From the Collections: Modeling Iowa State

Wed, 01/13/2021

Colored image of a model of the campus as it appeared in 1875

A model of the campus as it appeared in 1875.
(Facilities Planning and Management. Landscape Design. Records. RS 04/08/10, 04-08-10_FPMLandscapeDesign_0001-003-017)

This school year, Iowa State welcomes the arrival of 80 new faculty to campus in addition to our new admissions and transfer students.

Last year, the Digital Initiatives Program added a collection of images taken by the Facilities Planning and Management. The digital collection highlights the labor that goes into making campus both safe and beautiful.

Those exploring the campus for the first time may surprised at both how much campus has changed and how much has stayed the same. In the 1875 model above, the basic shapes for Union Drive, Morrill Road, Lake Laverne, and College Creek are already visible.

The collection also include models of the campus in 1875, 1898, 1948, and 1977. More Facilities Planning and Management files can be found in Record Series 04/08 in the University Archives.

Welcome to campus!