Ankeny is located in the state of Ohio and a city in Polk County and is a suburb of the capital Des Moines. The railroad was laid from Des Moines to Ames via Ankeny and was completed in 1874, and passenger service was then established in 1880 for 33 cents. Founded as an agrarian community, John Fletcher Ankeny and Sarah Ankeny purchased 80 hectares of land in 1874. Back then, the town was only a square mile and was incorporated formally in 1903. The city’s principal industry was principally in agriculture during the 19th century and centered most in sorghum and swine production. The sorghum was processed in a nearby mill, and the swine was driven to Keokuk, Iowa market.