| 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. |
