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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 13

Saturday

9:30 AM

Slater Area Historical Association Annual Meeting

Heritage Hall

Ames Historical Society Lecture 2010 Series

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.