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100th Anniversary of the Interurban in Ames
1907 photo

This photo taken south of the ISC campus shows an Avery steam tractor using a log chain to clear the right of way for the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad interurban route into Ames.

This 1907 view looks south at an interurban car south of Campustown near the site of today's Parks & Recreation offices (old Ames Country Club) and the Ames Ice Arena.

Onondaga Street looking east, July of 1907

The first interurban railroad car into Ames travels Onondaga (Main) Street heading towards the ISC campus.  The Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad Company replaced the old Ames & College Railway (steam Dinkey) tracks on 5th Street with electric service on Onondaga (now called Main Street).  - learn more -  Grove's store (Opera Hall upstairs) was on corner of Kellogg Avenue at left. The Odd Fellows building is taller building on far left (replaced after a 1917 fire with the building known today as the American Legion Building). The one story tin-covered building on right was replaced in 1912 by Ames Savings Bank building, which later became Ames Stationers.