Have you ever wondered what your house looked like in the 1930s?

If so the Iowa Geographic Map Server might have the answer for you.

The GIS facility at Iowa State University offers public access to Iowa geographic data through an online viewer and something called a web map service (WMS).  Instead of downloading and storing individual datasets onto your computer, you can use this viewer or WMS as a source for geographic data.  The viewer allows someone to view all sorts of Iowa specific data via the web, and the WMS allows a user to use all this data in a GIS that supports WMSs without having to download any data.   

It provides access to historical photos, landcover data, hillshades, and other useful products.   

It is free, easy, and makes a lot of data available and easier to use.