep on agenda for target date 2015)

5. Other items for discussion/consideration:

Thursday activities and visitors
Grants
Revision of mission statement

Call for Adjournment

Next meeting: July 12, 2011

Ames Final Presentation in 2011 Historical Society Lecture Series - April 26, 2011

2011-04-25T17:52:00.000-05:00

The final presentation in this series is The McFarland Clinic Story: Making Medical History for 65 Years by Shelley Goecke and Retired Clinic Physicians.

All of the lectures in the series will be at 7 pm on the last Tuesday of the month. Location: Ames City Auditorium, 520 Sixth Street, Ames. A $2 donation is requested at the door.

Story City - Upcoming Events

2011-04-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

The Story City Historical Society has a busy schedule of upcoming events. These include:

April 29, 6 – 10 - Celebrate Iowa Wine and Beer Festival, Factory Stores of America
April 30, 9 – 12 – Story County Historical Alliance, Cambridge
May 8, 1:30 – 4- Bartlett Museum and Carriage House open for season. Celebrate National Train Day with new “The Train That Moved a Town” exhibit.
May 15- 1:30-4-Iowa Museum Day, Share the museums with a neighbor or friend.
June 3, 4, 5- Scandinavian Days, Fri. 4-6, Sat. 1- 5, Sun. 1:30 -4. Grandma’s Cookie Sale.

The Celebrate Iowa Wine and Beer Festival will feature 6 wineries and 2 or 3 breweries who will offer tastes of their wares. Music, desserts and door prizes galore. Tickets are $15 or $20 which includes a wine glass. Bring your friends for a fun evening. Factory Stores of America, Friday, April 29, 6-10.

Slater - Panorama Celebration May 6, 2011

2011-04-16T20:15:00.000-05:00

The Slater Area Historical Association has set Friday, May 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 for the presentation of the Slater Panorama to the public. Come and see this 8-foot long model of the west side of Slater during the 1940's and 1950's created by Ron Harmon. Come and share memories of Slater back when!

Slater - New Tee Shrts for Sale

2011-04-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

The Slater Area Historical Association has three new tee shirt designs for sale. See them at the April 30th Grand High Trestle Trail Celebration. Also at the June Garage Sale, the Fourth of July, and at Heritage Hall. Or check them out online and contact any board member or the Hall to purchase.

Huxley - Fjord Dinner and Meeting - April 9, 2011

2011-03-28T20:41:00.000-05:00

The Huxley Historical Society has a Fjord dinner and their annual meeting on Saturday, April 9, 2011. The guest speaker will be Duane Finch: The History of the Fjord Restaurant. Reservations are required - click on the picture and click it again for a larger version for details.

Slater - Planning Fall Cemetery Walk - Meeting March 29, 2011

2011-03-26T16:01:00.000-05:00

The Slater Area Historical Association is planning a cemetery walk this coming fall. All interested people are welcome to attend a meeting March 29, at 7 p.m., in Heritage Hall. If you have information on the families buried in the Slater Municipal Cemetery to share with the group or would like additional details, please contact Howard Hammond (515-685-2271) or Myrna Harmon (515-685-3488).

Ames Third Lecture in Historical Series 2011 - March 29

2011-03-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

All of the lectures in the series will be at 7 pm on the last Tuesday of the month. Location: Ames City Auditorium, 520 Sixth Street, Ames. A $2 donation is requested at the door.

Nevada - Mystery Dinner - February 26 and March 5, 2011

2011-02-13T17:36:00.000-06:00

The Nevada Historical Society is taking reservations for "The Watersdown Affair" presented on February 26 and March 5th. The Society is taking reservations for eight actors and additional "observers" for the two performances.

Held at the Dyer-Dowell Victorian House, the mystery allows actors and observers to enjoy hor d'oeuvres and dinner while participating in the mystery and solving it. Reservations by calling 382-6703 or 382-4876.

Ames Historical Society Displays at Ames Public Library

2011-01-26T21:53:00.000-06:00

The Ames Historical Society has a display area in the Ames Public Library where it highlights some of its materials and topics. For example, the current display shows 19th century autograph books.

The display case is located between the non-fiction books stacks and the Iowa Collection. Stop in and see their displays!

Slater - Annual Meeting and Luncheon February 16, 2011

2011-01-20T14:28:00.000-06:00

The Slater Area Historical Association is having its Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at the Heritage Hall. Luncheon is from noon to 1:00 pm followed by the meeting at 1:15. The public is invited. (Click on the picture to the left for more details.)

Future events include the Spring 2011 reception for the Slater Panorama and the Summer 2011 In the Good Ol' Summertime Exhibit.

Ames Historical Society Lecture Series 2011

2011-01-20T14:22:00.000-06:00

The Ames Historical Society 2011 Lecture Series will begin Tuesday, January 25 with The Life and Legacy of Jack Trice presented by Dorothy Schwieder. All four of the lectures in the series will be at 7 pm on the last Tuesday of the month. Location: Ames City Auditorium, 520 Sixth Street, Ames. A $2 donation is requested at the door.

For information about the other lectures, click on the picture to the left for more details and click it again to see a larger version or go to the Ames Historical Society website.

Story County Historical Alliance Meets with County Supervisors

2011-01-05T20:34:00.003-06:00

Once a year the members of the Story County Historical Alliance meet with the Story County Supervisors to describe the accomplishments of our groups. The Ames Historical Society hosted this years meeting on Tuesday, November 23, 2010. Thank you to Supervisors Jane Halliburton, who is retiring as Supervisor after 24 years, Wayne Clinton, and Paul Toot, the newest Supervisor, for their interest and support.

Among the highlights of the last year were:

The Roland Historical Society has digitized the Roland Record (1895 to 1975) so it can be searched and browsed online.
The Slater Area Historical Association Hall of Heroes room showcases 200 5" X 7" photos of service personnel.
The Gilbert Historical Society held Gilbert Stories Night (40s and 50s) and a Reunion of Gilbert Girls Basketball (6 on 6) for people to share memories
The Ames Historical Society will mark its 30th anniversary with Ames Reads (and Remembers) Farwell Brown.
The Ames Historical Society has received an Historical Resource Development Program grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa for digitization of their World War II information.
The Ames Historical Society will have their 6th Winter Lecture Series on the last Tuesdays of January through April.
The Story City Historical Society will become an official site of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area.
The Story City Historical Society hosted the Abraham Lincoln traveling exhibit in May.
The Cambridge Historical Association working with the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary has identified veterans in the Cambridge Cemetery for the Memorial Day services.
The Cambridge Historical Association has created a separate website listing current Cambridge events.
The Maxwell Community Historical Society has worked with a school class in researching Maxwell artifacts.
Several members of the Maxwell Community Historical Society were on the Honor Flights to Washington, DC.

In addition to these accomplishments by the groups, the groups have worked together to promote Story County's history through projects such as the Take a Historic Drive Through Story County Iowa map and the Story County Historical Alliance website.

Ames Reads (and Remembers) Farwell Brown - December 18, 2010

2010-12-08T20:23:00.000-06:00

The Ames Historical Society and the Ames Public Library are sponsoring a celebration honoring Farwell T. Brown on Saturday, December 18, 2010, from 1 to 4 pm at the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium. See more details at the library or the Historical Society.

Roland Record Now Available Online!

2010-11-28T21:02:00.000-06:00

The Roland Historical Society has made the Roland Record viewable and searchable online for free. Their microfilms of the Roland Record were digitized by Newspaper Archives and thanks to the Roland Historical Society are freely available. You can see and search the newspaper here.

The archives begin with the February 28, 1895 issue (shown at the left, click on the picture and then click it again to see a larger version) and continue through March 6, 1975 for a total of 27,367 pages. Pages can be viewed and saved in PDF format.

These Roland newspapers contain many items from other Story County locations. For example, Cambridge is mentioned 1,295 times, most of the mentions implying Cambridge, Iowa.

Thank you to the Roland Historical Society for making this great resource available!

Story City - Victorian Bartlett Museum Open House December 4th and 5th, 2010

2010-11-21T17:34:00.000-06:00

The Story City Historical Society will have an Open House at their 1903 Victorian Bartlett Museum, 619 Grand, Story City, IA on Sat. Dec. 4 & Sun., Dec. 5 from 1 - 4 p.m. See four Victorian decorated trees and more. The Historical Society will be selling pecans, homemade peanut brittle and note cards with historic Story City scenes.
Donations accepted. Call 515-733-2370 for more information.

Story County Historical Alliance Meeting - November 23, 2010

2010-10-26T15:05:00.000-05:00

For members of the Story County Historical Alliance, save the date Tuesday afternoon, November 23, 2010 for our Fall meeting in Ames. We will be meeting with the Supervisors as part of this. Further details by email soon.

Slater - Harvest Heritage - October 16, 2010

2010-10-05T21:57:00.000-05:00

More details on the Harvest Heritage exhibit as part of the Slater Fall Fest on Saturday, October 16, 2010.

Slater - Fall Fest - October 16, 2010

2010-09-24T13:44:00.000-05:00

The Slater Fall Fest for 2010 will be Saturday, October 16. Among the things to do and see that day will be the Slater Area Historical Association agricultural display at Heritage Hall (1-6 pm). Click on the flyer for more events (clicking it a second time will make the flyer larger).

Nevada - Brats at Briggs - September 26, 2010

2010-09-24T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Nevada Community Historical Society is having a family picnic at the Briggs Terrace at Evergreen Lane house on Saturday, September 26, 2010, to kick off their 2011 membership drive. From 12:30 to 3:00 pm there will be free food, an Open House at the property, and family fun. And join us at 1:30 for "Music on the Porch".

Kelley Phone Booth Mural to Be Unveiled - August 9, 2010

2010-08-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

One of Story County's most unusual historic landmarks is the phone booth in Kelley, Iowa. One of the last working phone booths; it has been featured in the Des Moines Register, the Tri-County Times, and even has its own Facebook Fan Page. The Kelley phone booth was the subject of a recent Register Kyle Munson column.

The Tri-County Times article reports on plans to unveil the Dick Shook mural commisioned by Huxley Communications. The unveiling will be Monday, August 9, 2010, at 7:15 a.m. while WHO Radio personalities Van and Bonnie are broadcasting from the phone booth.

Story City - Fairview Cemetery Walk, July 24 and 25, 2010

2010-07-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

The Story City Historical Society is presenting a Fairview Cemetery Walk on Saturday, July 24, and Sunday, July 25, 2010. Hear from eleven former Story City residents how they influenced our community. Three of the portrayers are descendants of their subject.

Tours begin every 15 minutes from 4:30 to 7:30 each day and three golf carts are available for each tour. Tickets ($10) should be purchased ahead of time at the GCC Office to reserve your specific tour time and secure a golf cart, if needed. Tickets may be purchased the days of the tours at the cemetery; but, may not be available at your preferred time.

In case of rain, the performances will be held on Sunday, July 25 at the Roland-Story High School auditorium. Times would be 1:00 for replacing the Saturday event and 3:00 for replacing the Sunday event.

Slater - Upcoming Events

2010-06-17T17:44:00.000-05:00

Come join the Slater Area Historical Association at their Polk City Cemetery Walk on June 24th. And on July 3rd visit their booth at the Fourth of July Celebration in Nelson Park.

Story City - Town and Country Garden Tour, Saturday, June 26, 2010

2010-06-12T20:31:00.000-05:00

Story City Historical Society's Town & Country Garden Tour will have four gardens open to visitors on Saturday, June 26 from 10 - 2. Tickets may be purchased at the Bartlett Museum that day for $7 or earlier at the Story City Greater Chamber Connection Office.

A map will be included with the purchase. Refreshments will be served at the museum. The event will be held rain or shine. Hope to see you.

City Celebrations This Summer

2010-05-30T21:49:00.000-05:00

Many of the Story County communities have celebrations during the summer that include their historical societies. The 2010 celebrations include:

Story City Scandinavian Days - June 4-6. The 2010 theme is May The Norse Be You.
Cambridge Jubilee Days - June 11 - 13. The complete schedule is on the city website.
Slater Fourth of July - July 2 - 3.
Maxwell Old Settlers Picnic - August 5 -8. The 2010 theme is Knowing the Past, Growing for the Future. Initial details can be found in this Tri-County Times article.
Huxley Prairie Fest - August 27 - 29. See their website for more details.
Nevada Lincoln Highway Days - August 27 - 29. See their website for the complete schedule.

Congratulations to National History Day Finalists!

2010-05-05T15:39:00.000-05:00

National History Day is an academic-enrichment program that helps students learn about historical issues, ideas, people and events. The year-long academic adventure fosters students’ enthusiasm for learning and encourages them to use primary, secondary, community and statewide resources on a subject of their choice related to an annual theme. The theme for 2010 is “Innovation in History: Impact and Change.” It is coordinated in Iowa by the State Historical Society of Iowa.

From this years National History Day competition in Iowa there are four Story County students who are advancing to the National Contest in June at the University of Maryland.

In the senior division (grades 9-12), Mikayla Sullivan of Ames High School was chosen in the Individual Documentary category for "Barren to Fields of Plenty". Her teacher is Dianne Hugdahl.

The junior division (grades 6-8) competitors advancing from Story County were: Tyler Ronca from the Ballard Junior High School in the Historical Paper category for "Louis Braille: Giving the Treasure of Sight to the Blind" (teacher: Alison Peterson) and Paige Plate and Hanna Bell from the Nevada Middle School in the Web Sites category for "Factory Safety Regulations: From the Ashes of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire" (teacher: Karen Ross).

Additional information about the senior division competition and the junior division competition includes the other Iowa contestants who are advancing to the national competition.

Congratulations to all the students who competed in this and thank you to all their teachers!

Story City - Lincoln and Iowa - May 6 and 7, 2010

2010-05-04T22:26:00.000-05:00

The travelling exhibit Lincoln and Iowa will be visiting Story City, Iowa on May 6 and 7, 2010. This is the first History on the Move exhibit from the State Historical Society of Iowa. The free semi-trailer exhibit will be in the Story City Pool parking from 9:00 to 6:00 on Thursday and 9:00 to 5:00 on Friday. More information about Lincoln's connection to Iowa in this bicentennial news release.

Nevada Victorian Tea and Tour - May 8, 2010

2010-04-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

The Nevada Historical Society will host a Victorian Tea and Tour for ladies of all ages at their Dyer-Dowell Victorian Home at 922 5th Street in Nevada, Iowa on Saturday, May 8, 2010. Doors open at 2:15 with the sitting time 2:30 to 4:30.

Cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children 5-12.
Reservations will be accepted up to May 1. Please call 515-382-6703 for more information and to reserve your table.

Final Ames Historical Society Winter Seminar - April 27, 2010 - The Burning of the Froning Deppe Elevator

2010-04-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

The Ames Historical Society presents the final presentation in this years Winter Seminar Series on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 7 pm at the Ames City Auditorium, 520 6th Street. The Burning of the Froning-Deppe Elevator presented by Bob Deppe, former elevator owner, focuses on the history of the elevator and its removal by burning in 1979. Suggested donation is $2 at the door.

Story City - Celebrate Iowa Wine and Beer, April 23, 2010

2010-04-18T19:10:00.000-05:00

The Story City Historical Society invites you to a wine and beer tasting on Friday evening April 23rd from 5pm to 9 pm at the Factory Stores of America Mall, just off I-35 Exit 124 in Story City, Iowa. Enjoy tastings from six wineries and two breweries, along with food and music by Erin Varley and Keith Lukens. The Cottage on Broad and The Bistro will offer pairing demonstrations, to assist you in making better combining foods and wine choices.

Tickets are only $15, or purchase a $20 ticket and receive a special event tasting glass. The $20 tickets are limited, so get them early at the Story City GCC, Norsemen Realty, or Creation Floral and Gifts in Story City. Tickets will also be available at the door. Information is available at the GCC office, 515-733-4214 or email chamber@storycity.net.

For more information, see this article at the Story City website.

Ames Historical Society Annual Meeting - March 6, 2010

2010-03-03T13:39:00.000-06:00

The Ames Historical Society has its annual meeting on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at 10 a.m.in the Ames Public Library. The speaker, Dorothy Schwieder, is a noted Iowa historian and author of several books including Iowa: The Middle Land. Her topic is Saving History at our Doorstep. Visitors are welcome.

Gilbert Historical Society "Trip Down Memory Lane in Gilbert" - February 25, 2010

2010-02-17T13:44:00.000-06:00

The Gilbert Historical Society invites you to share your memories of Gilbert and hear those of others. Please join them for a Trip Down Memory Lane in Gilbert at the Gilbert High School Library on Thursday, February 25, 2010, at 7 p.m.

For more information, find them on Facebook at Gilbert Historical Society where you can become a fan of them. There you can also find information about future events such as the March 25, 2010, meeting to hear Past Gilbert Women Basketball Players.

Slater Area Historical Association Annual Meeting - February 13, 2010

2010-02-06T19:42:00.000-06:00

February 13

Saturday

9:30 AM

Slater Area Historical Association

Annual Meeting

Heritage Hall

Ames Historical Society Lecture 2010 Series

2010-02-06T19:19:00.000-06:00

The Ames Historical Society Lecture Series began Tuesday, January 26, 2010, at 7 pm with Treasures from the Tribune Trashbin by Alan Spohnhemier. It and the other lectures are at the City Auditorium, 520 6th Street in Ames. The other topics, all on the last Tuesday of the month at 7 pm are:

Mischief and Mayhem: Stories from the Ames Police Dept. - Kathy Svec, February, 23.
The Bells of Iowa State: An Enduring Tradition - Bob Lindemeyer, March 30.
The Burning of the Froning-Deppe Elevator - Bob Deppe, April 27.