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City Of Nevada

1209 6th Street
515-382-5466

History Of Nevada

In 1853, the Iowa legislature appointed Commissioners to locate a county seat for Story County. The Commissioners looked the county over and decided on a site in the vicinity of the center of the county. One of the Commissioners, Mr. Joseph Thrift, had been a "Forty-niner" in California, and in his journey across the continent had greatly admired the Sierra Nevadas; so he proposed the name Nevada to the new town. The town of Nevada was named ten years before the state of Nevada. Therefore, there seems to be no foundation to the claim that the town was named for the state.

Among the strangers who were present when the Commissioners located the county seat was Theodore E. Alderman of Lee County who was making a trip to central Iowa seeking a location for a mercantile business and learning of the plan to locate a county seat for Story County, came to watch the proceeding. Mr. Alderman determined at once to come to Nevada and establish here a general store for the pioneer trade. Mr. Alderman was back again at the first sale of lots after the town was platted. He secured two lots at the west of the block on which the court house now stands and had logs hauled for his first cabin. The building served as business space for a general store, post office and a residence. This building site is commemorated by a monument at the southwest corner of the present court house, bearing the inscription, "Nevada founded here October 11, 1853 by T. E. and Hannah Alderman".

The town grew and the first building used as the Story County Court House was constructed in 1855 just southwest of the present one. In December 1863 that building was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the county records with very few exceptions were saved. Shortly after this fire, the second Story County court house was built. The same location was used. This was used until a large building of eclectic design was built in 1876. Much of the brick used in this building was furnished by the McHose Brothers tile factory.

On May 6, 1966, a bond issue was passed to build the present court house on the same location as the older one.

The early settlers of Nevada brought with them their religious heritage with Cumberland Presbyterians, Baptists, members of the various Norwegian Lutheran Churches, Dunkards, Methodists, Christians (Disciples), Episcopals, United Brethren, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, Catholic, Congregational, Adventist, Universalists, Protestant Methodists and possibly others which did not have permanent organizations until after the Civil War.

The social and cultural aspects of the city flourished with an Opera House and several social and fraternal groups growing year by year. Education was always important to Nevada, first with a wooden schoolhouse to the present modern and comprehensive school system.