Story County Genealogical Society

11/22/2025

In November 1907, the Ames volunteer fire department got its first fire wagon. The wagon was built by John Allen of Allen Machine Company.

As reported in the Ames Intelligencer on November 28, 1907, “The body part is painted a handsome coating of wine colored paint and across each side is lettered A.F.D. The running gears are bright red and the wagon has attachments here and there for chemical extinguishers, axes, ladders, etc. On the whole it is a fine outfit for the department and one of which the city of Ames should feel proud.”

This photo from around 1915 shows the horse-drawn wagon that replaced the 1907 hand-drawn wagon.

Farwell T. Brown Photographic Archive, Ames Public Library.

11/22/2025

Today in local history: Billy Sunday was born on his grandparents’ farm in what is now Ames on November 19, 1862 (near where Highway 30 and Duff Avenue intersect today).

Sunday became a well-known baseball player, playing in the major league for Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. By 1891, he was dividing his time between baseball and the Chicago YMCA and eventually turned down an offer to play baseball in Cincinnati to devote his time to the ministry.

In 1903, Sunday was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He used his baseball background, slang language, theatrical antics, and direct way of speaking to connect with attendees of his tent revivals and become one of the most popular evangelists of his time.

Billy Sunday Drive, near the Ames Dog Park and the Cory Family Cemetery where Sunday’s family members are buried, was named in his honor in 1991.

This photo shows the cabin Sunday lived in with his mother and siblings. By the time this photo was taken in the 1920s, the cabin was used as a livestock building. It no longer stands.

Farwell T. Brown Photographic Archive, Ames Public Library.

11/22/2025

Explore the complexities of understanding Norwegian emigration. Discover how local decisions shaped migration patterns to North America.

11/22/2025

It’s here! The Newspaper Keyword Helper — a FREE search tool with 1,700+ genealogy keywords across 29 topics to supercharge your newspaper searches.
Use it now: https://theancestorhunt.com/newspaper-keyword-helper.html

11/22/2025

🎬 Lizzo + Spike Lee + DNA drama? Finding Your Roots Season 12 hits PBS Jan 6 2026. Celeb secrets + genealogy tea = TV gold. LINK IN COMMENTS!

11/16/2025

11/15/2025

IGS MEMBERS! You may now access NewspaperArchive.com from anywhere. You don’t need to create an account or sign in separately—your IGS membership automatically provides full access. Just login to the IGS website and go to Research Tools and Help.

11/14/2025

Come to the Library for Genealogy Plus!

📆 Wednesday, November 19
10am-12pm, Auditorium
Or online via Zoom

This month, Dr. Peter Orazem will share his experience of visiting his ancestral county of Slovenia and tell some family stories of his trips.

Story County Genealogical Society

11/14/2025

Thanks to the many volunteers who helped index New York’s land records, a new, enhanced index is now available!

This is a free-to-use, enhanced index for FamilySearch’s digital collection, "New York, Land Records, 1630-1975." The original scans—capturing over 32 million land transactions in all—come from 59 of New York’s 62 counties (Franklin, Nassau, and Queens excluded) and were first microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, a precursor to FamilySearch. The collection includes a range of property documents: deeds, mortgages, patents, and land grants. https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/online-records/land-records

11/14/2025

What do you do when you are working on your genealogy and your ancestors are named John and Mary? Hope for children with unusual names? There are certain strategies that can help locate even those with common given names and surnames.

11/14/2025

The Community History Archives has an upgraded webite linking many newspapers to their town library websites. Wheel in on the map to get to the area you are researching. Especially IOWA! https://communityhistoryarchives.com/

11/14/2025

Last call for "Ports of Call!" The class is Saturday, November 15th. Click to register: https://bit.ly/3LwqV7d
Explore major and minor ports of entry in the 19th and 20th centuries, key immigration trends and policies, as well as print and online resources for locating your ancestor's port of entry. Presenter, Kim Alberg, is a knowledgable and enthusiastic presenter who teaches in the Kansas City area.