Ames dates to 1864, and 22 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 59% of U.S. towns · #92 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
Most of Ames was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. 22 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Knapp-Wilson House, a National Historic Landmark, and three historic districts with 258 buildings between them. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1862.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Ames’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ames is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #92 of 140 in Iowa. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ames’ overall grade.
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ames’ 40.8 sits above most of its state (73% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 276 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1864.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Ames’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The city was founded in 1864 as a station stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad and was named after 19th century U.S. Congressman Oakes Ames of Massachusetts, who was influential in the building of the transcontinental railroad. Ames was founded by local resident Cynthia Olive Duff (née Kellogg) and railroad magnate John Insley Blair, near a location that was deemed favorable for a railroad crossing of the Skunk River and Ioway Creek. William West (1821–1919) became the first mayor of Ames in 1870. With his wife Harriet, from 1869 to 1892, he ran Ames's first hotel, known as West House, on Douglas Avenue on the site of the present Octagon Center for the Arts. West was a highly respected pioneer businessman who also served on the Ames School Board in the 1880s when Central School was built on the site of the present Ames City Hall on Clark Avenue and Sixth Street. The Wests rais…
A local matter that figured in these two last tights was the post office building at Ames. Just prior to the primaries of 1908. Congressman Hull secured the passage through congress of a bill for the erection of a government building for post office purposes at Ames. This local improvement was much appreciated ; and while the voters at Ames did not all vote for Hull on its account, many of them did feel under obligations to refrain from voting against him. In 1910, however, the novelty of the post office had worn ofT, and no actual beginning had been made for the erection
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
be related concerning the Xarrovv Gauge. The widening and reconstruction of the road south of Ames and soon afterwards north of Ames and extension north, gave Story County its first railroad of consequence crossing the county north and south. Gilbert Station was added to the other towns that had been establi.-;hed in the county, and the general facilities for getting away from home and getting back were very greatly improved.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Ames, 1862 to 1996
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ames. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1912Ames sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ames.
Every building
Ames, building by building, 1896–1920
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1864, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Ames’ post office opened in 1862, and the census of 1870 counted 636 people here.
How does Ames rank for history?
Ames is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #92 of 140 in Iowa. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Ames?
22 listings: 17 buildings, among them the Knapp-Wilson House (a National Historic Landmark since 1964), 3 historic districts, the Bandshell Park Historic District, the Old Town Historic District and the Ames Main Street Historic District, with 258 contributing buildings, and 2 structures. 276 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Ames?
9% of Ames’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1992.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (1), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (22), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
★ Landmark
1900
1907
1908
