A solo biker crosses the bridge on the wonderful hiking paved trail of Ada Hayden Park in Ames, Iowa. Photo by Bob Kelly
Story County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the 'Ames, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Story County, Iowa and which, when combined with the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area' comprises the larger 'Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area. The county seat is Nevada, and the county is also home to Iowa State University in Ames. The land that today is known as Story County was originally prairie with the exception of some groves along the larger streams in the area. In 1846 the boundaries of Story County were established. The County has an area of 576 square miles (1,490 km2) and is square in shape.
The county was named after Joseph Story, a preeminent United States Supreme Court Justice, in 1853.
The first settlers in Story County came mainly from Indiana, New York and Pennsylvania. Later, many Norwegians, Germans and Danes came directly from overseas and inhabited the area. The first large population influx occurred during the 1850s. Story County was not mentioned in the Federal Census in 1850, but figures from the State of Iowa put the population at 214 in 1852. By 1860 the population had increased to 4,501.
Three commissioners appointed by the Iowa legislature selected the location of county seat on June, 27 1853. The location was Nevada, Iowa. Nevada (pronounced Nuh-VAY-Dah) was named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range in western California. Like many Midwestern towns, cities and counties, many prominent locations from the newly explored West and Mexican-American War of the late 1840s inspired the naming of towns and counties in Iowa during this period.
Railroad construction did more to develop Story County, as it did for the entire American West, than anything else. The first railroad came to the county in 1864. Railroads were such a decisive factor in determining the location of towns that several communities in Story County moved to be closer to the rail line. Some flourishing little towns that were bypassed by the railroad soon disappeared. Although Nevada was long the population center of the county, Ames was the most widely known of the towns because of the busy railroad depot where travelers changed trains for all points north, south, east and west.
Story County Administration Building - Wikiphoto
In its history, Story County has had five courthouse structures in use. The first courthouse, a two-storey frame building, was built in 1856 but was destroyed by fire in 1863. It was replaced by a similar structure. Soon after, a new courthouse was planned, and it was completed in 1877. The three-storey building was situated on the town square. In the building was a tower in which school children could climb to see a panoramic view of the landscape, which was removed later due to safety reasons. A post-modern style courthouse in was built in 1967 and dedicated on May 18, 1968. That courthouse today houses the Board of Supervisors, Auditor, Treasurer, Recorder, Assessor, Information Technology, Facilities Management, Health and Planning & Development Offices. A cannon from the Civil War rests on the lawn. The current courthouse, the Story County Justice Center, is the newest addition to the family of County Facilities. Opening in 2002, the Justice Center is the heart of the law enforcement and judicial aspects of Story County Government. The Story County Sheriff's Office, Attorney, and Clerk of Court are all housed in this building
This barn built in 1870 is located on the south edge of Story City along Hillcrest Drive.It is going to be torn down for its lumber, and the lumber will shipped to Texas to be used in a new home. You can read more about it here: Photo by Bob Kelly These country curiosities were found around rural areas of Maxwell and Collins - Photos by Bob Kelly
Ada Haden Lake north of Ames - Bob Kelly photo
Stagecoach Road north of Ames - Photo by Bob Kelly
Campanile - Iowa State University - Ames JCS photo
For city dwellers, the yellow object to the right is called a "tile intake," and is the entry point for excess water on the field to enter the underground tile system, and then drain into a nearby creek, thus preventing crop flooding in a heavy rain. The farmer who planted this field used a 16 row corn planter (count the curving lines), and when he came to the tile intake area he had to go around it, interrupting the perfectly straight rows with these pleasing curves. The tractor is guided by a satellite GPS system which drives the tractor perfectly, and the farmer does not even need his hands on the steering wheel, other than at times like this situation, and of course to turn around manually on the end and go back the other way. The small town of Kelley is on the horizon with its grain bins. Photo by Bob Kelly
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