West Des Moines Historical Tour

The Jordan House, a stately Victorian home of Italianate Gothic design, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. It is one of the oldest structures in Polk County and the oldest in West Des Moines. Built by one of West Des Moines’ first settlers, James C. Jordan, the house today serves both as a museum for West Des Moines and as the office of West Des Moines Historical Society.

James C. Jordan, a cattle farmer from Virginia and one of Iowa’s most influential early settlers built the Jordan House. When Jordan settled the area, he chose a beautiful location with ancient oak, walnut and hickory trees on land gently sloping to the Raccoon River. Jordan’s first shelter was a lean-to tent, which was replaced in 1848 with a log cabin. In 1850 he and his wife, Melinda, began work on the first phase of the Jordan House. The family, which at that time numbered six children, lived for a time in the basement of the structure, consisting of a small kitchen and a bed/sitting room. About a year later what turned out to be the first phase of the upper white frame two-story structure was completed, featuring a magnificent entrance, a center hall and two large rooms. 16 more rooms and the porches and balconies were added in 1872.

During the antebellum period, the Jordan House was a designated stopover on the Underground Railroad. Freedom seeking formerly enslaved people hid in the fields, barns and outbuildings on the property. Jordan, a staunch abolitionist, was regarded as the “chief conductor” for Polk County. Radical abolitionist John Brown stayed at least twice at Jordan House, once when he was leading a group of 12 slaves to freedom.

Built in 1926 or ’27 the Bennett School was one of the last one room schools to be built in West Des Moines and was in use until at least 1941. It was originally located on an acre of ground donated by the Bennett family at the southwest corner of what is now known as Fuller Road and 50th Street. The school was eventually sold, remodeled slightly, and used as a private home for a number of years before being donated to the West Des Moines Historical Society by its final owners. Through the generosity of the community, a restoration project was begun in 1997 which returned the school to its former appearance.

Huston Cemetery is a historical cemetery located at the intersection of 88th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. The tiny burial plot is named for James B. Huston, who arrived in Iowa about 1847. The Huston family was one of the first to settle in Dallas County, and James B. Huston was the first Dallas County attorney. The family home served as a stage coach station, tavern and post office and is still standing nearby. It was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. According to Geraldine Wilson, Huston’s great-great-granddaughter, the first two people buried in Huston Cemetery were former slave girls with the last name of Harper who died on their way to freedom. The cemetery also includes the graves of several Huston family members. James B. Huston, who died in 1889, is believed to be the last person buried in Huston Cemetery. He rests next to his wife, Nancy Hill Huston, and six of their children.

The Val Air gets the roots of its name from a combination of Valley Junction and open air, creating “Val Air”.

Before the opening of the Val Air Ballroom in 1939, the original building and grounds were used by the Wilson Rubber Factory. After WW I the production needs for tires slowed, and the company closed, leaving a large concrete slab off Ashworth Road. The original Val Air was an outdoor dance hall, with no roof.

In 1939 Tom Archer built the Val Air, once of several ballrooms he owned and operated.

Over the years, the ballroom has hosted performances by stars like Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beach Boys, The Black Crowes, Asleep at the Wheel, Willie Nelson, Rob Zombie and Snoop Dogg.