• Iowa 4-H Program
• Iowa 4-H History By County
  • Iowa 4-H Legend: C.J. Gauger
  • Iowa 4-H Legend: Glen Thompson
  • ISU President: William Beardshear
  • A Country Girl's Creed
  • National 4-H Conference History

Iowa 4-H celebrated 110 years of existence in 2011 with the launch of a new blog of Iowa’s 4-H history. A decade ago, Iowa State University Extension staff and 4-H volunteers began discussion about writing Iowa’s illustrative 4-H history in conjunction with the centennial of 4-H.

From those early discussions, a children’s ABC book about 4-H was written and illustrated. In addition, county celebrations during the 4-H centennial as well as ISU Extension’s centennial in 2003 resulted in the gathering of numerous pictures, record books and memorabilia. Those efforts have resulted in what will now be a living history of 4-H that can be continually added to with your own experiences in 4-H.

Iowa 4-H histories from 86 counties have been posted. Each county has taken a different approach to documenting their history. We hope you enjoy their stories! Click on the counties below in orange to read about Iowa 4-H history and the impact the program has had in communities across Iowa.

Iowa 4-H History