From Prairie Sod to Campus Cornerstones

The Hub, 1897
The Hub, 1897.
THE HUB

Dinkey Station

Built: 1892
Additions: 1920, 1946, 1952, 1983

 


In 1892, the Hub was built to fulfill the need for a college bookstore, post office, and waiting room for the Ames and College Railway, which had started a year previous. It was commonly called the "Dinkey Station" during the years it served as a depot for the steam railway that ran between downtown Ames and Iowa State College. When the steam railway was repalced with an electric streetcar in 1907, the building was moved further north, away from Beardshear, to its present location. In 1920, an addition was built on the north side to increase space for the bookstore and post office. It was in the 1920's that a group of men, the "Sunshine Club", would assemble on the steps during sunny days for girlwatching and heavy discussion.

In 1946, another building was moved and attached to the west side, and in 1953 the east wing was built. The bookstore moved to the Memorial Union in 1953, and the post office moved out ten years later. In 1959, the building officially became "the Hub" when vending services were added. During the next 20 years, a copy center, ticket office, and the University Traffic Office moved into the Hub. By 1983, the traffic office and ticket office relocated, and the outdoor seating area to the west was built.


Additional images of the Hub

click for larger view

The Hub The Hub The Hub
The Hub, no date. The Hub, 1897. The Hub, 1966.

History of Campus Buildings at Iowa State University

Comments: University Archives
Created by: Andrea Reis, Research/Technical Assistant & Jill Osweiler Schaefer, Special Collections Librarian

Updated by: Michele Christian, University Records Analyst