Ankeny Through the Decades | ankenyhistorical

Ankeny’s history runs deep. As citizens of our community, the here and now is where we live, and at present, understand. But Ankeny’s history gives us a sense of where we have been and how we have gotten to the here and now. As we know, Ankeny has not always been the community of 50,000+ it currently is. Residents, organizations, and businesses have come and gone through the years; government structures and purposes have changed. Styles of automobiles, hair, clothing, and uniforms have evolved from previous decades, and yet, without its past, Ankeny would have never arrived at the present, and wouldn't have been able to contribute to its future.

In 2017, the Ankeny Area Historical Society began a monthly news article entitled “Ankeny Through the Decades.” The goal of this monthly article is to educate the residents of the Ankeny area about the history of our community by highlighting specific events in our past. To do this, members of the Ankeny Area Historical Society review articles from Ankeny’s newspapers that have existed throughout its history, including those that no longer exist. This list includes: The Ankeny Times, Ankeny Today, and the Ankeny Press-Citizen. The 2017 series of articles highlighted events from the 1940s, 1960s, and 1990s. The article summaries shared should rekindle memories past for Ankeny senior citizens and, hopefully, educate Ankeny’s younger residents about how their community developed and grew into what it is today. Some articles will recall events that have had both state and national ramifications, and others will focus on local issues that have impacted Ankeny residents on a more personal level. A variety of happenings will be highlighted to help our citizens understand the depth and breadth of Ankeny history.

2018's series of articles highlights events from the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s.

The Ankeny Area Historical Society has an extensive library of old newspapers, but our collection is far from complete. If you have artifacts, such as older newspapers and magazines that have historical value, and you are wondering what to do with them, please consider donating them to the Ankeny Area Historical Society for preservation. These artifacts would help complement the history on display at the museum and be available for research and education.