How did
the town of Ely happen to grow on this particular spot in Linn
County? Historians tell us that early settlement in our part of the
Territory of Iowa typically concentrated at prairie/forest margins where there
was a variety of natural resources. On the west edge of Ely you will see a
creek which was once surrounded by timber. In 1838 it attracted a small
group of immigrants, most of whom were from Indiana. They named the
timber, not surprisingly, Hoosier Grove and the creek, Hoosier's
Creek.
A country scene near Ely
As more settlers moved into the area, a trail between the settlements of
Cedar Rapids, Solon and Iowa City developed along the line of our present
north/south artery, State Street. It became a stage line road and, in
the1850's, a post road. Iowa became a state in 1846, most of the
surrounding prairie was converted to farmland by 1859, and pressure was building
for the establishment of a trading center to supply domestic needs and a market
for produce.
How did
the town of Ely happen to grow on this particular spot in Linn
County? Historians tell us that early settlement in our part of the
Territory of Iowa typically concentrated at prairie/forest margins where there
was a variety of natural resources. On the west edge of Ely you will see a
creek which was once surrounded by timber. In 1838 it attracted a small
group of immigrants, most of whom were from Indiana. They named the
timber, not surprisingly, Hoosier Grove and the creek, Hoosier's
Creek. 
