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1887 History of Story County, Iowa by W. G. Allen

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STATE AGRICULTURAL FARM
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election was held on or about the seventh of February, 1859. The total number of votes cast was 450; for the bonds were 402 votes; against the bonds were 48 votes—leaving a majority of 354 for the bonds. So the bonds, upon the permanent location of the Farm in the County, were issued. Nine townships (precincts) voted: Nevada, Union, Indian Creek, Palestine, Washington, New Albany, Franklin, Lafayette and Milford.

The location was made June 21, 1859, by the Trustees, who were appointed by the Legislature for that purpose. Further particulars will be found elsewhere. Nevada Township cast 117 votes for and three against the bonds. Washington Township was solid for bonds. This Agricultural College and Farm movement made some active, working friends for its location where it is now situated. Hon. John L. Dana was then our Representative in the State Legislature, and was a warm advocate for the measure, and had something to do in selecting the Trustees to locate the Farm.

Mr. Dana, Mr. W. J. GRAHAM, Hon. Geo. M. Maxwell, Judge E. C. Evans, W. G. Allen and others, of Story County, and Hon John A. Hull, of Boone County, were workers in this matter. Messrs. Dana, GRAHAM and Hull were particularly active and untiring workers for its location, and in securing donations in money and lands for its benefit in case of its location on the lands then named and on which the farm was afterwards located. The County, therefore, gave its bonds for $10,000, and citizens of Boone and Story gave about $5,340 in notes and subscriptions, and 981 acres of land—deeded and bonds—which (the land at $5 per acre) will amount to the sum of $20,245 donated.

On the twenty-first of June, 1859, the location became a fixed fact in our County's history, and the result was brought about by the particular energy of citizens outside of Washington Township with some honorable exceptions. First term of college school commenced October 21, 1868, and closed January 7, 1869. The first regular term of school commenced about the seventh of March, 1869.

About four years after the location of the Farm, at a special election, came up the vote on the question of donating the swamp lands of the County, such as yet belonged to the County, to the Cedar Rapids & Missouri River Railroad Company, in case the location of said road be made through and in the central part of the County. It was to be located within 3,000 feet of the Court House, which at that time stood on lot 1, block 25, Nevada. On this proposition the voters of the County were required on the fifteenth of May, 1863, to cast their votes. The result was 334 votes for, and 98 votes against, the donation. So the conveyance was made after the railroad company complied with the conditions.

November 3, 1868, the voters of the county were called on to say whether or not the word "white" should be stricken out of the following phrase of the State constitution, viz: '`Article 2—Right of Suffrage—Sec. 1. Every white male citizen of the

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