1914 Map of Ames

About this map

The growing campus of Iowa State College anchors the southern portion of this 1912 survey, appearing as a focal point of development just west of Ames. The landscape is defined by the confluence of Squaw Creek and the Skunk River, where a grid of rural schools reveals the dense population of farming families during this era. Named for early settlers, these one-room schoolhouses like Tiernagel School, Sjurson School, and Espeland School served the townships of Ellsworth and Scott. Transport networks are well-established, with the Chicago and Northwestern and Minneapolis and St. Louis railroads connecting agricultural hubs like Story City, Roland, and Gilbert. The map provides a detailed view of the terrain before mid-century expansion, capturing the early layout of Ontario and the scattered farmsteads that once dotted the banks of Keigley Branch and Indian Creek.