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