Council Bluffs is a city and county seat of
Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The US The Census
Bureau recorded a population of 62,799 as of the 2020 census.
With the neighboring city of Omaha, Council Bluffs forms a
metropolitan area that had a population of 915,184 in 2015.
Council Bluffs predates its now larger neighboring city by a few
decades, which was founded under the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
by a Council Bluffs businessman.
Council Bluffs, a city steeped in frontier history along the Missouri
River, has long been a hub for tales of the supernatural and remnants of
bygone eras. Founded in the mid-19th century as a key stop on the
westward expansion trails, it attracted settlers, railroads, and a mix
of fortunes that left behind both spectral legends and decaying
structures. The area's haunted reputation often ties back to its role in
the Mormon Trail, Civil War-era figures, and industrial booms that faded
into obscurity. Reports of paranormal activity draw from tragic deaths,
unsolved mysteries, and the eerie quiet of abandoned sites, with many
stories amplified by local folklore and modern investigations. While
some places are preserved as museums, others crumble, inviting urban
explorers and ghost hunters alike.
The Historic Squirrel Cage
Jail: A Revolving Chamber of Restless Spirits
One of the most
infamous haunted sites in Council Bluffs is the Historic Squirrel Cage
Jail, located at 226 Pearl Street. Constructed in 1885 on the grounds of
a former church morgue, this three-story structure is a rare example of
a rotary jail—a design where pie-shaped cells rotate inside a massive
cylindrical cage, allowing jailers to access inmates by cranking a
mechanism to align cells with a single doorway. This innovative but
flawed system, patented by William H. Brown and Benjamin F. Haugh, was
intended to minimize contact between guards and prisoners, but it often
led to gruesome accidents, including crushed limbs. The jail housed
vagrants, criminals, and even overflow from nearby facilities until its
closure in 1969 due to outdated and inhumane conditions; it's now a
museum operated by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County.
The legends here are rooted in documented tragedies. At least four
deaths occurred on-site: one prisoner suffered a fatal heart attack
while trapped in his cell, another fell three stories to his death while
trying to carve his name into the ceiling, a third hanged himself in
despair, and a jail officer was accidentally shot during a 1960 riot
training exercise. These events fuel reports of paranormal activity
dating back to the early 1900s. Jailers from that era described hearing
disembodied footsteps in empty corridors, doors slamming shut without
cause, and whispers that drove one resident jailer to abandon his
fourth-floor apartment for safer quarters below. Modern visitors and
staff continue these accounts, with electronic voice phenomena (EVPs)
capturing phrases like "help me" or names of the deceased, shadowy
figures darting between cells, and unexplained electromagnetic spikes in
areas with no electrical wiring. The site has been featured on shows
like Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places and Ghost Adventures, where
investigators documented apparitions and cold spots. Overnight
paranormal tours are available, often yielding personal encounters—some
claim to feel hands pushing them as if mimicking the jail's rotating
mechanism.
Local lore suggests the spirits are trapped in an eternal
cycle, much like the jail's design, with some EVPs referencing the
morgue that predated the building. Paranormal teams have noted
heightened activity on the anniversary of the officer's shooting,
including gun-like bangs and cries.
The Black Angel Statue and
Fairview Cemetery: A Curse from Beyond the Grave
Nestled at Lafayette
Avenue and North 2nd Street, Fairview Cemetery is home to Council
Bluffs' most enduring haunted legend: the Black Angel statue, officially
the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial. Erected in 1919, this bronze figure was
commissioned by the daughters of Ruth Anne Dodge, wife of Union Pacific
Railroad pioneer and Civil War General Grenville M. Dodge. Sculpted by
Daniel Chester French—famous for the Lincoln Memorial—the statue depicts
an angel on a boat extending a vessel of water, inspired by Ruth's
deathbed visions in 1916. She dreamed of an angel offering her the
"water of life" three times; she accepted on the third, finding eternal
peace before passing. The model was Audrey Munson, America's first
supermodel, whose own tragic fate—marked by a suicide attempt,
institutionalization for 65 years, and death in obscurity—adds a layer
of melancholy to the monument.
Despite its intended symbolism of hope
and heritage, the statue earned the moniker "Black Angel" due to its
oxidized, darkened patina and chilling legends. Folklore claims the
angel's eyes follow visitors, glowing red at midnight or cursing those
who touch it with illness or death. Some say kissing beneath it dooms
relationships, while others report the staircase leading to it
mysteriously changes in count—more steps ascending than descending, as
if the ground shifts. Photographic anomalies are common: cameras
malfunction, footage vanishes, or orbs appear in images. One documented
incident involved a drone operator whose fully charged phone died upon
approach, though the footage survived.
The broader cemetery amplifies
these tales. Established in the 1840s, Fairview holds graves from
pioneer days, and visitors describe feeling watched or followed by
unseen presences. Eerie lights flicker among the trees near older plots,
possibly tied to unmarked burials or the Black Angel's curse manifesting
as sickness—some claim to fall ill shortly after visits. Paranormal
investigators have captured EVPs whispering warnings, and the site's
isolation at night heightens the dread. Skeptics like local historians
view it as a beautiful tribute, but the legends persist, drawing
thrill-seekers who test the curse at their peril.
Other Haunted
Legends in the Area
Beyond these landmarks, Council Bluffs harbors
lesser-known spectral stories. The August Beresheim House, part of the
Historic General Dodge House complex, is linked to a vanishing ghost
that puzzled cultures in the late 1800s—described as a benign but
mysterious presence that simply disappeared, leaving an "unsolved
mystery" in local lore. Nearby, the old children's hospital and Glory
Museum are rumored to be haunted, with whispers of child apparitions and
unexplained noises, though details are sparse and access limited. Urban
legends also circulate about the Black Angel influencing dreams, echoing
Ruth Dodge's visions, or spirits from the Mormon Trail era wandering the
bluffs.
Abandoned Places: Echoes of Forgotten Prosperity
Council Bluffs' abandoned sites blend decay with subtle hauntings, often
tied to economic shifts. The Mall of the Bluffs, once a bustling
shopping center opened in 1986, sat derelict for years before partial
demolition in 2020, its empty corridors evoking a post-apocalyptic vibe
with rumors of shadowy figures lingering in former stores. Broadway
Street's historic strip features vacant buildings from the mid-20th
century, like shuttered bars (e.g., the Alibi and 30 Club) and an
abandoned hotel near the old Broadway Park ballfield site, now overtaken
by freeway ramps—locals report cold spots and echoes of past crowds.
Other relics include the faded No Frills Supermarket (formerly Mexia),
tied to a tragic story that adds a layer of unease, and the abandoned
Toys "R" Us store, its Geoffrey the Giraffe signage peeling amid
overgrown lots.
The recently demolished YMCA building on First
Avenue, dating to the early 1900s, was a community staple before
abandonment; neighbors recall fond but eerie memories of its empty
halls. Ghost towns along the nearby Wabash Trace trail, like remnants in
Silver City, feature restored-but-haunted buildings from railroad days.
Urban explorers warn of hazards like unstable structures, but the
solitude often amplifies phantom sounds, blending natural decay with
supernatural whispers.
Prehistoric and Early Native American Inhabitants
The history of
Council Bluffs, Iowa, begins with prehistoric Native American peoples
who inhabited the region along the Missouri River valley. Archaeological
evidence indicates human presence dating back at least 2,800 years. In
1975, construction crews at Titan Hill (now part of Lewis Central)
uncovered an ossuary containing the remains of 25 individuals, ranging
from infants to the elderly, buried in a single grave. These people were
likely part of clan groups from a tribe that hunted game in winter and
gathered in summer for communal burials and mourning. They subsisted
primarily on hunting and fishing in the Missouri River. Prior to
European contact, the area was shared by several tribes, including the
Otoe, Missouria, and others from the Council of Three Fires (Chippewa,
Ottawa, and Potawatomi), who used it for hunting grounds.
French and
Spanish explorers and traders frequented the region for nearly a century
before the early 19th century, engaging in fur trade with local tribes.
The first documented European exploration came during the Lewis and
Clark Expedition in 1804. On August 2, the expedition camped at White
Catfish Camp (now Long's Landing) for five days. Later, about 10 miles
north of present-day Omaha, they held a council with the Otoe and
Missouria tribes on a bluff, which inspired the name "Council Bluff"
(later pluralized to "Council Bluffs"). This meeting served as a model
for future U.S. interactions with Native American tribes.
Potawatomi Reservation and Early Settlements (1830s–1840s)
In the
1830s, U.S. government treaties, including the Treaty of Chicago (1833),
displaced tribes from the Great Lakes region to make way for eastern
settlements. The Potawatomi, along with Chippewa and Ottawa, were
relocated to reservations in the area. In 1837, approximately 2,500
Potawatomi arrived, led by Chief Sauganash (Billy Caldwell), a bilingual
negotiator of mixed Potawatomi and Scots-Irish heritage who had served
as a captain in the War of 1812. They established five camps, one along
Indian Creek near North Broadway in present-day Council Bluffs, known as
Caldwell's Camp or Caldwell's Village.
The first white settlement was
established in 1824 by St. Louis businessman Francois Guittar at Traders
Point, where he traded furs (deer, elk, buffalo) for ammunition and dry
goods with local tribes. In 1838, Jesuit missionary Father Pierre-Jean
De Smet founded St. Joseph's Mission near Caldwell's Camp, including the
area's first church and school in an unused blockhouse. De Smet
ministered to the Potawatomi, combating illegal whiskey trade and
violence, though conversions were limited. He also assisted explorer
Joseph Nicollet in mapping the Missouri River valley. U.S. Army dragoons
built a small fort nearby, and Fort Croghan was constructed in 1842 to
maintain order but was destroyed by flooding that year.
Intertribal
conflicts escalated due to displacement and liquor trade. Billy Caldwell
died of cholera in 1841 and was buried at the mission cemetery (later
relocated). By 1846–1848, most Potawatomi were forcibly moved to a new
reservation in Osawatomie, Kansas.
Mormon Settlement and
Kanesville (1844–1852)
In 1844, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
crossed the Missouri River here, pioneering a route over the Sierra
Nevada to California. From 1846, members of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), fleeing persecution in Nauvoo, Illinois,
began arriving in large numbers—over 30,000 refugees passed through by
the mid-1800s. They initially called the area Miller's Hollow after
settler Henry W. Miller. In 1846–1847, they used it as a winter
encampment with federal permission negotiated by Thomas L. Kane, leading
to the renaming to Kanesville in 1848.
Kanesville became the northern
anchor of the Mormon Trail and an outfitting hub for westward migrations
to Utah, Oregon, and California. Brigham Young was sustained as the
church's second president in the Kanesville Tabernacle, built by 200
pioneers in just two and a half weeks. He also opened the first post
office in 1848. The Mormon Battalion departed from here for the
Mexican-American War. Orson Hyde published The Frontier Guardian
newspaper, and the community first practiced plural marriage. Naturalist
Edwin Carter operated a dry goods store from 1848 to 1859, supplying
wagons. The 1849 California Gold Rush boosted activity, but by 1852,
most Mormons left for Utah, selling land cheaply to new settlers.
On
December 28, 1846, Iowa became the 29th state in the Union.
Renaming to Council Bluffs and Early Growth (1852–1860s)
In 1852,
with the Mormon exodus, the town renamed itself Council Bluffs,
referencing the 1804 Lewis and Clark council site 20 miles north. It
continued as an outfitting point for the Emigrant Trail, Pike's Peak
Gold Rush, and steamboat trade on the Missouri River. Cornelius Voorhis
was elected the first mayor in 1853.
The city became a gateway for
westward expansion, described in 1863 as a rough frontier town with
peddlers, gamblers, and thieves serving emigrants. Notable residents
included women's rights advocate Amelia Jenks Bloomer and inventor Lee
de Forest.
Railroad Era and Industrial Boom (1860s–1900)
Council Bluffs' pivotal role in rail history began in 1853 when
Grenville M. Dodge surveyed the area for a Rock Island Railroad
terminus. Dodge settled here in 1855, establishing a banking house. In
1858–1859, Dodge met Abraham Lincoln, discussing a transcontinental
railroad. Lincoln visited Council Bluffs in 1859 and, as president,
designated it the eastern terminus via the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862
(signed July 1). Construction started in 1865, delayed by the Civil War.
Dodge served as chief engineer for Union Pacific, with Brigham Young
supplying crews for Utah sections.
The transcontinental railroad
completed in 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah, with "Mile 0" in Council
Bluffs at 21st Street and 9th Avenue (marked by a golden spike
monument). Initial connections to Omaha were by ferry until the Union
Pacific Missouri River Bridge opened in 1873 (rebuilt 1916). By 1867,
multiple railroads arrived: Chicago and North Western, Chicago, Rock
Island and Pacific, and others, making it the fifth-largest U.S. rail
center by the 1930s.
Key developments included the Squirrel Cage Jail
(1867), a two-story courthouse (1868), Iowa School for the Deaf (1870),
first fire department (1883), The Christian Home (now Children's Square
USA, 1883), electric trolleys (1886, second U.S. city), and St.
Bernard's Hospital (1887). Industries flourished: grain elevators, Blue
Star Foods, Dwarfies Cereal, Frito-Lay, and more.
20th Century
Challenges and Modern Era (1901–Present)
In 1926, a Missouri River
channel change severed land, creating Carter Lake, Iowa, as an exclave.
The 1930s–1940s saw a greyhound track operated by Meyer Lansky.
Mid-20th-century railroad decline and industrial restructuring led to
job losses, population stagnation, and urban renewal focusing on
heritage.
Today, Council Bluffs (seat of Pottawattamie County since
1851) has a population of around 62,000 and serves as a suburb of Omaha,
Nebraska, across the Missouri River. Industries include frozen foods,
robotics, dairy, plastics, railroading, electrical products, and meat
packaging. Gambling legalization in the 1990s boosted the economy with
casinos, creating jobs. Historic sites like the General Dodge House
(1869), built by railroad pioneer Grenville M. Dodge, preserve its
legacy as the "Gateway to the American West." The city features in
media, such as Bar Rescue for the O'Face Bar (2014, the first episode
where host Jon Taffer walked out).
Council Bluffs, Iowa, is situated on the east bank of the Missouri River, directly opposite Omaha, Nebraska, forming part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. As the county seat of Pottawattamie County, it lies in southwestern Iowa, near the western edge of the state. The city spans approximately 45.67 square miles, with about 43 square miles of land and 2.7 square miles of water, at an average elevation of 978 feet above sea level. Geographically, it is nestled within the Missouri River Valley system, characterized by the unique Loess Hills formation—a narrow band of wind-deposited loess soil extending roughly 200 miles north-south along the Missouri River, rising up to 200 feet above the surrounding plains. This positions Council Bluffs at the intersection of two distinct environmental zones: the broad Missouri River floodplain and the rugged Loess Hills, creating diverse microclimates and habitats.
The topography of Council Bluffs is dominated by the Loess Hills, which feature sharp-featured landscapes with alternating peaks, saddles, and steep bluffs within 2 to 10 miles of the Missouri Valley. These hills, composed entirely of loess soil, rise 150 to 250 feet above the Missouri River bottomland, forming narrow ridges and dissected terrain from stream erosion. The area includes a broad, loess-mantled upland till plain bisected by the Missouri River valley, with the floodplain spanning 3 to 8 miles wide and lying about 250 feet below the uplands. Bluffs along the river are vertical or steep, often exposing bedrock and Pleistocene deposits, with slump blocks creating terracelike, stairstepped surfaces. Terraces rise 25 to 90 feet above the floodplain, particularly north of Omaha and along tributaries like Mosquito Creek, while the uplands feature moderately low hills, shallow depressions, and knoblike ridges. Excellent vantage points for vistas include KOIL Point at Fairmont Park, the Lincoln Monument, Kirn Park, and the Lewis and Clark Monument. At the southern edge of the city lies Lake Manawa State Park, an oxbow lake formed from historic Missouri River meanders.
The geological history of Council Bluffs is rooted in Pennsylvanian bedrock overlain by extensive Pleistocene deposits from glacial, fluvial, eolian, and alluvial activities. Bedrock consists of interbedded limestones, shaly siltstones, and claystones from the Kansas City and Lansing Groups, deposited in shallow seas and swamps with cyclic patterns due to sea-level fluctuations. Pleistocene layers include pre-Kansan formations like the Red Cloud Sand and Gravel and Fullerton Formation, followed by Kansan Till—a heterogeneous mix of boulders, pebbles, and clayey silt sourced from northern glaciers. Later deposits encompass the Grand Island Formation (fluvial sands and gravels), Sappa Formation (with volcanic Pearlette Ash), Crete Formation, and loess layers such as Loveland, Peorian, and Bignell Loesses, which are massive clayey silts reflecting eolian deposition during Wisconsin glaciation. Terrace alluvium, flood-plain alluvium, and slope wash represent more recent Holocene features. The Loess Hills themselves are a global rarity, formed from wind-blown silt deposits at the end of the last ice age, spanning up to 15 miles wide and covering over 640,000 acres in western Iowa.
Soils in Council Bluffs are predominantly loess-derived, formed in thick deposits under prairie grasses along the Missouri River bluffs. Key types include oxidized and leached zones in Kansan Till from Yarmouth Interglaciation, with calcareous nodules and up to 12 feet of leaching. Loveland Loess features humic A horizons and clay-enriched B horizons weathered during the Sangamon Interglaciation, while Peorian and Bignell Loesses show leached, oxidized bands with columnar joints and calcium carbonate concretions. Terrace and alluvial soils are humic clayey silts with sand lenses, and slope wash includes organic-rich pebbly sands. The loess soil is fine, silt-like sediment from accumulated wind-blown dust, supporting unique ecosystems but prone to erosion. Climate shifts, such as warming post-Loveland deposition, led to soil development like the Sangamon soil on exposed deposits.
The Missouri River serves as a natural boundary and major hydrological feature, with historic meanders creating oxbow lakes like Lake Manawa and influencing floodplain dynamics. Tributary streams such as Mosquito, Pony, Pigeon, and Honey Creeks dissect the loess hills, forming steep valleys and alluvial fans at their mouths. Extensive wetlands historically bordered the river, alongside deciduous forests. Natural features include slump blocks on bluffs, intratill "boulders" of sand/gravel, and buried Loveland surfaces at varying altitudes reflecting glacial history. Environmental challenges involve air quality issues from lead emissions and stormwater discharges into the Missouri River violating Clean Water Act standards.
Council Bluffs experiences a humid continental climate with warm, humid, wet summers and freezing, snowy, windy winters, remaining partly cloudy year-round. Average high temperatures peak at around 87°F in July, while lows drop to 13°F in January. Annual precipitation averages 32 inches of rain and 25 inches of snow, with a notable variation of up to 116 mm (about 4.6 inches) between the driest and wettest months. The area has a distinct dry season but moderate overall precipitation (around 927 mm annually), with patterns influenced by its position in the Missouri Valley. Historical climate shifts during Pleistocene interglaciations, such as warming after Loveland Loess deposition, contributed to soil and vegetation development.
Originally, the region featured prairie and savanna in the Loess Hills, with extensive wetlands and deciduous forests along the Missouri River. The steep bluffs support native vegetation adapted to loess soils, including prairie grasses that favor the area's soil, weather, and conditions. The Loess Hills host some of Iowa's largest remaining prairie tracts, with ecosystems transitioning from grasslands on hilltops to woodlands in valleys. This diversity supports varied wildlife, though urban development has altered much of the original landscape.
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