The Bomb - 1909

Object NameBook

Publisher George A. Miller Printing and Publishing Co.

Date1909

OriginUSA

MediumLeather, fabric and paper

Dimensions10 1/2 × 7 3/4 × 1 in. (26.7 × 19.7 × 2.5 cm)

ClassificationsBooks, Manuscripts, Documents, Personal Symbol & Correspondence

Credit LineTransferred from the Alumni Association. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number77.2.1

Status

On view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextFrom the University Museums Collections Handbook, vol. 2, 2025: The Bomb, the official yearbook of Iowa Agricultural College (now Iowa State University), was published annually from 1893 to 1994, with the sole exception of 1902. Initially, the junior class oversaw its production from 1891 until 1925, at which point the senior class took charge, releasing a special edition that year. The origin of the yearbook’s distinctive title was explained in the 1895 edition: "The first thought that comes to mind at the mention of the name ‘Bomb’ is that of an instrument of war, exploding and causing destruction amongst enemies. But a bomb is occasionally put to a much pleasanter use than that of an engine of destruction. One form is used as a means of conveying messages to distant friends. Our Bomb agrees with such a definition also. Its mission is to awaken pleasant reminiscences in the minds of the alumni, and to convey to them information regarding all their brother graduates." As the university grew, so did the Bomb’s legacy as a cherished record of student life, academics, and campus events. However, by the late 20th century, financial difficulties began to take a toll on its production. In April 1995, due to mounting financial concerns, university administration announced that no further editions of the Bomb would be produced. Though the yearbook had once been a vital part of student tradition, preserving over a century of campus history, its discontinuation marked the end of an era at Iowa State. The Farm House Museum retains several editions of the Bomb beginning in 1894 through 1910. The Bomb allows a close look at the college, its people, and its impact. The Iowa State University Library has digitized all editions of The Bomb. ________________________________________________________________________ Getting to campus has always been an ordeal. If you ask any current student, they’ll recount stories of missing the Cyride, fighting for a parking spot in the commuter lot, or ending a day on campus just to be met with a parking ticket from the parking division. Looking back on campus transportation from the days of the 1909 Bomb, however, perhaps we have been spoiled. Jenny Barker Devine notes that before 1874, students had to walk from the train station in Ames to the college campus, which at the time was a few miles away and through a swamp. Walking was later replaced by the “college bus,” a horse drawn wagon that made trips to and from campus a few times a day. With the turn of the century came new innovations for the commuting student. The college partnered with the Ames Street Railway Company to run a small train from downtown Ames to Campus in the 1890s. Students could pay 5 cents for a comfortable trip into town on the steam engine called the “Dinkey”. Although the Dinkey was well loved by the campus, it was replaced by an electric trolley line in 1907 after numerous service complaints and safety concerns. The trolley, run by the Fort Dodge, Des Moines, and Southern Railway, was an improvement to the Dinkey, but still struggled with punctuality and was later outcompeted by a new bus line in Ames. Although the tracks of the trolley were removed from campus in the 1930s, the train station, called the Hub, is still in use today as a dining hall (Barker Devine 2007, 5-6). The Dinkey is pictured on page 125 of the 1909 Bomb with the phrase “At Last”, perhaps alluding to its unreliable service. Barker Devine, Jenny. 2007. “A Very Curious Little Contraption”: Getting to and from Campus in The Early Years. In A Sesquicentennial History of Iowa State University, pp. 5–6. Iowa State University Press, Ames.

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