![FI0006327](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/FI0006327.jpg)
Council Bluffs is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Pottawattamie County,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the
Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is located on the east bank of the
Missouri River, across from the city of
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
. Council Bluffs was known, until at least 1853, as Kanesville.
It was the historic starting point of the
Mormon Trail. Kanesville is also the northernmost anchor town of the
other emigrant trails, since there was a steam-powered boat to ferry their wagons, and cattle, across the
Missouri River.
In 1869, the
first transcontinental railroad
North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...
to California was connected to the existing U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs.
Council Bluffs' population was 62,799 at the time of the
2020 census, making it the state's tenth largest city.
The
Omaha metropolitan region, of which Council Bluffs is a part, is the 58th largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 967,604 (2020).
History
1804–1843: Pottawattamie reservation and Caldwell's Camp
The first Council Bluff (singular) was on the Nebraska side of the river at
Fort Atkinson, about northwest of the current city of Council Bluffs. It was named by
Lewis and Clark
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
for a bluff where they met the
Otoe tribe
The Otoe (Chiwere: Jiwére) are a Native American people of the Midwestern United States. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa, Missouria, and Ho-Chunk tribes.
Historically, ...
on August 2, 1804.
The Iowa side of the river became an Indian Reservation in the 1830s for members of the
Council of Three Fires
The Council of Three Fires (in oj, label=Anishinaabe, Niswi-mishkodewinan, also known as the People of the Three Fires; the Three Fires Confederacy; or the United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians) is a long-standing Anishina ...
of
Chippewa,
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and
Potawatomi, who were forced to leave the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
area under the
Treaty of Chicago
The Treaty of Chicago may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in the settlement that became Chicago, Illinois between the United States and the Odaawaa (anglicized Ottawa), Ojibwe (anglicized Chippewa), and Bodéwadmi (anglicized ...
, which cleared the way for the city of Chicago to incorporate.
The largest group of Native Americans who moved to the area were the Pottawatomi, who were led by their chief
Sauganash
Billy Caldwell, baptized Thomas Caldwell (March 17, 1782 – September 28, 1841), known also as ''Sauganash'' ( ne who speaksEnglish), was a British-Potawatomi fur trader who was commissioned captain in the Indian Department of Canada duri ...
("one who speaks English"), the son of the British loyalist
William Caldwell, who founded Canadian communities on the south side of the
Detroit River
The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively refe ...
, and a Pottawatomi woman.
Seeking to avoid confrontation with the
Sioux
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...
, who were natives of the Council Bluffs area, the 1,000 to 2,000 Pottawattamie initially had settled east of the Missouri River in Indian territory between
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of t ...
and
St. Joseph, Missouri
St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...
. When this area was bought from Ioway, Sac and Fox tribes in the
Platte Purchase
The Platte Purchase was a land acquisition in 1836 by the United States government from American Indian tribes of the region. It comprised lands along the east bank of the Missouri River and added to the northwest corner of the state of Miss ...
and part of Missouri in 1837, Sauganash and the Pottawatomi were forced to move to their assigned reservation in Council Bluffs. Sauganash's English name was Billy Caldwell, and his village was called Caldwell's Camp. The tribe were sometimes called the Bluff Indians. U.S. Army
Dragoons built a small fort nearby.
In 1838–39, the
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
Pierre-Jean De Smet
Pierre-Jean De Smet, SJ ( ; 30 January 1801 – 23 May 1873), also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Flemish Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He is known primarily for his widespread missionary work in the mid-19th ...
founded St. Joseph's Mission to minister to the Potawatomi. De Smet was appalled by the violence and brutality caused by the whiskey trade, and tried to protect the tribe from unscrupulous traders. However, he had little success in persuading tribal members to convert to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and resorted to secret
baptisms
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation and Adoption ...
of Indian children.
During this time, De Smet contributed to
Joseph Nicollet
Joseph Nicolas Nicollet (July 24, 1786 – September 11, 1843), also known as Jean-Nicolas Nicollet, was a French geographer, astronomer, and mathematician known for mapping the Upper Mississippi River basin during the 1830s. Nicollet led three ...
's work in mapping the upper midwest. De Smet produced the first European-recorded, detailed map of the Council Bluffs area; it detailed the Missouri River valley system, from below the Platte River to the
Big Sioux River
The Big Sioux River is a tributary of the Missouri River in eastern South Dakota and northwestern Iowa in the United States. It flows generally southwardly for ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataTh ...
.
[Whittaker (2008): "Pierre-Jean De Smet's Remarkable Map of the Missouri River Valley, 1839: What Did He See in Iowa?", ''Journal of the ]Iowa Archeological Society
The Iowa Archeological Society is an organization of academic, professional, and amateur archaeologists. It promotes education about Iowa's cultural past, conducts excavations, and encourages ethical collection and recording of archaeological site ...
'' 55:1–13.
![De Smet Council Bluffs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/De_Smet_Council_Bluffs.jpg)
De Smet wrote an early description of the Potawatomi settlement:
Imagine a great number of cabins and tents, made of the bark of trees, buffalo skins, coarse cloth, rushes and sod
Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls.
In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricult ...
s, all of a mournful and funereal aspect, of all sizes and shapes, some supported by one pole, others having six, and with the covering stretched in all the different styles imaginable, and all scattered here and there in the greatest confusion, and you will have an Indian village.
As more Native Americans were pushed into the Council Bluffs area by pressure of European-American settlement to the east, intertribal conflict increased, fueled by the illegal whiskey trade. The US Army built Fort Croghan in 1842, to keep order and try to control liquor traffic on the Missouri River. However that fort was destroyed in a flood the same year.
By 1846 the Pottawatomi were forced to move again to a
new reservation at
Osawatomie, Kansas
Osawatomie is a city in Miami County, Kansas, United States, southwest of Kansas City. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,255. It derives its name as a portmanteau of two nearby streams, the Marais des Cygnes River (form ...
.
1844–1851: Mormon community of Kanesville
In 1844, the
Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party crossed the Missouri River here, on their way to blaze a new path into California across the
Sierra Nevada Mountains. Beginning in 1846, there was a large influx of
Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
into the area, although in the winter of 1847–1848 most Latter-day Saints crossed to the Nebraska side of the Missouri River. Initially, the area was called "Miller's Hollow", after
Henry W. Miller, who would be the first member of the Iowa State Legislature from the area. Miller also was the foreman for the construction of the
Kanesville Tabernacle
The Kanesville Tabernacle was a large, hastily constructed log building in Council Bluffs, Iowa that was created specifically for the event of the reorganization of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Churc ...
.
By 1848, the town had become known as Kanesville, named for benefactor
Thomas L. Kane, who had helped negotiate in Washington, DC federal permission for the Mormons to use Indian land along the Missouri for their winter encampment of 1846–47. Built at or next to Caldwell's Camp, Kanesville became the main outfitting point for the
Mormon Exodus
The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter Day Saints, who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the S ...
to
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, and it is the recognized head end of the
Mormon Trail.
Edwin Carter, who would become a noted
naturalist in
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, worked here from 1848 to 1859 in a dry goods store. He helped supply Mormon wagon trains.
Settlers departing west from Kanesville, into the sparsely settled,
unorganized parts of the Territory of Missouri to the
Oregon Country
Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...
and the newly conquered
California Territory, through the (eventual)
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebrask ...
, traveled by
wagon train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
s along the much-storied
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
, or
California Trail
The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California. After it was established, the first half of the California Trail f ...
s into the newly expanded United States western lands.
After the first large organized wagon trains left Missouri in 1841, the annual migration waves began in earnest by spring of 1843. They built up, thereafter, with the opening of the Mormon Trail (1846) until peaking in the later 1860s, when news of railroad's progress had a braking effect.
By the 1860s, virtually all migration wagon trains were passing near the renamed town. The
wagon train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
trails became less important with the advent of the first complete
transcontinental railway
A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...
in 1869, but while trail use diminished after that, their use continued on at lesser rates until late in the nineteenth century.
The
Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in United States military history in federal service, recruited solely from one religious body and having a religious title as the unit designation. The volunteers served from July 1846 to July ...
began their march from Kanesville to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
. This was where
plural marriage
Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more tha ...
first began to be openly practiced.
Orson Hyde
Orson Hyde (January 8, 1805 – November 28, 1878) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus ...
began publishing ''The Frontier Guardian'' newspaper, and
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
was sustained as the second president of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS church). The community was transformed by the
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
, and the majority of Mormons left for Utah by 1852.
1852–1900: Council Bluffs and the beginning of the railroad era
![GrenvilleDodgeHouse CouncilBluffsIA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/GrenvilleDodgeHouse_CouncilBluffsIA.jpg)
In 1852, the town was renamed Council Bluffs. It continued as a major outfitting point on the Missouri River for the
Emigrant Trail and
Pike's Peak Gold Rush
The Pike's Peak Gold Rush (later known as the Colorado Gold Rush) was the boom in gold prospecting and mining in the Pike's Peak Country of western Kansas Territory and southwestern Nebraska Territory of the United States that began in July 1858 a ...
, and entertained a lively
steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
trade.
In 1863 an anonymous soldier on his way to fight the
Dakota Uprising
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...
passed through Council Bluffs and described a hardscrabble town:
Council Bluffs (rather than Omaha) was designated by Abraham Lincoln as the official starting point of the
transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...
which was completed in 1869. The official "Mile 0" start is at 21st Street and 9th Avenue which is now marked by a gold spike that was used for the promotion of the movie
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
Council Bluffs physical connection to the Transcontinental Railroad was delayed until 1872 when the
Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge
The Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge is a rail truss bridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.
History
When the first railroad bridge on the site opened on March 27, 1872, it connected the First tr ...
opened (railroad cars had to be ferried across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs to Omaha in the early days of the Transcontinental).
The
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...
arrived 1867. Other railroads operating in the city came to include the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.
At the end ...
,
Chicago Great Western Railway
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesot ...
,
Wabash Railroad
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...
,
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...
,
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...
and the
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986.
The company experience ...
.
1901–present
In 1926, the portion of Council Bluffs west of the Missouri River seceded to form
Carter Lake, Iowa. Carter Lake had been cut off by a change in the course of the Missouri River.
By the 1930s, Council Bluffs had grown into the country's fifth largest rail center. The railroads helped the city become a center for grain storage, and massive
grain elevators
A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposi ...
continue to mark the city's skyline. Other industries in the city included Blue Star Foods, Dwarfies Cereal,
Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay is an American subsidiary of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets, and sells corn chips, potato chips, and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-fla ...
, Georgie Porgie Cereal, Giant Manufacturing, Kimball Elevators, Mona Motor Oil, Monarch, Reliance Batteries, Woodward's Candy, and
World Radio
''World Radio'' is the ninth album by the English singer-songwriter, Leo Sayer, and was released in April 1982. It was (including the greatest hits compilation album, '' The Very Best of Leo Sayer'') his tenth successive Top 50 chart entry in ...
. During the 1940s,
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky (born Maier Suchowljansky; July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983), known as the "Mob's Accountant", was an American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the ...
operated a
greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing (normally around an oval track) and coursing; the latter is now banned in most countries. Tra ...
track in Council Bluffs.
Restructuring of the railroad industry caused the loss of many jobs after the mid-20th century, as did the restructuring of heavy industry. Many jobs moved offshore. By the late 20th century the city and region were suffering economic stagnation and a declining population, as they struggled to develop a new economy. Downtown
urban renewal
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
was undertaken to create a new future while emphasizing the strengths of heritage.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Council Bluffs covers a unique topographic region originally composed of
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
and
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
in the
Loess Hills
The Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost parts of Iowa and Missouri, and the easternmost parts of Nebraska and Kansas, along the Missouri River.
Geology
The Loess (, , or ) Hills are generally located bet ...
with extensive
wetlands
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
and
deciduous forest
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
along the
Missouri River. Excellent vistas can be had from
KOIL
''Koil'' or ''Koyil'' or ''Kovil'', (meaning: residence of GodThe modern Tamil word for Hindu temple is ''kōvil'' ( ta, கோவில்) meaning "the residence of God". In ancient Tamil Nadu, the king (, ''Kō'') was considered to be a ...
Point at Fairmont Park, the Lincoln Monument, Kirn Park, and the
Lewis and Clark
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
Monument.
Lake Manawa State Park
Lake Manawa State Park is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It is based around Lake Manawa, a man-made lake created to relieve water from the Missouri River and is located in southwest Council Bluffs.
Facilities and activities
The campgro ...
is located at the southern edge of the city.
Neighborhoods
Downtown Council Bluffs
Downtown Council Bluffs historically covered the area along West Broadway and adjacent streets from Old Town west to the
Chicago and North Western Transportation Company
The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...
Railroad passenger depot at 11th Street. Downtown developed as the economic rival of Old Town after the 1853 opening of the Pacific House Hotel by Samuel S. Bayliss through the 1867 completion of the Chicago and Northwestern. In 1899, the
Illinois Central passenger depot opened at 12th St. and West Broadway.
The area declined as the city's primary retail center after the 1955 completion of the Broadway Viaduct, 1970s urban renewal, and the 1984 opening of the Kanesville Boulevard
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
bypass. Remaining buildings of note include the 1959 Council Bluffs
Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
and Federal Building at 6th Street, the 1986 "Red" Nelson Building, the 501 Main Building, the substantially altered 1909 City National Bank Building, and the 1968 First Federal Building. The 1947 State Savings Bank Building at 509 West Broadway and the seven-story 1924
Bennett Building at 405 West Broadway are both listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. The 100 Block of West Broadway is a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the 1892 Broadway United
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Church at West Broadway and 1st St. remains a prominent community landmark.
Old Town Council Bluffs
Old Town Council Bluffs was adjudged by Judge Frank Street in the 1850s as the area between West Broadway and Glen Avenue and East Broadway and Frank Street from Harmony Street south to Pierce Street. Today this area encompasses
Billy Caldwell
Billy Caldwell, baptized Thomas Caldwell (March 17, 1782 – September 28, 1841), known also as ''Sauganash'' ( ne who speaksEnglish), was a British-Potawatomi fur trader who was commissioned captain in the Indian Department of Canada duri ...
's settlement of Potawatomi on Indian Creek during the 1830s and Kanesville established by the
Mormons as Miller's Hollow in 1848. Kanesville was the home of Mormon leaders Orson Hyde,
George A. Smith, and
Ezra T. Benson and served as a major outfitting point on the
Mormon Trail during the California Gold Rush. The reconstructed Kanesville Tabernacle in the 300 block of East Broadway is operated as a museum by the LDS Church.
The West End
The West End is a geographically large area on the flood plain east of the Missouri River and
downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline ...
, Nebraska, west of 10th St. and the Broadway Viaduct, and north of 9th Ave. and the
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
Transfer railyards. These neighborhoods of long, tree-shaded avenues are divided by the commercial corridor of West Broadway (U.S. Route 6), once part of the
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913 ...
. This stretch of West Broadway has traditionally had several drive-in fast food restaurants and automobile dealerships with several
grain elevator
A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...
s adjacent along 1st Avenue. West Broadway ends at the
Interstate 480 bridge to downtown Omaha.
Iowa Highway 192
Iowa Highway 192 (Iowa 192) was a north–south highway within the city limits of Council Bluffs, Iowa. It had a length of . It began and an interchange with Interstate 29 (I-29) and I-80 in the southern part of the city. It briefly overlapped ...
follows North 16th St. from West Broadway to
Interstate 29
Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...
. Neighborhood landmarks include the 1890s Illinois Central Railroad Missouri River bridge,
Stan Bahnsen Park, the
Golden Spike
The golden spike (also known as The Last Spike) is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific Railroad ...
monument, the Narrows River Park, Big Lake Park, the site of
Dodge Park Playland
Dodge Park Playland was an amusement park formerly located at Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. It was in operation from 1948 to 1970. In its heyday as an amusement park, through the 1960's, it spanned the street in Council Bluffs that began ...
, the Dodge Christian Church (built with the N.P. Dodge Memorial funds and now known as Citylight West Council Bluffs), and many examples of late 19th and early 20th century residential architecture. The West End was used as a location by film director
Alexander Payne in the movies ''
Citizen Ruth
''Citizen Ruth'' is a 1996 American satirical black comedy film directed by Alexander Payne, in his feature film directorial debut, and starring Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kenneth M ...
'' and ''
About Schmidt
''About Schmidt'' is a 2002 American comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Alexander Payne and starring Jack Nicholson in the title role. The film also stars Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, and Kathy Bates. It is loosely based on the 1996 nov ...
''.
Casino Row
Casino Row is located on and near the Missouri River south of West Broadway and Interstate 480, west of South 35th St. and Interstate 29, and north of
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
along 23rd Avenue west of South 24th St. The opening of the Bluffs Run Greyhound Park in 1986, now the
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
Horseshoe Council Bluffs is a casino and former greyhound racing track in Council Bluffs, Iowa, near Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It has of gaming space with 1,438 slot machines, 63 tabl ...
, was followed in the mid-1990s by
riverboat casino
A riverboat casino is a type of casino on a riverboat found in several states in the United States with frontage on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, or along the Gulf Coast. Several states authorized this type of casino in order to en ...
s operated by
Ameristar and Harvey's Casino Hotel (now
Harrah's Council Bluffs
Harrah's Council Bluffs is a hotel and casino located in Council Bluffs, Iowa across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment. Harrah's Council Bluffs has many amenities includ ...
). New development in this previously industrial area has included the
Mid-America Center
The Mid-America Center is an arena and convention center located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, just five minutes from downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The arena's maximum capacity is about 9,000 for concerts and 6,700 for ice hockey and arena football. The ...
, several restaurants and hotels, an
AMC Theatres
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC and known in some countries as AMC Cinemas or AMC Multi-Cinemas) is an American movie theater chain fou ...
with an
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
, and a
Bass Pro Shops
BPS Direct, L.L.C, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held retailer which specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. With headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pr ...
. The appearance of legalized gambling in Council Bluffs became a major issue in neighboring Omaha where Mayor
Hal Daub
Harold John Daub Jr. (born April 23, 1941) is an American lawyer and politician from Nebraska who served four terms in the United States House of Representatives and as the 48th Mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. In 2012, Daub was elected to the Board of R ...
had declared Iowa an "XXX state" in 1995 as horse-racing came to an end at
Ak-Sar-Ben.
Twin City
Twin City is located south of where Interstate 29 splits from Interstate 80, east of
South Omaha South Omaha is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth, due to the rapid development of the Union S ...
, Nebraska, west of Indian Creek, and north of the South Omaha Bridge Road (
U.S. Route 275
U.S. Route 275 (US 275) is a north–south United States highway that is a branch of US 75. It originally terminated at US 75 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The highway's northern terminus is in O'Neill, Nebraska, at an intersection with U.S. Hig ...
and
Iowa Highway 92
Iowa Highway 92 (Iowa 92) is a state highway that runs from east to west across the state of Iowa. Iowa 92 is long. It begins at the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, where it is a continuation of Nebraska Highway 92. It stretches acro ...
). This neighborhood developed mostly during the 1960s for workers in nearby Omaha factories and at
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air ...
. The Interstate 80 Exit at 1-B at South 24th Street includes two large
truck stops
A truck stop, known as a service station in the United Kingdom, and a travel center by major chains in the United States, is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made food and other services to motori ...
, a
Sapp Brothers Sapp may refer to:
People with the name
* Sapp (surname)
Politics and organizations
* Locke, Liddell & Sapp, law firm
* Sabah Progressive Party, SAPP, in Malaysian politics
* Southern African Power Pool, SAPP
Other uses
*Sapp (instrument), a tr ...
and a
Pilot Travel Centers
Pilot Travel Centers LLC, doing business as Pilot Flying J, is a North American chain of truck stops in the United States and Canada. The company is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Pilot Corporation, the majority owner, is based. The compan ...
, along with several motels, the Western Historic Trails Center, the Bluffs Acres
manufactured home
Manufactured housing (commonly known as mobile homes in the United States) is a type of prefabricated housing that is largely assembled in factories and then transported to sites of use. The definition of the term in the United States is regu ...
development, and The Marketplace shopping area with
J.C. Penney as its primary tenant. The Willows on the South Omaha Bridge Road is an example of mid-20th century roadside motel architecture and Bart's Motel further east at South 24th St featured prominent neon signage, was used as a location in the motion picture ''
The Indian Runner
''The Indian Runner'' is a 1991 crime drama film written and directed by Sean Penn in his directorial debut. Based on Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman", the film depicts the relationship between two brothers who find themselves on oppos ...
'', and has since been demolished.
Manawa
Manawa is the portion of Council Bluffs from the combined Interstate 80 and Interstate 29 south to the city limits between Mosquito and Indian Creeks. The area was developed as a
trolley park
Trolley may refer to:
Vehicles and components
* Tram, or trolley or streetcar, a rail vehicle that runs on tramway tracks
* Trolleybus, or trolley, an electric bus drawing power from overhead wires using trolley poles
** Trolleytruck, a trolleyb ...
by the Omaha and Council Bluffs Streetcar Company after the former channel of the Missouri River was "cut-off" during an 1881 flood to become modern Lake Manawa State Park. Later development followed the establishment of U.S. Route 275 and the completion of Interstate 80 with additional growth during the 1990s. A variety of fast food restaurants, motels, big-box stores, a TravelCenters of America truck stop, automobile dealerships, and other businesses are located between Interstate 80 and Interstate 29 south to the state park. The Lake Manawa Inn hosts early examples of roadside cabin architecture. In February and March, bald eagles and red-tailed hawks can frequently be seen at Lake Manawa, particularly along the southwest shore.
The South End
The South End is bordered by 12th Avenue on the north, South 16th St. and the Union Pacific Transfer railyards on the west, Interstate 80 and Interstate 29 on the south, and the South Expressway (Iowa Highway 192) on the east. This neighborhood developed during the late 19th century with the railroads, especially the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. In the early 20th century much of the area was dubbed "Dane Town" or "Little Copenhagen" for the large number of Denmark, Danish immigrants with several Croatian and Mexican people, Mexican families closer to the Union Pacific railyards at "Little Vienna". Neighborhood landmarks include Peterson Park, Longfellow School, and the 1899 Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific passenger depot, now the RailsWest Railroad Museum.
Oakland-Fairview
Oakland-Fairview developed during the 1890s and features a wealth of 19th-century architecture, including the Judge Finley Burke mansion at 510 Oakland built in 1893 out of Minnesota granite. The neighborhood is also home to the Lincoln Monument. Located at the western end of Lafayette Avenue, the monument was erected in 1911 by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution that, according to folklore, commemorates the spot where Abraham Lincoln decided on the location of the transcontinental railroad in 1859. The monument offers expansive views across the West End in the Missouri River Valley to Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska. Nearby is the entrance to Fairview Cemetery, situated on the north side of Lafayette Avenue, which predates the establishment of the present city and includes the Kinsman Monument and the burial place of many early settlers, including Amelia Bloomer. At the east end of Lafayette Avenue where it intersects with North Second Street stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, the "Black Angel" designed by Daniel Chester French, although the wife of Grenville Dodge is actually buried elsewhere in Council Bluffs.
Madison Avenue
Madison Avenue is the area of Council Bluffs adjacent to Exit 5 of Interstate 80 along Madison and Bennett avenues, Valley View Drive, and the area between Iowa Highway 92 north to McPherson Avenue. Mosquito Creek (Iowa), Mosquito Creek flows through this area which was originally notable for the Potawatomi gristmill and now includes the usual roadside gas stations, fast food restaurants, motels, and the tracks of the Iowa Interstate Railroad. Plans for a shopping mall here first appeared in 1972 and construction finally began on the Mall of the Bluffs in 1985. A Sears, Old Navy, and Barnes & Noble later opened at the mall with adjacent commercial development by Hy-Vee and No Frills Supermarkets. Residential growth east of the railroad tracks towards State Orchard Road and the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport and north to U.S. Route 6 has included developments outside the Council Bluffs city limits. Original anchor stores J.C. Penney and Target Corporation, Target both relocated from the Mall of the Bluffs in 2008.
Huntington Avenue
Huntington Avenue consists of early 20th century American Craftsman, Craftsman homes that wind along the top of the Loess Hills past the 1925 studio of radio station
KOIL
''Koil'' or ''Koyil'' or ''Kovil'', (meaning: residence of GodThe modern Tamil word for Hindu temple is ''kōvil'' ( ta, கோவில்) meaning "the residence of God". In ancient Tamil Nadu, the king (, ''Kō'') was considered to be a ...
, now apartments.
The historic "Council Bluffs' Red-light district" was formed during the late 19th century, when at least 10 separate brothels were located on Pierce Street east of Park Avenue with another three brothels down the block on the south side of West Broadway east of Park. One 1890 newspaper article referenced in Lt. RL Miller's "Selected History of the Council Bluffs Police" noted the "places of vice and corruption on Pierce" and Stella Long's above the Ogden House along with the "terrible den at the corner of Market and Vine" and Belle Clover's bagnio at 8th St. and West Broadway.
Environmental problems
In 2010, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources found that air in central Council Bluffs measured above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, national air quality standard for lead, most likely due to lead emissions in this area by Griffin Pipe Products Company.
In 2011, EPA found numerous violations of the Clean Water Act, because the plant's contaminated stormwater commingled with treated process wastewater and was pumped out to the storm sewer, which discharged into the Missouri River.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 62,230 people, 24,793 households, and 15,528 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 26,594 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.9% White (U.S. Census), White, 1.9% African American (U.S. Census), African American, 0.6% Native American (U.S. Census), Native American, 0.7% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian, 3.6% from Race (U.S. Census), other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race were 8.5% of the population.
There were 24,793 households, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were Marriage, married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 35.9 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 58,268 people, 22,889 households, and 15,083 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 24,340 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.76% White, 1.05% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.45% of the population.
There were 22,889 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.03.
Age spread: 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,221, and the median income for a family was $42,715. Males had a median income of $30,828 versus $23,476 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,143. About 8.2% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The liberalization of Iowa gambling laws was followed by the opening of The Bluffs Run Greyhound Park in 1986. By 2005, Council Bluffs was the 19th largest casino market in the United States, with revenue equaling nearly $434 million. Casinos include Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs,
Harrah's Council Bluffs
Harrah's Council Bluffs is a hotel and casino located in Council Bluffs, Iowa across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment. Harrah's Council Bluffs has many amenities includ ...
, and the
Horseshoe Council Bluffs
Horseshoe Council Bluffs is a casino and former greyhound racing track in Council Bluffs, Iowa, near Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It has of gaming space with 1,438 slot machines, 63 tabl ...
.
Council Bluffs industry includes "frozen foods, robotics, dairy products, plastics, railroading, electrical products, and pork and beef packaging" per the city's website. American Games (a manufacturer of lottery gaming products), Barton Solvents, Con-Agra, Grundorf, Katelman Foundry, Omaha Standard Palfinger (a truck body manufacturer established 1926), Red Giant Oil, and Tyson Foods have manufacturing plants in the city.
Griffin Pipe Products, established in 1921, closed its plant employing about 250 people in March 2014, when it was bought by U.S. Pipe and Foundry, based in Birmingham, Alabama.
Griffin Wheels, a part of American Steel Foundries, was one of the largest US manufacturers of iron railroad-car wheels until it switched to pipes in the 1960s.
Mid-American Energy built a new coal-fired plant in 2007; the billion dollar investment was the single largest private investment in Iowa's history up until then.
In 2007, Google began construction of a server farm on the former site of the Council Bluffs drive-in theater on Veterans Memorial Highway. This first phase, completed in 2009, was to create "200 high quality jobs".
The second Google campus, on Bunge Avenue, had an open house in October 2013, employing 50 people who are "installing and upgrading Google servers and providing maintenance on equipment".
In March 2014, a third phase, the Southlands expansion, was announced, creating 35 additional jobs and bringing Google's investment up to $1.5 billion, the largest private investment in Iowa's history to date.
The state increased its tax abatement of sales and use tax for Google from $9.6 million to $16.8 million.
Google stated it created 130 jobs
and as of June 2016 "over 300 jobs" on site.
In particular, the server farms are backing the entire "us-central1" region of the Google Cloud Platform.
Arts and culture
Council Bluffs is the location of the Pottawattamie County Pottawattamie County Jail, "Squirrel Cage" Jail, in use from 1885 until 1969, which is one of three remaining examples of a Rotary Jail. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was built as a rotary jail with pie-shaped cells on a turntable. To access individual cells, the jailer turned a crank to rotate the cylinder until the desired cell lined up with a fixed opening on each floor. According to the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County, the Squirrel Cage Jail is the only three-story rotary jail constructed. Although the rotary mechanism was disabled in 1960, the building remained the county jail for another 9 years. Similar, smaller examples of the concept can be seen in Crawfordsville, Indiana and Gallatin, Missouri.
![UPRR Museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/UPRR_Museum.JPG)
The city's strong ties to the railroad industry are commemorated by three local museums. The Union Pacific Museum is located in the former Council Bluffs Free Public Library (a Carnegie library), at Pearl Street and Willow Avenue; the Grenville Dodge Home is on Third Street; and the RailsWest Railroad Museum is at South Main Street and Sixteenth Avenue. RailsWest is housed in an 1899 Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad passenger depot later shared with the Milwaukee Road, which was used by the ''Rocky Mountain Rocket'', the ''Arrow (passenger train), Arrow'', and the ''Midwest Hiawatha''. RailsWest features an outdoor display of historic train cars, including a Railway Post Office car, two steam locomotives, two cabooses, a Burlington Lounge car, and a 1953 switcher produced by the Plymouth Locomotive Works.
The Iowa West Foundation, the charitable wing of the local gambling industry, funded a public art planning process for Council Bluffs in 2004 that emphasized a 2015 goal for the city to become "a prosperous urban area known for its cultural enlightenment and public art collection."
To this end the city renovated Bayliss Park in downtown, which was re-dedicated in early 2007 with a new fountain dubbed Wellspring. Its performance pavilion, known as Oculus, was designed by sculptor Brower Hatcher. This was the first installation of the Iowa West Public Art, a foundation established during the Public Art Master Planning process. The Iowa West Foundation then establishe
IWPAalong wit
public art website In 2008 a -tall Molecule Man sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky was installed at the Mid-America Center; nearby sculptures were designed by William King (artist), William King and Jun Kaneko. Albert Paley designed elements of the nearby South 24th Street bridge at Exit 1B of the combined Interstate 29 and Interstate 80 at Council Bluffs and Ed Carpenter (artist), Ed Carpenter designed Gateway for the West Broadway viaduct. Artist Dan Corson and the Big Mo by Mark di Suvero are featured at Tom Hanfan's River's Edge Park along the banks of the Missouri River.
Council Bluffs is also home to the Chanticleer Community Theater, TVI Filtration Corporation (a major supplier of discount automotive products), and Hamilton College (Iowa) which is now part of Kaplan University – Council Bluffs.
The black squirrel is the city's mascot. John James Audubon reported the squirrels in 1843, along the Missouri River at Council Bluffs.
For one week in late July/early August, the annual Pottawattamie County Fair is held at Westfair grounds. There are carnival rides, concerts, gun shows, tractor races, and a queen contest.
Sports
The Iowa Blackhawks (later known as the Council Bluffs Express) of the American Professional Football League played at the Mid-America Center from 2004 until 2012. The Mid-America Center was also home to the Omaha Lancers from 2002 until 2008.
Education
Public education in the city of Council Bluffs is provided by two List of school districts in Iowa, school districts: Council Bluffs Community School District and Lewis Central Community School District. Most of the city is located within the Council Bluffs Community School District, which operates of public schools, the following: 14 elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools (Abraham Lincoln High School (Council Bluffs, Iowa), Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson High School (Council Bluffs, Iowa), Thomas Jefferson), Tucker Center career center, and Kanesville alternative high school. As of the 2008–2009 school year, district had a total enrollment of 9,246.
The Lewis Central Community School District (one high school, one middles school, and two elementary schools) serves the southern portion of Council Bluffs and enrolled 3,047 students as of the 2008–2009 school year.
There are several private schools in Council Bluffs, including Community Christian School
Heartland Christian School Liberty Christian School, Saint Albert Catholic Schools (of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines), and Trinity Lutheran Interparish School.
The Iowa School for the Deaf moved to the south edge of Council Bluffs in 1870 along what is now
Iowa Highway 92
Iowa Highway 92 (Iowa 92) is a state highway that runs from east to west across the state of Iowa. Iowa 92 is long. It begins at the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, where it is a continuation of Nebraska Highway 92. It stretches acro ...
. It is open to all students in both Iowa and Nebraska who are younger than 21 and whose hearing loss places them at a disadvantage in the public schools.
Iowa Western Community College is located on the eastern edge of Council Bluffs near the intersection of Interstate 80 in Iowa, Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 6 in Iowa, U.S. Route 6 and is the home of the radio station KIWR. Buena Vista University also has a location in Council Bluffs and partners with Iowa Western Community College to offer bachelor's degree completion programs to IWCC graduates.
Infrastructure
Transportation
The city is well served by
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
, Interstate 29, U.S. Route 6, and the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway. The
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
, BNSF, Iowa Interstate, and Canadian National Railroads all connect in Council Bluffs and carry important freight traffic. MidAmerican Energy Company, MidAmerican Energy has a large coal-burning power plant near the southern city limits.
An extensive system of off-street paved trails aids in walking and bicycling around the city, including the currently under construction FIRST AVE trail spanning the city's West End. Walking, bicycling, and other active transportation access across the Missouri River into Omaha, Nebraska, currently exists at two points: the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and a trail connection across the South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge on U.S. Route 275, US-275.
Transit access around Council Bluffs is available via two Metro Transit (Omaha), Metro bus lines, the blue and yellow routes. Each route originates in downtown Omaha and provides access across the Missouri River as well as between various points around Council Bluffs. According to city plans, a streetcar line may be constructed along the First Avenue right-of-way. This streetcar line would terminate near Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in the east and in downtown Omaha in the west, offering a connection to the planned Omaha Streetcar. In order to facilitate streetcar access across the Missouri River, plans call for a new multimodal bridge to be constructed just south of the existing Interstate 480 (Nebraska–Iowa), I-480 bridge. This multimodal bridge would be built roughly where the Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge once stood, carrying multimodal traffic between Council Bluffs and Omaha.
Commercial air travel for Council Bluffs occurs primarily out of Omaha's Eppley Airfield. The Council Bluffs Municipal Airport also serves the General aviation, general aviation needs of Council Bluffs and surrounding areas.
Notable people
Academics
*Nathan M. Pusey: educator, former president of Harvard University
Arts
*Walter Cassel: opera singer
*Janet Dailey, romance novelist
*John Durbin: actor
*Addison Farmer: jazz musician
*Art Farmer: jazz musician
*Joan Freeman (actress), Joan Freeman: actress, co-starred with Elvis Presley in ''Roustabout (film), Roustabout''
*Peg Hillias: actress
*Harry Langdon: silent movie star
*Sagan Lewis: actress (''St. Elsewhere'')
*James Millhollin: character actor
*Lula Greene Richards: poet
*Charles Roscoe Savage: photographer
*Ernest Schoedsack: film director, including the original ''King Kong (1933 film), King Kong'' and ''Mighty Joe Young (1949 film), Mighty Joe Young''
*David Yost: actor
*Farrah Abraham: reality television personality.
Business
*Jonathan Browning (inventor), Jonathan Browning: gunsmith
*Martin Burns: championship wrestler, founder of mail-order "Farmer Burns Scientific School of Wrestling"
Journalism
*William Pfaff: journalist
*Jack L. Treynor, Jack Lawrence Treynor (February 21, 1930 – May 11, 2016): Editor, Financial Analysts Journal
Military
*Frank F. Everest: U.S. Air Force, Air Force general and Commander in Europe during the Cold War
*John S. McCain Jr.: Navy Admiral, father of U.S. Senator and presidential candidate John McCain, John S. McCain III
*Raymond R. Wright (USMC), Raymond R. Wright: Marine Corps General during World War II
Politics
*Amelia Bloomer (1818–1894): 19th century suffragist
*Thomas Bowman (Iowa politician), Thomas Bowman: Businessman and U.S. Congressman
*Sam Brown (activist), Sam Brown: organizer Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, former
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
state treasurer
*Grenville Dodge: U.S. Congressman, Civil War general, chief engineer of the
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
during construction of the transcontinental railroad
*Michael Gronstal: former Minority Leader, present Majority Leader Iowa Senate
*Septimus J. Hanna (1845–1921): Christian Science, Christian Scientist, appointed judge of County Court (then in Council Bluffs) at age 23
*Clem F. Kimball: Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
*Joseph Lyman: Civil War soldier, lawyer, judge, U.S. Congressman
*William Henry Mills Pusey: State Senator and U.S. Congressman
*Coleen Seng: former Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska
*Walter I. Smith Circuit Court Judge and U.S. Congressman
Religion
*Gladden Bishop: Succession crisis (Latter Day Saints), contender for the President of the Church, presidency of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints after Joseph Smith's Death of Joseph Smith, death on June 27, 1844.
*Phineas F. Bresee (1838–1915): founder of the Church of the Nazarene
*
Pierre-Jean De Smet
Pierre-Jean De Smet, SJ ( ; 30 January 1801 – 23 May 1873), also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Flemish Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He is known primarily for his widespread missionary work in the mid-19th ...
: Jesuit
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
*Arnold Potter: leader of an The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS splinter group and self-proclaimed Messiah
Science and engineering
*Lee De Forest: inventor, the "Grandfather of Television"
*William Harrison Folsom: architect
*J. Chris Jensen: architect
*Hans Schlegel: astronaut
Sports
*
Stan Bahnsen: pitcher for six Major League Baseball teams
*Don Chandler: National Football League, NFL American football, football player
*Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen: diver, 1948 Summer Olympics silver medalist, 1952 Summer Olympics bronze medalist
*Ben Leber: professional football player
*Jon Lieber: professional baseball player
*Carlos Martínez (American football), Carlos Martinez: professional football player
*Ted Monachino: outside linebackers coach for the Atlanta Falcons
*Brian O'Connor (baseball coach), Brian O'Connor: 2015 College World Series, National Championship-winning baseball coach at the Virginia Cavaliers baseball, University of Virginia
*Bob Smith (halfback), Bob Smith: football player
*Jerry Smith (golfer), Jerry Smith: professional golfer
*William Smith (wrestler), William Smith: Olympic gold medalist in Wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics, wrestling at 1952 Summer Olympics
*Ron Stander: boxing, boxer, the "Bluffs Butcher" who fought Joe Frazier in 1972 for the heavyweight title
*Joshua Turek (born April 12, 1979) is an American wheelchair basketball player and a member of the United States men's national wheelchair basketball team.
*Jake Waters: football player
*Max Duggan: football player, 2022 Heisman Trophy Finalist
Other
*Robert Ben Rhoades: serial killer
*Sauganash or
Billy Caldwell
Billy Caldwell, baptized Thomas Caldwell (March 17, 1782 – September 28, 1841), known also as ''Sauganash'' ( ne who speaksEnglish), was a British-Potawatomi fur trader who was commissioned captain in the Indian Department of Canada duri ...
:
Potawatomi spokesman, son of
William Caldwell
*Marjabelle Young Stewart: etiquette expert
*Watseka: niece of
Potawatomi Chief, married to Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard and Noel Le Vasseur
Sister cities
Council Bluffs' Sister city, sister cities are:
* El Hajeb, Morocco
* Herat, Afghanistan
* Kandahar, Afghanistan
* Karrada, Karrada (Baghdad), Iraq
* Tobolsk, Russia
See also
* Fort Atkinson (Nebraska) - describes 1820s United States Army outpost
* History of Omaha
*
Mormon Trail
* Route of the Oregon Trail
* Winter Quarters, Nebraska, Winter Quarters, Nebraska
References
External links
City of Council BluffsCouncil Bluffs Chamber of Commerce
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Council Bluffs, Iowa,
Populated places established in 1853
Cities in Iowa
County seats in Iowa
Mormon Trail
Cities in Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Iowa populated places on the Missouri River
1853 establishments in Iowa