93.501.2

A group of Ames residents assemble to welcome a special Amtrak train as it passed through Ames on 1986 (see p.C1, December 10, 1986, AMTRAK ROLLS TO ROUSING AMES WELCOME, in "The Ames Tribune"). F. Paul Goodland (3/19/1930-9/7/2004), during his tenure as mayor of Ames from 1980-1990, worked hard to convince the federal railroad officials to route Amtrak through central, rather than southern, Iowa and hence through Ames. He wanted to reopen the old Chicago & North Western railroad depot as an Amtrak depot. The Chamber of Commerce worked with the mayor, though in vain, to bring passenger train service back to central Iowa. On the depot can be seen a banner reading "Ames Chamber of Commerce WELCOMES YOU" and part of a banner advertising Ames's designation as an ALL-AMERICAN CITY.