Book Chronicles 135-Year History of ISU Farm House


by Steve Sullivan

When White House staff planning the National Rural Conference 
visited Iowa State's Farm House Museum last month, they 
immediately thought "photo op."

But they needed evidence of the 135-year-old campus 
landmark's legacy and charm to bring back to their bosses -- 
President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary 
of Agriculture Dan Glickman. They found it in Farm House: 
College Farm to University Museum, a new book by Mary E. 
Atherly, collections manager for University Museums and 
associate curator of the Farm House Museum.

A book about the Farm House -- which began in 1860 as a 
small, redbrick farm building -- had been discussed at the 
University Museums for several years.  Atherly had wanted to 
research its history since her first visit to the Farm House, 
where she heard tour guide and former Iowa State professor 
Neva Peterson talk about the various faculty members, farm 
managers, deans of agriculture and university presidents who 
lived in the house during the early days of Iowa State. Four 
years ago, Atherly decided it was time to take on the 
challenge.

"The Farm House is a constant reminder of where we've been 
and who we are.  It's a testimony to the people who spent 
their lives there, contributing to the university and the 
state, and to the people who have worked so hard to preserve 
it," Atherly said.

She interviewed and collected archival materials about the 
Farm House's history from various museum supporters, 
including Peterson and Carl Hamilton. Peterson and Hamilton 
were among those heavily involved in the 1970 project that 
restored the then-empty Farm House to its original appearance 
and transformed it into a museum.

She also was able to look at the journals written by farm 
managers, who detailed everything going on inside and outside 
the Farm House.

"The journals went up through 1869 and then they decided to 
only record information pertaining to the farm and stopped 
noting anything about what was going on inside the house," 
Atherly said. "It was like a serial had been dropped before 
it was over."

Atherly found herself frustrated that there was so little 
information about the women of the Farm House -- the wives of 
farm managers, deans and university presidents. A lot has 
been written about James "Tama Jim" Wilson, Iowa State's 
first dean of agriculture who lived in the Farm House, but 
not much about the fact that he had a wife and six children, 
she said.

Despite those record-keeping shortcomings, Atherly managed to 
produce a book that delves deep into the personalities, 
educational endeavors, historical events and legends (the 
story about the ghost on the second floor was made up by a 
tour guide) connected to the Farm House.

"I wanted to write a book that would be a resource to people 
giving tours of the Farm House and one that would contribute 
to what has been written about Iowa State's early history," 
Atherly said. "There are many stories connected to the Farm 
House and to the people who lived there."

The presidential visit is another story that can go down in 
the annals of the Farm House. While a photo op didn't fit 
into the presidential schedule last month, the book made it 
back to Atherly -- autographed by both Clinton and Gore.

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contact:  Steve Sullivan, (515) 294-3720
updated:  5-26-95