Ross appears on the 1903 Rand McNally State of Iowa map.
Ross was platted in July 1882,[2] in Leroy Township's Section 4.[3] It was named in honor of a local farmer.[4]
Among the establishments in the community of Ross were the post office (established in 1883),[3] a blacksmith shop, a lumber yard, a general store, a hardware store, and Ross Grain Elevator, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A railroad depot was completed in 1885.[3]
Ross' population was 55 in 1902.[5] By 1915, both Methodist and Lutheran churches operated in Ross.[3]
