BACKGROUND AND HISTORY:
Kelley is located in Washington and Palestine Township in the central part of Story County, Iowa, approximately five miles south of Ames and twenty-five miles north of Des Moines. NORWEGIAN TOWN WITH AN IRISH NAME:
Kelley is recorded as first being settled in the 1850’s by its namesake, George Kelley. Kelley helped bring the community to life by building some of Kelley’s ea
rliest establishments including the first school and church. Other early establishments include a stone quarry, the C. Giddings Tile Factory and a post office built in 1875. The town grew and served many residents with a bank, hotel, three grocery stores, hardware store, pool hall, butcher shop, barber, livery stable, two elevators, two depots and many more businesses. The electric Inter-Urban train ran from Fort Dodge, Boone, Kelley and then to Des Moines. Larger than both Slater and Ames in the 1800’s, Kelley had much to offer because of its proximity to the railroad and access to the Inter-Urban train. Churches have been an important part of the town history. The first church was built in 1856 for the United Brethren Congregation. Originally planned to be the United Brethren School, insufficient aid was received so Reverend Marks and the congregation built only a church. In the spring of 1876, Reverend Parmenter oversaw construction of the First Congregational Church. Over the years, one of the churches disbanded and the Congregational Church held joint services. The Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Slater remodeled the old church and changed its name to Lincoln Church. It was later determined that a new church, the North Bethlehem Church, was to be built just south of Kelley on Erick Cleveland’s land. In 1902 the congregation reorganized and called themselves the Betania Norwegian Lutheran Church, served by Reverend H. Conducted in the Norwegian language for nearly a decade, in 1911 the congregation decided to have ten annual services spoken in the English language. The church was moved in 1916 to its present site in Kelley. Kelley built the first school in 1854 of logs and an earthen floor. The second school was built of brick and could house only grades one through eight. A third school, the most recent and longest lived, was built in 1916. A site of a number of tournaments, this school’s gymnasium was the best in the county for many years. The school housed grades one through twelve until 1948, when high school students transferred to Huxley. Kelley and the surrounding communities, including Huxley, Slater and Cambridge, formed the Ballard Community School District around 1960. The Kelley school was closed and demolished in the 1990’s. During the 1920’s, growing use of the automobile and the Chicago Northwestern Railroad led to the rapid decline of Kelley’s business district. Although surrounding communities have continued to grow, only a few businesses, including the post office, woodworking shop, rural fire department and a Lutheran Church serve the small bedroom community today. Elementary students now attend school in Slater or Cambridge, while junior high and senior high students go to Huxley. Through the years, Kelley has retained its small town atmosphere and saw little change in population. Over the past ten years, the population has increased, numbering 300 in 2000, and the town continues to grow. With employment and services available in larger towns nearby, more and more people choose the quality of life and rural setting of Kelley.
