Accidentally Historic

Historical Society of Pottawattamie County
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Accidentally Historic

Council Bluffs’ location has put the town into contact with a lot of history. Lewis and Clark and the Mormon pilgrims came through, as did the westbound pioneers on the Oregon and California Trails. Abraham Lincoln designated the town as milepost zero for the transcontinental railroad. The first coast-to-coast automobile trip passed through and later the first transcontinental highway. Council Bluffs was the birthplace of Omaha and first war-time mobile hospital. It also boasted the state’s first nursing school and FM radio station as well as the largest rotary cell jail ever built. This all created a lot of what we call history-- but at the time it wasn’t intended that way at all. It was just normal people finding innovative ways to solve problems, inventing the future one day at a time. And that has made for some really interesting tales that we intend to explore in this podcast series.

  1. Invisible Excellence- Creation of Mobile Hospital #1

    16 SEPT

    Invisible Excellence- Creation of Mobile Hospital #1

    It was one of the deadliest conflicts of all time-- new weaponry resulted in a scale and severity of injuries that was unprecedented. And the trauma of transporting these severely wounded to base hospitals became the weak link in the treatment chain. Relief came in the form of a medical unit from over 4,500 miles away; Mobile Hospital #1, aka Unit K, the Council Bluffs Unit, commanded by a former Council Bluffs mayor. Almost as astonishing as the novel concept of bringing care to the wounded on the battlefield was, the fact this milestone of military medicine pioneered by local doctors, nurses and support staff is today virtually unknown to Council Bluffs residents is even more surprising. This podcast is first in a series called “Invisible Excellence,” which will explore the history of this remarkable unit. Our guest is local writer and researcher, Brian Mainwaring. Comments, questions, or information about WWI medicine from your family lore are all encouraged. You can contact us at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.

    27 min
  2. Black Squirrels of the Bluffs

    17 MAY

    Black Squirrels of the Bluffs

    Council Bluffs' mascot is a black squirrel. Just how rare are black squirrels and why do we have them? We're likely the only town in the world that has a law on the books against "worrying" black squirrels. Has anyone ever actually been busted for causing a black squirrel mental anguish? That's what we're planning to find out today in this episode.

    11 min
  3. Ruffles to Reubens- Foods From the Metro

    27/06/2023

    Ruffles to Reubens- Foods From the Metro

    Great food tastes even better if it was invented right here in the Metro, and Omaha/Council Bluffs can claim many classics. Accidentally Historic host Richard Warner provides a brief history of many of them in this podcast.

    20 min
  4. A Legacy of Regret

    29/03/2023

    A Legacy of Regret

    Things out of history aren’t always what they appear. Historic figures that seem good or bad were actually every bit as complicated as we are. Even statues and monuments may have been designed to send messages other than what seems apparent. Historic General Dodge House director Tom Emmett tackles these complicated issues head on by using an incident from the Civil War that seemingly plagued General Dodge the rest of his life.

    21 min
  5. Loess Hills- A Grape Grower's Dream

    20/03/2023

    Loess Hills- A Grape Grower's Dream

    The Loess Hills soil of southwest Iowa and grape vines make a great combination, and Iowa's vineyards are flourishing. Prairie Crossing vineyard owner Doug Gray explains why southwest Iowa grew to be one of the country's largest grape producers, what caused that to change, the resurgence, and how different varieties of wine are blended. Mr. Gray is a new owner of the vineyard and explains some of the events he and his wife have planned for the winery.

    23 min
  6. The Mobster and the Metro

    22/11/2022

    The Mobster and the Metro

    It was the Great Depression and Council Bluffs was broke. In what has to be one of the bolder civic fundraising moves ever devised, the city contracted with the alleged boss of the New York mob to come to town and operate an illegal dog track on city property, the city coffers to get a share of the proceeds. As improbable a story as it is, and ethics aside it, worked like a charm. The city was out of debt in no time. The story was written by Historical Society member Kathy Butler Kuenzer for the Society’s Member Journal.

    10 min
  7. It’s History that Makes us Human

    24/10/2022

    It’s History that Makes us Human

    Omaha’s Trans-Mississippi Exposition in 1898 hosted an “Indian Congress” made up of representatives from several Native American tribes brought in to show visitors a last look at a “dying nation” poised to yield to “the greatest civilization of the world’s history,” that being the American settlers that had taken over the West. Odds are the creators of the Exposition were every bit as intelligent as we are, so we’ll assume their assessment made sense to them at time, but 125 years later most folks are shocked at the disregard of the native cultures and some suggest “genocide” may be a more accurate term than “yield.” How could attitudes shift so markedly in such a short period of time? And will our thinking right now seem just as appalling in another 125 years? It’s complicated, but anthropologist/historians Kat Slaughter and Troy Stolp take on the question in this episode.

    23 min

  8. 01/10/2022

    Lost Restaurants of Omaha

    Restaurants provide more than sustenance; it’s there that family milestones are marked, romances are kindled, friends bond, and weekends are celebrated. Some establishments come and go quickly, others last for decades, and everyone has their favorites. In this episode Kim Reiner, author of "Lost Restaurants of Omaha," describes some of Omaha’s iconic eateries, shares her personal favorites, and provides some tips on expanding the food horizons for kids.

    17 min
See All (28)

About

Council Bluffs’ location has put the town into contact with a lot of history. Lewis and Clark and the Mormon pilgrims came through, as did the westbound pioneers on the Oregon and California Trails. Abraham Lincoln designated the town as milepost zero for the transcontinental railroad. The first coast-to-coast automobile trip passed through and later the first transcontinental highway. Council Bluffs was the birthplace of Omaha and first war-time mobile hospital. It also boasted the state’s first nursing school and FM radio station as well as the largest rotary cell jail ever built. This all created a lot of what we call history-- but at the time it wasn’t intended that way at all. It was just normal people finding innovative ways to solve problems, inventing the future one day at a time. And that has made for some really interesting tales that we intend to explore in this podcast series.

Information

  • Creator
    Historical Society of Pottawattamie County
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019 Historical Society of Pottawattamie County
  • Show Website
    Accidentally Historic

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