Stories of #1 Land Grant Parcels by County
Each of these families owns all or part of a quarter section of land that was first leased or sold under the terms of the Morrill Act of 1862 to fund the start of Iowa State University. In fact, their land was the first in their county to be leased under the Act. They share the story of their family's time on the land.
Northwest Iowa: Land of the land-grants
Contrary to common belief, not a single acre of Story County land was given to Iowa State University as part of the land-grant act (Morrill) of 1862. Instead, the public lands that helped grow a small ag college in Ames into a major university are scattered throughout northwest Iowa.