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St. Patrick's Day on Main
Poscard image from 1914

Before Veishea was established in 1922, Iowa State College engineering students celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with their own parade.  St. Patrick has long been considered their patron saint, and in his honor the students marched from campus to downtown Ames, exercising much frivolity en route.  The photographer was standing at the intersection of Douglas and Main Streets facing east.  Main Street at this time continued east several blocks beyond Duff Avenue.  See the 1896 map at the bottom of this page to identify structures seen in the background of this photo.

This Blarney Stone cart is visible in the top photo.  The engineering students are posing in front of Engineering Hall on the ISC campus.

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

This inset portion of the top photo offers a rare glimse of several buildings beyond Duff Avenue on East Main Street.  The Ames Hotel with its distinctive turret often appears in photos, but photos of the Lawton House are scarce.  An excerpt of the 1887 A History of Story County, Iowa describes the state of lodging in early Ames: There are three hotels: the "West House," kept by Wm. West; the "Lawton House," kept by Mr. Little; the "Kaynor House," [later renamed Ames Hotel] kept by Kaynor & Son.

From left, colored buildings include: Morris Livery (yellow), Ames Hotel (red), Lawton House (blue), Loughran Machine Company (green), and the interurban engine house (charcoal).

This 1896 map helps identify the placement of the important structures seen in the background of the top photo on this page.  The railroad tracks seen on this early map are from the Ames & College Railway Dinkey.  By the time of the 1914 St. Patrick's Day parade, the steam Dinkey on 5th Street (Story) had been replaced by the electric trolley and East Onondaga had been renamed East Main Street.