Notes:
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'. As of 2000, the population of the county was 79,981. Its county seat is Nevada.
History
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.
In its history, Story County has had four 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. The post-modern style courthouse in use today was built in 1967 and dedicated on May 18, 1968. A cannon from the Civil War rests on the courthouse lawn.
Story County consists of 16 townships and 15 incorporated cities, and 4 unincorporated towns. The population of 79,981 in the 2000 census consisted of 71,114 in urban areas and 8867 in rural areas.
Cities and towns
Ames
Cambridge
Collins
Colo
Gilbert
Huxley
Kelley
Maxwell
McCallsburg
Nevada
Roland
Sheldahl
Slater
Story City
Zearing
Matches 1 to 2 of 2
Last Name, Given Name(s) | Birth | Person ID | Tree | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Romsa, Albert Jr | Tuesday 20 September 1881 | Story County, Iowa, USA | I450732 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
2 | Romsa, Anna T. | Wednesday 02 November 1859 | Story County, Iowa, USA | I450782 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
Matches 1 to 3 of 3
Last Name, Given Name(s) | Death | Person ID | Tree | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Apland, Jacob | 1900 | Story County, Iowa, USA | I450728 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
2 | Paulsdotter, Martha Monehen | 1918 | Story County, Iowa, USA | I450718 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
3 | Romsa, Hemming Jakobson | 1904 | Story County, Iowa, USA | I450716 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
Matches 1 to 2 of 2
Family | Marriage | Family ID | Tree | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mitchell / Romsa | Saturday 15 April 1876 | Story County, Iowa, USA | F175784 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
2 | Romsa / Ostheimer | Saturday 18 June 1921 | Story County, Iowa, USA | F175765 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
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