apwa iowa chapter fall conference ames, iowa september 11, 2014
TRANSCRIPT
TRANSPORTATION HISTORY IN
AMESAPWA Iowa Chapter Fall Conference
Ames, Iowa
September 11, 2014
AMES EARLY HISTORY In 1863, John Blair (Cedar Rapids and Missouri RR) selected the marshy area between the Squaw Creek and Skunk River for a depot as they looked to expand their railroad from Cedar Rapids to Council Bluffs
Site selected to serve the State College and Model Farm that had been located a couple miles west
Land was cheap because the Federal government found it to be “unusable swamp land”
December 17, 1864, Cynthia Duff deeded land to the railroad Named after Oakes Ames, a Massachusetts Congressman
AMES EARLY HISTORY The train depot was the first building in Ames, completed in 1865 Other area settlements included Bloomington and Ontario (New Philadelphia)
Ames was incorporated in 1870 with 844 residents
AMES AREA, CIRCA 1870
IOWA STATE COLLEGE EARLY HISTORY
March 22, 1858, a State College and Model Farm was established by the General Assembly, but no location was designated
June 21, 1859, Story County was chosen over Johnson, Kossuth, Marshall, and Polk Counties
Story County pledged over $21,000 in land and gifts 648 acres purchased from 5 landowners for about $8.30/acre A home was constructed for Pres. Welch “due to the isolation of the college”
College area annexed to Ames in 1893 33 years after it was founded
EARLY IOWA STATE COLLEGE
IOWA STATE COLLEGE EARLY HISTORY
March 17, 1869, the first class of 173 students began (136 men, 37 women)
First graduating class in 1872 had 24 men and 2 women Name changed to Iowa State University of Science and Technology in 1959
AMES TRANSPORTATION HISTORY
Significant Influences: Railroad Squaw Creek Mother Nature
AMES TRANSPORTATION HISTORY - RAILROADS
In June of 1865, the first scheduled passenger train arrives in Ames Cedar Rapids and Missouri became the Chicago Northwestern (1884) and now the Union Pacific (1995)
Double main line tracks carry an average of 70 trains per day through the city
Most trains are 100 -125 cars Ames and College Railway – known as the Dinkey Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Interurban Railroad
Electric street cars
AMES AND COLLEGE RAILWAY – DINKEY, 1891-1907
IOWA STATE DINKEY STATION, 1892
NICE SIGN!
DINKEY ROLLING STOCK
DINKEY PASSING MORRILL HALL
INTERURBAN RAIL CAR, 1914 (1907-1929)
ELECTRIC STREET CAR
Crossing Squaw Creek, headed for campus
SIZE OF THE RAIL
30 lbs vs. 136 lbs
ROADWAYS BETWEEN AMES AND IOWA STATE
Mother Nature had a major influence on the ability to get from the college to the community
Squaw Creek was a major barrier Floods in 1918, 1944, 1947, 1954, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1975, 1984, 1993, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2010
Some thought Ontario should be the focus of community growth since it was on the railroad, no river to cross, and not much farther away from campus than Ames
An attempt was made to incorporate “West Ames” in the 1890’s as a means of getting urban services in the area south of campus where a large number of college staff had built homes.
LINCOLN WAY BRIDGE OVER SQUAW CREEK, 1890’S
LINCOLN WAY BRIDGE OVER SQUAW CREEK, 1908
WEST ON LINCOLN WAY AT LYNN AVE, 1909
BOONE ST (LINCOLN WAY) ON SQUAW CREEK FLATS
LINCOLN WAY WEST OF BEACH AT IOWA STATE, 1914
SQUAW CREEK LINCOLN WAY BRIDGE COLLAPSE, 1918
NEW LINCOLN WAY BRIDGE, 1921
AMES/IOWA STATE ROAD CONNECTION CONTROVERSY
Boone Street (Lincoln Way) was the only direct connection as the community and college started
In 1914, the State Board of Control appropriated $2,000 to the College to work with Ames to open and improve 6th Street through the railroad underpass that was created for flood protection
Money was spent elsewhere by the College but no one admitted where
Controversy over where the money went and who had the right to regulate buses between Ames and the College put the street connection project on hold
1914
AMES/IOWA STATE ROAD CONNECTION CONTROVERSY
In 1922, the College dedicated land to extend 9th Street to the campus, but the City didn’t like it because houses would need to be purchased for the remainder of the right-of-way
In 1923, a committee was formed, including the Governor, to determine the best location for a new street
To reconcile with the college, the city council (many of whom were on staff at the college) passed a resolution on November 5, 1923 accepting the 9th street connection
On November 19th, Mayor T.L. Rice vetoed it He chastised the college administrators for “being small men in large positions” and creating “fact decoys” by arguing that 9th Street or even 13th Street was better than 6th Street
He also criticized the Council for being afraid to stand up to the college administrators for the good of the city
1926
1930
AMES/IOWA STATE ROAD CONNECTION CONTROVERSY
The Governor’s committee reported in 1924 that 6th Street was the best location due to the ability to use the flood control underpass
At the same time, Mayor Tice had a survey done and 59% of the respondents also wanted 6th Street to be the connection because 13th Street was too far north and 9th Street would disrupt the neighborhood
A committee was formed to develop a design for 6th Street In 1947, 23 years later, the Highway Commission completed the design and it was approved by the City Council
Ben Cole & Son was awarded a $87,861 contract and the work was completed in 1950 – 36 years and about $85,000 later!!
1961
1970
MOTHER NATURE RECLAIMED THEM ALL!
Floods of 1975; 1984; 1993; 1998; 2005; 2008; and 2010
FLOOD OF 2010
OTHER MAJOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS
Grand Avenue Underpass, 1938 Widening Lincoln Way, 1963
GRAND AVENUE RAILROAD CROSSING, 1936
GRAND AVE UNDERPASS/HWY COMMISSION, 1936
NEW UNDERPASS LOOKING SOUTH TO DOT, 1938
LINCOLN WAY FROM STANTON AVE, 1963
LOOKING WEST FROM WELCH AVE
AMES PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Engineering and Street Departments joined in late 1950’s Bill Whitman was the first Public Works Director Bill moved out to become Facilities Director at ISU and Arnold Chantland was named Director in 1966
Arnie served until 1988 when I was appointed I served until 2005 when John Joiner was appointed to his current position
OVER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE!
HEIGHT REQUIREMENT?
THANK YOU!AND…GO CYCLONES!!!