THE HUB

The need for a new college Bookstore and Post Office coincided with the need for a waiting room for the Ames and College Railway which had been built in the summer of 1891. An appropriation was made early in 1892. Plans were drawn, the contract for construction was awarded and the building was completed about the first of November of that year.

The new structure, then located just west of the intersection of the sidewalks which now extend north from Beardshear Hall and east from the center of Marston Hall, was a rectangular building with a covered platform along the north side and extending east about twenty feet.

It served for its intended functions until 1908 after the steam railway had been discontinued the previous September. With its use as a depot no longer required it was decided to relocate the building in order to make an open area in front of the then relatively new Engineering Hall (Marston Hall). It was moved north to its present location just west of Morrill Hall.

An addition was built on the north side in 1920 to expand the space for both the bookstore and post office. In 1946 a 20 x 60 foot CCC building was moved from the College Farm Service area and attached to the north of the bookstore (west half of the building).¹ Still another addition was made in 1952, this on the east side of the north end of the previous addition.

The bookstore was moved to the Memorial Union in 1958.

The building continued to serve as a post office until 1963.

On May 5, 1959 the old depot, bookstore, post office, became “The Hub” and has since been operated as a Memorial Union satellite to provide food services via vending machines.²

A copy center was installed in 1967 and a ticket office for campus functions was established in the building in 1964.

Since 1970 the university traffic office has occupied the north section of the building.