Peter Melendy, a progressive agriculturalist well-known for his work with Iowa farmers and the state fair, played a critical role in Iowa meeting the requirements of the Morrill Act. In 1862, after serving four years as a trustee of the struggling State Agricultural College, Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood appointed Melendy to select the public lands which would be leased and eventually sold in order to fund the land grant university.
“With only one assistant, Peter Melendy took three months to complete the undertaking - a month for correspondence, study of maps, and the planning of the itinerary, and two for the tour of northwest Iowa.” 2 Traveling by horseback and stagecoach, the two men “covered a thousand miles in twenty-eight counties and selected” 3 arable lands as well as those rich in timber and limestone in twenty-seven of those counties.
By selecting only the best lands, Melendy ensured that the state collected top dollar when renting and selling to settlers which ultimately provided more funds for the up-and-coming university.
Completing the task in only three months also ensured that Iowa State Agricultural College could immediately lease lands in order to fund initial construction of buildings, hire faculty and staff, build a curriculum, and recruit students. This historic achievement was made possible by Melendy’s passion and perseverance - traits which many Iowans retain to this day. Melendy remained involved with Iowa State University and progressive agricultural pursuits until his death in 1901.
__________
2 Luella M. Wright, Peter Melendy: The Mind and the Soil (Iowa City: The State Historical Society of Iowa, 1943), 204.
3 Wright, Peter Melendy, 204-205.