National Register of Historic Places

Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District

Slater, Polk County, Iowa
Listed
April 30, 2015
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
15000192

About this property

The Richard L. and Verda M. Alleman Farm Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located southeast of Slater in rural Polk County, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. At the time of its nomination the district consisted of 18 resources, including nine contributing buildings, one contributing site, one contributing structure, one contributing object, three non-contributing buildings, and three non-contributing structures. The farm at this location has been in the Alleman family since the 1880s making this a true century farm. Its significance is attributed to its being the first stop of a 1955 tour made by Vladimir Matskevich, a representative of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, and 11 leading Soviet agricultural scientists and managers. During a power struggle that followed the death of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union suffered from poor harvests and a shrinking rural population. After Khrushchev publicly complemented American agriculture and criticized Soviet agricultural management, Lauren K. Soth wrote an editorial in The Des Moines Register, "If the Russians Want More Meat...", inviting him to send a delegation to Iowa to see how its farmers worked successfully. Soth assumed Khrushchev would take no such action, however, the Premier took him up on the offer. The Alleman's were contacted on July 7, 1955, by Polk County Extension agent Grover Hahn about the possibility of visiting their farm. The visit took place ten days later on July 17. Soth was awarded the 1956 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for his editorial. Matskevich returned to visit the Alleman farm again in 1971, this time as the Soviet Union's Minister of Agriculture and Food. The historic district's contributing resources were in place when the 1955 visit took place.

Location

2701 NW. 158th Ave.
Slater, Polk County, Iowa

Categories

OTHERPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District

This page lists Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Questions about this property

When was Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District listed on the National Register?

Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 2015.

What type of historic resource is Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District?

Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District?

The period of significance for Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Polk County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Polk County.

Explore PolkCounty ›

More historic places in Iowa

Browse all historic places in Iowa.

View Iowahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Iowa history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Iowahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Alleman, Richard L. and Verda M., Farm Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report