By Ashley English, Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Daily Nonpareil; April 28, 2019
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. As someone who did not grow up here, it’s been such a pleasure to learn more about this momentous achievement in history and how it affected — and continues to affect — our city.
Railroads in Council Bluffs allowed a small town of 2,000 in 1860 to grow to over 10,000 residents in just 10 years, making it the fifth largest city in Iowa at the time. We owe a lot to the railroads, but how did they come to be such a large part of our city identity?