Historical Society of Pottawattamie County Archives and Collections.

1907 and Council Bluffs had already been a fur trading center, the country’s first Indian reservation, a religious enclave, the widest open town of the frontier, and now an emerging industrial powerhouse. The town had experienced more history in 75 years than most communities would in a millennium.  Some of the pioneer settlers were still around but getting on in years; the opportunity remained to document first hand accounts of Pottawattamie County’s earliest times but it was fading fast.  Additionally, artifacts relevant to local history were in the drawers and cabinets of homes across the city, and likely to be lost over time.  The new group planned to bring this memorabilia to a central location for all to enjoy and take responsibility of protecting and preserving it. The Historical Society was formed that year to ensure that wouldn’t happen by preserving artifacts, photos, documents and other material which told that story.