Historical Society of
Pottawattamie County
County Seat Council Bluffs, Iowa
The Society Celebrates our 110th Anniversary!
The year is 1907, if you close your eyes can you imagine what life was like at that time in history? Folks went to a nickelodeon to watch a movie for, yes that’s correct a nickel! A few of the wealthy had a phonograph however the most customary way to hear music was the piano. Life spans were much shorter and sadly illness teemed in the nation. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series yet the series began with the first game called because of darkness. The United States of America consisted of 45 states in 1907. Oklahoma became the 46th state that year. Mr. Albert Einstein “thought” of the Theory of Relativity in 1907. The County Jail-Squirrel Cage Jail was only 22 years old, and the Chicago Rock Island now known as the RailsWest Depot was built just seven years prior. I could go one for many more paragraphs! Can you barely imagine what a person from 1907 would think of our lives in 2017?
The date was November 26, 1907, and 29 citizens met at the public library in Council Bluffs, Iowa. That same Tuesday evening, the Pottawattamie County Historical Society was created. A pretty significant date! Also included here are the original minutes from that meeting. You will certainly recognize some very famous names from our history. Here we are 110 years later, and the best is yet to come! The future of organizations such as the HSPC, I believe will continue to be brilliant! The Society is a reputable organization in our community. We have so many programs to offer and events for everyone in Council Bluffs. Our board of directors, members, staff and countless volunteers make us who we are today in 2017. Next year holds a lot of excitement. Watch your mailbox for the next edition of the Member Journal for important news!
Celebrate the 110th anniversary of the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County with us as we host an open house at the Squirrel Cage Jail on December 10th, 2017 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. We’ll have the Jail decorated for Christmas! The gift shop will be well stocked and you can do all your Christmas shopping that day. We also have a new item for sale a 2018 HSPC Calendar. The calendar will feature historic buildings and landmarks of Council Bluffs. Thank you dear member for continuing to support us as we look forward to the next 110 years!
Sincerely,
Mariel Wagner
President, Historical Society of Pottawattamie County
