The Heritage Room

Located on the second floor of Ames Public Library, the Heritage Room houses a collection of published materials dating back to the 19th century, focusing on the history of Ames and Story County. Materials about Boone, Marshall, Hamilton and Hardin Counties, as well as Iowa State University, are also selectively collected.

Our partners at the Ames History Museum are digitizing many of our rare materials. These can be found on their Maps and Books webpage.

Unique Heritage Room holdings include:

JOURNALS

The Palimpsest: Available Online

Iowa Heritage Illustrated: Available Online

Iowa History Journal, January 2009 to Present

The Iowan, 1952-Present (?)

DIRECTORIES

Ames City Directories, including Nevada and Story County: 1899, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1936, 1940, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963-Present

Ames Telephone Directory: 1916, 1917, 1924, 1926-1942, 1944-1946, 1948, 1955-Present

AMES PUBLIC SCHOOLS PUBLICATIONS

The Meteor: 1907 & 1908

Spirit Quarterly: 1911-1926

Spirit Annual: 1919-Present

Ames Public Schools Directory: 1962-1970

Ames High Alumni Directory, 1994

STORY COUNTY MAPS

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1926 with Additions 1952 and 1957

Story County Platt Map: 1966, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001

Atlas of Story County, 1897/1898, 1902, 1967

BOOKS

Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, Andreas’, 1875

A Narrative History of the People of Iowa, Harlan, 1931, Vol. I-V

History of Story County, Allen, 1887

History of Story County, Iowa, Payne, 1911, Vol. I-II

History of Ames Municipal Government, Shrader, 1965

Community histories of: Zearing, Maxwell, Madrid, Kelly, Nevada, Ontario, Slater, Randall, Gilbert, Colo, and Boone County

MICROFILM

1856 State of Iowa Census

1885 State of Iowa Census

1895 State of Iowa Census

1915 State of Iowa Census, Story County

1920 State of Iowa Census, Story, Union & Van Buren Counties

1925 State of Iowa Census, Story County