https://simplecast.com 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. 2019 Historical Society of Pottawattamie County en Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:30:15 +0000 Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:30:25 +0000 http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Accidentally Historic https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/f0ecbc9a-b16b-4353-a93b-44209b5e13c8/ae8c1a84-d403-419b-a2de-9cffedf6a4a0/3000x3000/img_3230_work.jpg?aid=rss_feed http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org episodic 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. Historical Society of Pottawattamie County false https://feeds.simplecast.com/bF_2s_7n council bluffs, iowa, pottawattamie county, squirrel cage jail Historical Society of Pottawattamie County information@TheHistoricalSociety.org 8c9f8f10-cec2-401e-ab09-905a46474c80 From the Bahnsen Burner to the Don Chandler Rule The Iowa West Foundation recently launched a program to celebrate some of the athletes from Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County who have achieved national recognition in various sports.  Twenty-four athletes were recognized as inaugural members of the new Council Bluffs Professional Sports Roster.  Each honoree is recognized with a banner that will be permanently displayed at the Iowa West Field House in Council Bluffs.  Writer and researcher Brian Mainwaring contributed much of the material used during the induction ceremony and now shares those insights and career highlights in the latest episode of our podcast. The episode highlights the sixteen Professional Sports Roster inductees whose careers included baseball and football, with additional sports to be featured in a future installment.  

Features in this episode: Stan Bahnsen, Jon Leiber, Chris Hatcher, Brian Poldberg, Marti Wolever, Bill Fischer, Bill Drummond, David Wolfe, Ann Kmezich Fatovich, Max Duggan, Caleb Shudak, Brian Ratigan, Thomas Fidone, II, Jake Waters, Al Coupee, Don Chandler.

]]> Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:30:15 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org The Iowa West Foundation recently launched a program to celebrate some of the athletes from Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County who have achieved national recognition in various sports.  Twenty-four athletes were recognized as inaugural members of the new Council Bluffs Professional Sports Roster.  Each honoree is recognized with a banner that will be permanently displayed at the Iowa West Field House in Council Bluffs.  Writer and researcher Brian Mainwaring contributed much of the material used during the induction ceremony and now shares those insights and career highlights in the latest episode of our podcast. The episode highlights the sixteen Professional Sports Roster inductees whose careers included baseball and football, with additional sports to be featured in a future installment.  

Features in this episode: Stan Bahnsen, Jon Leiber, Chris Hatcher, Brian Poldberg, Marti Wolever, Bill Fischer, Bill Drummond, David Wolfe, Ann Kmezich Fatovich, Max Duggan, Caleb Shudak, Brian Ratigan, Thomas Fidone, II, Jake Waters, Al Coupee, Don Chandler.

]]> From the Bahnsen Burner to the Don Chandler Rule Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner 00:34:58 The Iowa West Foundation recently launched a program to celebrate some of the athletes from Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County who have achieved national recognition in various sports. Twenty-four athletes were recognized as inaugural members of the new Council Bluffs Professional Sports Roster. Each honoree is recognized with a banner that will be permanently displayed at the Iowa West Field House in Council Bluffs. Writer and researcher Brian Mainwaring contributed much of the material used during the induction ceremony and now shares those insights and career highlights in the latest episode of our podcast. The episode highlights the sixteen Professional Sports Roster inductees whose careers included baseball and football, with additional sports to be featured in a future installment. The Iowa West Foundation recently launched a program to celebrate some of the athletes from Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County who have achieved national recognition in various sports. Twenty-four athletes were recognized as inaugural members of the new Council Bluffs Professional Sports Roster. Each honoree is recognized with a banner that will be permanently displayed at the Iowa West Field House in Council Bluffs. Writer and researcher Brian Mainwaring contributed much of the material used during the induction ceremony and now shares those insights and career highlights in the latest episode of our podcast. The episode highlights the sixteen Professional Sports Roster inductees whose careers included baseball and football, with additional sports to be featured in a future installment. caleb shudak, jake waters, max duggan, al coupee, thomas fidone, ann kmezich fatovich, brian ratigan, jon leiber, don chandler., chris hatcher, ii, stan bahnsen, bill drummond, bill fischer, marti wolever, brian poldberg, david wolfe false full 38 25786694-9842-47d9-b91f-61fcd74cff62 Invisible Excellence- WWI Armistice Signed, Unit K/Mobile One Returns Home The sixth and final episode of our “Invisible Excellence” podcast series sees Council Bluffs Unit K’s remarkable wartime experience finally reaching its end.  Titled “The WWI Armistice Signed, Unit K/Mobile One Returns Home,” this installment follows the nurses, officers, and enlisted personnel as they  first ever battlefield hospital to move along the front lines undertake the protracted journey back to the U.S. and to their respective post-war lives.

]]> Sat, 17 Jan 2026 21:47:12 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org The sixth and final episode of our “Invisible Excellence” podcast series sees Council Bluffs Unit K’s remarkable wartime experience finally reaching its end.  Titled “The WWI Armistice Signed, Unit K/Mobile One Returns Home,” this installment follows the nurses, officers, and enlisted personnel as they  first ever battlefield hospital to move along the front lines undertake the protracted journey back to the U.S. and to their respective post-war lives.

]]> Invisible Excellence- WWI Armistice Signed, Unit K/Mobile One Returns Home Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner 00:35:40 The sixth and final episode of our “Invisible Excellence” podcast series sees Council Bluffs Unit K’s remarkable wartime experience finally reaching its end. Titled “The WWI Armistice Signed, Unit K/Mobile One Returns Home,” this installment follows the nurses, officers, and enlisted personnel of the first ever battlefield hospital to move along the front lines as they undertake the protracted journey back to the U.S. and to their respective post-war lives. The sixth and final episode of our “Invisible Excellence” podcast series sees Council Bluffs Unit K’s remarkable wartime experience finally reaching its end. Titled “The WWI Armistice Signed, Unit K/Mobile One Returns Home,” this installment follows the nurses, officers, and enlisted personnel of the first ever battlefield hospital to move along the front lines as they undertake the protracted journey back to the U.S. and to their respective post-war lives. unit k, world war i, council bluffs, mobile hospital no. one, wwi, donald macrae false full 37 968647a8-2302-4292-beab-7da0aaa5e23d Some Council Bluffs Mysteries This episode looks at some Council Bluffs mysteries that have lingered through the years, yet remain unexplained.  Included are the 1977 UFO Crash at Big Lake Park, the gruesome 1926 Keeline murders at the site of today's St. Paul's Lutheran Church, the 1970 Cadillac S&S Medic Mark 1 ambulance in which 495 people died, the librarians' perpetual sitings of Julia Officer at the Carnegie Building and the unsupported staircase, and the legends surrounding the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, better known locally as the Black Angel.

For a comprehensive review of the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, from its planning and construction to the scandal that led to the aborted dedication ceremony we recommend the podcast "The Black Angel's Secret" https://accidentally-historic.simplecast.com/episodes/the-black-angels-secret

Questions, comments and suggestions for podcast guests or topics are always welcome!  You can contact us at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  The Society also has a YouTube channel you may enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg

]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:45:00 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org This episode looks at some Council Bluffs mysteries that have lingered through the years, yet remain unexplained.  Included are the 1977 UFO Crash at Big Lake Park, the gruesome 1926 Keeline murders at the site of today's St. Paul's Lutheran Church, the 1970 Cadillac S&S Medic Mark 1 ambulance in which 495 people died, the librarians' perpetual sitings of Julia Officer at the Carnegie Building and the unsupported staircase, and the legends surrounding the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, better known locally as the Black Angel.

For a comprehensive review of the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, from its planning and construction to the scandal that led to the aborted dedication ceremony we recommend the podcast "The Black Angel's Secret" https://accidentally-historic.simplecast.com/episodes/the-black-angels-secret

Questions, comments and suggestions for podcast guests or topics are always welcome!  You can contact us at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  The Society also has a YouTube channel you may enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg

]]> Some Council Bluffs Mysteries Richard Warner 00:18:33 There are times not everything can be explained by facts and data. Some things have long eluded logical explanation, yet they really happened. It's difficult to explain how 2500 degree molten metal wound up in the middle of a city park, but it was there. Or why odd things started happening in a garage when a former ambulance that once transported the criminally insane arrived, or how so many librarians-- logical people that live in a world of facts-- routinely accepted the appearance of a regular patron in Victorian garb that had died fifty years earlier. This podcast dives into these Council Bluffs mysteries. There are times not everything can be explained by facts and data. Some things have long eluded logical explanation, yet they really happened. It's difficult to explain how 2500 degree molten metal wound up in the middle of a city park, but it was there. Or why odd things started happening in a garage when a former ambulance that once transported the criminally insane arrived, or how so many librarians-- logical people that live in a world of facts-- routinely accepted the appearance of a regular patron in Victorian garb that had died fifty years earlier. This podcast dives into these Council Bluffs mysteries. ghost, black angel, ruth anne dodge memorial, julia officer, council bluffs, john keeline, keeline murders, ufo, haunted false full 36 51641f28-3371-43fb-b121-9e2e669f9c78 Fright for a Fee- Fifty Years of Omaha Council Bluffs Haunted Houses Seasonal haunted houses appeared on the local scene about fifty years ago, initially fund raisers for a variety of groups and causes.  Youth For Christ, Campus Life, March of Dimes, the Jaycees, and the Historical Society were early participants.  From church basements and abandoned buildings to semi truck trailers in parking lots, haunted houses proliferated by the 1980s.  Generally staffed by youthful volunteers intent on making their particular character and their venue as scary as possible, the endeavor brought together imagination, creativity and theatrics to become something of an art form in its own right.

Safety standards imposed following a 1980s tragedy in New Jersey escalated costs, forcing some small players out of the business, to be replaced by commercial operators.  The better financial position of the latter allowed for investment in more elaborate displays and equipment.  This, coupled with technology developments of the past decade, have made the modern haunted houses in many ways quite different from their predecessors, but some tried-and-true techniques can always be counted on for a scare.

Haunted House historians Doug Kabourek and Brian Corey reminisce about Council Bluffs and Omaha’s early haunted houses, describe what makes a haunted house work, and discuss the allure they have had for young people and why that age demographic is expanding.  

Doug Kabourek also maintains a website the chronicles the haunted houses of Council Bluffs and Omaha at www.WickedPlaza.com

Brian Corey hosts a horror movie, paranormal, and spooky podcast call Necronomicast at www.necronomicast.com

]]> Tue, 14 Oct 2025 22:05:29 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Brian Corey, Doug Kabourek, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Seasonal haunted houses appeared on the local scene about fifty years ago, initially fund raisers for a variety of groups and causes.  Youth For Christ, Campus Life, March of Dimes, the Jaycees, and the Historical Society were early participants.  From church basements and abandoned buildings to semi truck trailers in parking lots, haunted houses proliferated by the 1980s.  Generally staffed by youthful volunteers intent on making their particular character and their venue as scary as possible, the endeavor brought together imagination, creativity and theatrics to become something of an art form in its own right.

Safety standards imposed following a 1980s tragedy in New Jersey escalated costs, forcing some small players out of the business, to be replaced by commercial operators.  The better financial position of the latter allowed for investment in more elaborate displays and equipment.  This, coupled with technology developments of the past decade, have made the modern haunted houses in many ways quite different from their predecessors, but some tried-and-true techniques can always be counted on for a scare.

Haunted House historians Doug Kabourek and Brian Corey reminisce about Council Bluffs and Omaha’s early haunted houses, describe what makes a haunted house work, and discuss the allure they have had for young people and why that age demographic is expanding.  

Doug Kabourek also maintains a website the chronicles the haunted houses of Council Bluffs and Omaha at www.WickedPlaza.com

Brian Corey hosts a horror movie, paranormal, and spooky podcast call Necronomicast at www.necronomicast.com

]]> Fright for a Fee- Fifty Years of Omaha Council Bluffs Haunted Houses Brian Corey, Doug Kabourek, Richard Warner 00:26:09 A pair of Omaha/Council Bluffs Haunted House historians reminisce about the local haunts of the 70s and 80s and talk about their evolution into the high tech fright factories of today. A pair of Omaha/Council Bluffs Haunted House historians reminisce about the local haunts of the 70s and 80s and talk about their evolution into the high tech fright factories of today. omaha, council bluffs, haunted house false full 35 7ffa39ed-8e79-4b0c-93d3-dd3441808523 Invisible Excellence- A Difficult and Dangerous Drive Toward the Front This installment finds Unit K/Mobile One being stationed ever closer to the perilous European front, with its attendant danger and devastation.   For example, during this episode, in two different postings, Mobile One narrowly avoided being shelled.  In a third, the hospital was situated so close to a gas-shell dump that an attack would have required personnel to don their gas masks in just seconds to escape serious harm.  Along the way, this innovative group devised methods for performing operations safely during the approaching colder weather; and for doing surgeries at night, while still maintaining the cover of darkness.  They also reconfigured a set of train cars to function essentially as a rolling hospital, capable of rapidly transporting large numbers of recovering soldiers further from the front.  And on November 12, 1918, as Mobile One began arriving at the final French station covered in this installment, its personnel learned that the WWI armistice had become effective the day before.

]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:52:05 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Richard Warner, Brian Mainwaring) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org This installment finds Unit K/Mobile One being stationed ever closer to the perilous European front, with its attendant danger and devastation.   For example, during this episode, in two different postings, Mobile One narrowly avoided being shelled.  In a third, the hospital was situated so close to a gas-shell dump that an attack would have required personnel to don their gas masks in just seconds to escape serious harm.  Along the way, this innovative group devised methods for performing operations safely during the approaching colder weather; and for doing surgeries at night, while still maintaining the cover of darkness.  They also reconfigured a set of train cars to function essentially as a rolling hospital, capable of rapidly transporting large numbers of recovering soldiers further from the front.  And on November 12, 1918, as Mobile One began arriving at the final French station covered in this installment, its personnel learned that the WWI armistice had become effective the day before.

]]> Invisible Excellence- A Difficult and Dangerous Drive Toward the Front Richard Warner, Brian Mainwaring 00:29:48 This installment finds Unit K/Mobile One being stationed ever closer to the perilous European front, with its attendant danger and devastation. For example, during this episode, in two different postings, Mobile One narrowly avoided being shelled. In a third, the hospital was situated so close to a gas-shell dump that an attack would have required personnel to don their gas masks in just seconds to escape serious harm. Along the way, this innovative group devised methods for performing operations safely during the approaching colder weather; and for doing surgeries at night, while still maintaining the cover of darkness. They also reconfigured a set of train cars to function essentially as a rolling hospital, capable of rapidly transporting large numbers of recovering soldiers further from the front. And on November 12, 1918, as Mobile One began arriving at the final French station covered in this installment, its personnel learned that the WWI armistice had become effective the day before. This installment finds Unit K/Mobile One being stationed ever closer to the perilous European front, with its attendant danger and devastation. For example, during this episode, in two different postings, Mobile One narrowly avoided being shelled. In a third, the hospital was situated so close to a gas-shell dump that an attack would have required personnel to don their gas masks in just seconds to escape serious harm. Along the way, this innovative group devised methods for performing operations safely during the approaching colder weather; and for doing surgeries at night, while still maintaining the cover of darkness. They also reconfigured a set of train cars to function essentially as a rolling hospital, capable of rapidly transporting large numbers of recovering soldiers further from the front. And on November 12, 1918, as Mobile One began arriving at the final French station covered in this installment, its personnel learned that the WWI armistice had become effective the day before. world war i, council bluffs, wwi, mobile hospital #1, mash false full 34 4690e237-8bc4-4767-a6ad-bc35b22d451a Philosophy of the American West Is the American West a physical place or the concept of interacting with the wilderness and taming the land?  Better represented by John Wayne winning the West and settling down living happily ever after, or the later Clint Eastwood version of the West as a place of drunkards and violence?  Or perhaps it was as captured by Blazing Saddles and City Slickers as a wildly bigoted and backwards place that is nothing to fondly be looked back upon?  And how does the Council Bluffs/Omaha Metro fit into all of this?  In this episode Ardennes Stolp provides some thought-provoking reflections on how to interpret the American West.

]]> Sun, 10 Aug 2025 14:07:15 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Ardennes Stolp, Troy Stolp, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Is the American West a physical place or the concept of interacting with the wilderness and taming the land?  Better represented by John Wayne winning the West and settling down living happily ever after, or the later Clint Eastwood version of the West as a place of drunkards and violence?  Or perhaps it was as captured by Blazing Saddles and City Slickers as a wildly bigoted and backwards place that is nothing to fondly be looked back upon?  And how does the Council Bluffs/Omaha Metro fit into all of this?  In this episode Ardennes Stolp provides some thought-provoking reflections on how to interpret the American West.

]]> Philosophy of the American West Ardennes Stolp, Troy Stolp, Richard Warner 00:29:46 Is the American West a physical place or the concept of interacting with the wilderness and taming the land? Better represented by John Wayne winning the West and settling down living happily ever after, or the later Clint Eastwood version of the West as a place of drunkards and violence? Or perhaps it was as captured by Blazing Saddles and City Slickers as a wildly bigoted and backwards place that is nothing to fondly be looked back upon? And how does the Council Bluffs/Omaha Metro fit into all of this? In this episode Ardennes Stolp provides some thought-provoking reflections on how to interpret the American West. Is the American West a physical place or the concept of interacting with the wilderness and taming the land? Better represented by John Wayne winning the West and settling down living happily ever after, or the later Clint Eastwood version of the West as a place of drunkards and violence? Or perhaps it was as captured by Blazing Saddles and City Slickers as a wildly bigoted and backwards place that is nothing to fondly be looked back upon? And how does the Council Bluffs/Omaha Metro fit into all of this? In this episode Ardennes Stolp provides some thought-provoking reflections on how to interpret the American West. frontier, omaha, westerns, council bluffs false full 33 52f39163-4b5b-40dc-9949-8052b3b50239 Invisible Excellence-Heightened Intensity: More Postings, More Patients This is episode Four of the Invisible Excellence podcast series.  It takes the listener right into the operating tents of the Army’s first ever battlefield hospital that actually moved long the front lines with the action– Council Bluffs’ Unit K/Mobile #1. The group’s leader, surgeon and former Council Bluffs mayor Donald Macrae, Jr., set the tone in his notes: “The shelling was begun about midnight, and the whine and explosion of the projectiles continued until after daylight.”  This episode focusses on the unit’s first camps in France, the challenges they  aced, and the dogged persistence and courage they employed that redefined battlefield medicine.  Guest is writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring.

]]> Mon, 14 Jul 2025 21:11:28 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org This is episode Four of the Invisible Excellence podcast series.  It takes the listener right into the operating tents of the Army’s first ever battlefield hospital that actually moved long the front lines with the action– Council Bluffs’ Unit K/Mobile #1. The group’s leader, surgeon and former Council Bluffs mayor Donald Macrae, Jr., set the tone in his notes: “The shelling was begun about midnight, and the whine and explosion of the projectiles continued until after daylight.”  This episode focusses on the unit’s first camps in France, the challenges they  aced, and the dogged persistence and courage they employed that redefined battlefield medicine.  Guest is writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring.

]]> Invisible Excellence-Heightened Intensity: More Postings, More Patients Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner 00:30:36 This is episode Four of the Invisible Excellence podcast series. It takes the listener right into the operating tents of the Army’s first ever battlefield hospital that actually moved long the front lines with the action– Council Bluffs’ Unit K/Mobile #1. The group’s leader, surgeon and former Council Bluffs mayor Donald Macrae, Jr., set the tone in his notes: “The shelling was begun about midnight, and the whine and explosion of the projectiles continued until after daylight.” This episode focusses on the unit’s first camps in France, the challenges they aced, and the dogged persistence and courage they employed that redefined battlefield medicine. Guest is writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring. This is episode Four of the Invisible Excellence podcast series. It takes the listener right into the operating tents of the Army’s first ever battlefield hospital that actually moved long the front lines with the action– Council Bluffs’ Unit K/Mobile #1. The group’s leader, surgeon and former Council Bluffs mayor Donald Macrae, Jr., set the tone in his notes: “The shelling was begun about midnight, and the whine and explosion of the projectiles continued until after daylight.” This episode focusses on the unit’s first camps in France, the challenges they aced, and the dogged persistence and courage they employed that redefined battlefield medicine. Guest is writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring. mobile medicine, battlefield medicine, army medicine, council bluffs false full 32 189e187b-d046-439d-b387-6c7343080b9a Invisible Excellence- Mobile 1 Logistics, staffing and 1st Wartime Experience The tale of the Army’s first functional MASH unit, Council Bluffs’ Mobile 1 (aka Unit K) continues in this episode as writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring delves into the details of how the camps were set up, how they moved from battle to battle near the front lines, and some of the day-to-day challenges they endured including shortages of equipment, manpower, fuel, and safe drinking water.

If you have any questions or comments please email information@TheHistoricalSociety.org

]]> Tue, 4 Mar 2025 16:11:23 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org The tale of the Army’s first functional MASH unit, Council Bluffs’ Mobile 1 (aka Unit K) continues in this episode as writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring delves into the details of how the camps were set up, how they moved from battle to battle near the front lines, and some of the day-to-day challenges they endured including shortages of equipment, manpower, fuel, and safe drinking water.

If you have any questions or comments please email information@TheHistoricalSociety.org

]]> Invisible Excellence- Mobile 1 Logistics, staffing and 1st Wartime Experience Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner 00:28:08 The tale of the Army’s first functional MASH unit, Council Bluffs’ Mobile 1 (aka Unit K) continues in this episode as writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring delves into the details of how the camps were set up, how they moved from battle to battle near the front lines, and some of the day-to-day challenges they endured including shortages of equipment, manpower, fuel, and safe drinking water. If you have any questions or comments please email information@TheHistoricalSociety.org The tale of the Army’s first functional MASH unit, Council Bluffs’ Mobile 1 (aka Unit K) continues in this episode as writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring delves into the details of how the camps were set up, how they moved from battle to battle near the front lines, and some of the day-to-day challenges they endured including shortages of equipment, manpower, fuel, and safe drinking water. If you have any questions or comments please email information@TheHistoricalSociety.org army medicine, council bluffs history, mobile military hospital, mash unit false full 31 4378c0f5-f420-4798-88b4-9e53c4e81493 Amelia Bloomer- Crusading for Rights and Temperance from Council Bluffs Amelia Bloomer was born in New York but spent most of her adult life in Council Bluffs.  Her name is associated with a garment worn by women and women’s rights, but there’s a lot more to the story than that.  Amelia Bloomer dedicated her life to righting social wrongs, and when she arrived in Council Bluffs in 1855 she found a town that could very definitely benefit from her services.  In this episode Dr. Warner talks with writer and researcher Sara Catterall about Amelia Bloomer’s very significant impact on social issues that included temperance, abolition, equal rights, and the 19th Amendment.

For more information about Sara Catterall’s book, “Amelia Bloomer: Amelia Bloomer: Journalist, Suffragist, Anti-Fashion Icon” go to https://beltpublishing.com/products/amelia-bloomer-journalist-suffragist-anti-fashion-icon

Our podcast guest, Sara, Catterall, is a writer with a Drama degree from NYU and an MLIS from Syracuse University. She was born in Ankara and grew up in South Minneapolis. She has worked as a librarian at Cornell University, as a reviewer and interviewer for Shelf Awareness, and as a professional book indexer. Her work has been published in the NEH’s Humanities magazine and The Sun magazine, and she co-authored Ottoman Dress and Design in the West: A Visual History of Cultural Exchange. She lives with her family near Ithaca, New York.  The podcast was recorded via Zoom. 

]]> Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:42:56 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Sara Catterall, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Amelia Bloomer was born in New York but spent most of her adult life in Council Bluffs.  Her name is associated with a garment worn by women and women’s rights, but there’s a lot more to the story than that.  Amelia Bloomer dedicated her life to righting social wrongs, and when she arrived in Council Bluffs in 1855 she found a town that could very definitely benefit from her services.  In this episode Dr. Warner talks with writer and researcher Sara Catterall about Amelia Bloomer’s very significant impact on social issues that included temperance, abolition, equal rights, and the 19th Amendment.

For more information about Sara Catterall’s book, “Amelia Bloomer: Amelia Bloomer: Journalist, Suffragist, Anti-Fashion Icon” go to https://beltpublishing.com/products/amelia-bloomer-journalist-suffragist-anti-fashion-icon

Our podcast guest, Sara, Catterall, is a writer with a Drama degree from NYU and an MLIS from Syracuse University. She was born in Ankara and grew up in South Minneapolis. She has worked as a librarian at Cornell University, as a reviewer and interviewer for Shelf Awareness, and as a professional book indexer. Her work has been published in the NEH’s Humanities magazine and The Sun magazine, and she co-authored Ottoman Dress and Design in the West: A Visual History of Cultural Exchange. She lives with her family near Ithaca, New York.  The podcast was recorded via Zoom. 

]]> Amelia Bloomer- Crusading for Rights and Temperance from Council Bluffs Sara Catterall, Richard Warner 00:27:43 Amelia Bloomer was born in New York but spent most of her adult life in Council Bluffs. Her name is associated with a garment worn by women and women’s rights, but there’s a lot more to the story than that. Amelia Bloomer dedicated her life to righting social wrongs, and when she arrived in Council Bluffs in 1855 she found a town that could very definitely benefit from her services. In this episode Dr. Warner talks with writer and researcher Sara Catterall about Amelia Bloomer’s very significant impact on social issues that included temperance, abolition, equal rights, and the 19th Amendment. Amelia Bloomer was born in New York but spent most of her adult life in Council Bluffs. Her name is associated with a garment worn by women and women’s rights, but there’s a lot more to the story than that. Amelia Bloomer dedicated her life to righting social wrongs, and when she arrived in Council Bluffs in 1855 she found a town that could very definitely benefit from her services. In this episode Dr. Warner talks with writer and researcher Sara Catterall about Amelia Bloomer’s very significant impact on social issues that included temperance, abolition, equal rights, and the 19th Amendment. false full 30 20f866b4-b74c-48ee-ba7e-7734bd513f50 Invisible Excellence- Unit K/Mobile 1 WWI Operations in France Sat, 4 Jan 2025 13:41:29 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Richard Warner, Brian Mainwaring) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Invisible Excellence- Unit K/Mobile 1 WWI Operations in France Richard Warner, Brian Mainwaring 00:26:15 This episode continues the story of Mobile Hospital No, 1, also known as Unit K or the Council Bluffs Unit in World War I. In this episode writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring recounts events such as an early attempt to break up Unit K, its training and observation period with the British military, the full integration of Unit K’s roster into Mobile No. 1, preparation of the hospital’s personnel and inventory for its first full set-up and deployment there in mid-1918, and an incident in which a quartet of the officers discovered the rest of the group had been transferred ahead without them. This episode continues the story of Mobile Hospital No, 1, also known as Unit K or the Council Bluffs Unit in World War I. In this episode writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring recounts events such as an early attempt to break up Unit K, its training and observation period with the British military, the full integration of Unit K’s roster into Mobile No. 1, preparation of the hospital’s personnel and inventory for its first full set-up and deployment there in mid-1918, and an incident in which a quartet of the officers discovered the rest of the group had been transferred ahead without them. mobile medicine, battlefield medicine, council bluffs, wwi false full 29 a70e3cb2-e28d-4592-a7dd-463faa8c1241 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.

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following:

Historical Society of Pottawattamie County

Jim McMullen and Kandis Kole-Skank of the Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society

Dr. David Holcomb 

Dr. James Knott

The reference department at the Council Bluffs Public Library

 

References for more information:

"Hospital No. 1 Won War Cross," Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, July 26, 1936

"Glimpsing Modernity: Military Medicine in WWI," Chapter Five, by WIlliam Montgomery, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016

"Unit K the First MASH Unit," Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, May 20, 2016

"Iowa Hospital Corps Moved with WWI," Omaha World Herald, July 2, 2017

"Brief Hospital of Mobile Hospital No. 1," Journal of the Iowa State Medical Association, April 1920

"One Hundred Years of Iowa Medicine," Iowa State Medical Association, 1950

"The Great War: One Medic's Diary," Bob Reilly, Creighton University Magazine, Summer, 2001

"Joseph Marshall Flint," Samuel Clark Harvey, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine , March, 1945

]]> Mon, 16 Sep 2024 06:44:43 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org 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.

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following:

Historical Society of Pottawattamie County

Jim McMullen and Kandis Kole-Skank of the Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society

Dr. David Holcomb 

Dr. James Knott

The reference department at the Council Bluffs Public Library

 

References for more information:

"Hospital No. 1 Won War Cross," Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, July 26, 1936

"Glimpsing Modernity: Military Medicine in WWI," Chapter Five, by WIlliam Montgomery, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016

"Unit K the First MASH Unit," Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, May 20, 2016

"Iowa Hospital Corps Moved with WWI," Omaha World Herald, July 2, 2017

"Brief Hospital of Mobile Hospital No. 1," Journal of the Iowa State Medical Association, April 1920

"One Hundred Years of Iowa Medicine," Iowa State Medical Association, 1950

"The Great War: One Medic's Diary," Bob Reilly, Creighton University Magazine, Summer, 2001

"Joseph Marshall Flint," Samuel Clark Harvey, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine , March, 1945

]]> Invisible Excellence- Creation of Mobile Hospital #1 Brian Mainwaring, Richard Warner 00:26:15 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. 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. unit k, military medicine, dr. macrae, world war i, battlefield medicine, council bluffs, wwi, mobile hospital #1, donald macrae false full 28 718e49bb-b7c0-4a5d-8ddb-58f7fd5c53ca Black Squirrels of the Bluffs In this episode podcast host Richard Warner looks at the distribution of Council Bluffs' squirrel population, why they are black, how rare they are, some of the local traditions and laws regarding them, and how the Pottawattamie County jail ended up with that name.  Comments and questions are welcome!  You can reach us via email at Information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.

]]> Fri, 17 May 2024 12:06:51 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Historical Society of Pottawattamie County) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org In this episode podcast host Richard Warner looks at the distribution of Council Bluffs' squirrel population, why they are black, how rare they are, some of the local traditions and laws regarding them, and how the Pottawattamie County jail ended up with that name.  Comments and questions are welcome!  You can reach us via email at Information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.

]]> Black Squirrels of the Bluffs Historical Society of Pottawattamie County 00:11:19 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. 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. chipper, black squirrel, council bluffs false full 27 fbbd2ede-ae62-4cd3-89d3-75e427f86ce1 Ruffles to Reubens- Foods From the Metro Questions and comments are always welcome.  Here’s link: https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/contact-us.html

 

]]> Tue, 27 Jun 2023 18:18:09 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Darcy Malsby, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Questions and comments are always welcome.  Here’s link: https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/contact-us.html

 

]]> Ruffles to Reubens- Foods From the Metro Darcy Malsby, Richard Warner 00:19:30 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. 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. swanson tv dinners, omaha history, raisin bran, iowa history, instant cake mix, eskimo pie, duncan hines, cheese frenchee, blackstone hotel, woodward candy, ruffles potato chips, nebraska history, council bluffs history, butter brickle false full 26 dd925b5c-9922-42f1-bd6a-5ebada015548 A Legacy of Regret Wed, 29 Mar 2023 20:23:56 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Tom Emmett, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org A Legacy of Regret Tom Emmett, Richard Warner 00:20:41 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. 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. grenville dodge, civil war, sam davis, general dodge false full 25 d5f27f4e-ed45-4aa0-8959-eb5253c2eeb9 Loess Hills- A Grape Grower's Dream This episode was recorded March 5, 2023 at Prairie Crossing Winery https://www.prairiecrossingwine.com.  The winery is located near Treynor, Iowa, just south of state highway 92.

In the episode Mr. Gray makes reference to the Grape Growers Association and its role in making southwest Iowa a strong force in in the grape industry.  You can find some photos of Prairie Crossing Winery and a brief history of the Association at https://sites.google.com/thehistoricalsociety.org/grape-growers/home.

]]> Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:17:53 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Doug Gray, Trudy Beno, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org This episode was recorded March 5, 2023 at Prairie Crossing Winery https://www.prairiecrossingwine.com.  The winery is located near Treynor, Iowa, just south of state highway 92.

In the episode Mr. Gray makes reference to the Grape Growers Association and its role in making southwest Iowa a strong force in in the grape industry.  You can find some photos of Prairie Crossing Winery and a brief history of the Association at https://sites.google.com/thehistoricalsociety.org/grape-growers/home.

]]> Loess Hills- A Grape Grower's Dream Doug Gray, Trudy Beno, Richard Warner 00:22:57 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. 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. prairie crossing, wine, grape growers association, vineyards false full 24 7ecacfa0-da9f-457e-a5cf-be0d3426c44a The Mobster and the Metro Comments and questions are always welcome.  Contact the Historical Society at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  If you are interested in Council Bluffs history be sure to check our our local history videos.  Search for Council Bluffs Revealed in the YouTube search bar.  The Society also hosts a Facebook page called Council Bluffs Revealed.

]]> Tue, 22 Nov 2022 16:34:20 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Historical Society of Pottawattamie County) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Comments and questions are always welcome.  Contact the Historical Society at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  If you are interested in Council Bluffs history be sure to check our our local history videos.  Search for Council Bluffs Revealed in the YouTube search bar.  The Society also hosts a Facebook page called Council Bluffs Revealed.

]]> The Mobster and the Metro Historical Society of Pottawattamie County 00:10:13 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. 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. dog track, iowa history, gambling, dog racing, council bluffs history, meyer lansky false full 23 5e01cdfb-929d-43c5-bc33-cacbb8949834 It’s History that Makes us Human Kat Slaughter is Museums Director for the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County.  She studied at the University of Wyoming, graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree of History and Anthropology with an emphasis in museum studies.   Troy Stolp holds a BA from Iowa State University in Anthropology and Religious Studies, a BA from Buena Vista University in History, and an MA from UNO in History.  Troy is a teacher at Lewis Central.

]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2022 10:51:03 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Troy Stolp, Kat Slaughter, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Kat Slaughter is Museums Director for the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County.  She studied at the University of Wyoming, graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree of History and Anthropology with an emphasis in museum studies.   Troy Stolp holds a BA from Iowa State University in Anthropology and Religious Studies, a BA from Buena Vista University in History, and an MA from UNO in History.  Troy is a teacher at Lewis Central.

]]> It’s History that Makes us Human Troy Stolp, Kat Slaughter, Richard Warner 00:23:21 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. 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. history, council bluffs, antropology false full 22 3a873108-4a3e-4593-9425-1469b28fdd86 Lost Restaurants of Omaha The book "Lost Restaurants of Omaha" is available at The Bookworm at 2501 S. 90th in Omaha as well as Barnes & Noble at Oak View.

Stay up-to-date on restaurants and things to do in the area by following Kim Reiner:

Founder and owner of Oh My! Omaha - Exploring Omaha & Beyond and Let's Go Iowa
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and see the pretty pictures on Instagram
Let's pin stuff we'll never do! Follow me on Pinterest

]]> Sat, 1 Oct 2022 20:32:37 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Kim Reiner, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org The book "Lost Restaurants of Omaha" is available at The Bookworm at 2501 S. 90th in Omaha as well as Barnes & Noble at Oak View.

Stay up-to-date on restaurants and things to do in the area by following Kim Reiner:

Founder and owner of Oh My! Omaha - Exploring Omaha & Beyond and Let's Go Iowa
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and see the pretty pictures on Instagram
Let's pin stuff we'll never do! Follow me on Pinterest

]]> Lost Restaurants of Omaha Kim Reiner, Richard Warner 00:17:13 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. 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. omaha, restaurants false full 21 fc89a1be-3164-490e-804f-bcc5cfbe5530 Kanesville Kollectibles Kanesville Kollectibles is located at 530 South 4th Street in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Website: kanesvillekollectibles.com

]]> Sat, 27 Aug 2022 15:00:00 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Tim Behrens, Trudy Beno, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Kanesville Kollectibles is located at 530 South 4th Street in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Website: kanesvillekollectibles.com

]]> Kanesville Kollectibles Tim Behrens, Trudy Beno, Richard Warner 00:21:03 If you don't find something you like at Kanesville Kollectibles, you probably don't really like music! It's hard to imagine a place with a greater variety, or someone with more music knowledge and trivia in his head than owner Tim Behrens. In this podcast, hosts Trudy Beno and Richard Warner talk with Tim about his forty years in the business, his quirky and sometimes famous customers, local recording artists, some of the interesting things Tim finds in those records when people sell the to him, and why vinyl records are making such a startling comeback. If you don't find something you like at Kanesville Kollectibles, you probably don't really like music! It's hard to imagine a place with a greater variety, or someone with more music knowledge and trivia in his head than owner Tim Behrens. In this podcast, hosts Trudy Beno and Richard Warner talk with Tim about his forty years in the business, his quirky and sometimes famous customers, local recording artists, some of the interesting things Tim finds in those records when people sell the to him, and why vinyl records are making such a startling comeback. vinyl records, record collecting, dr. dimento, chevrons, zager and evans, coachmen false full 20 350c5e06-a51f-4110-bb9d-8d0367a8b245 The Fastest Men in the World Thu, 11 Aug 2022 20:12:20 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Historical Society of Pottawattamie County) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org The Fastest Men in the World Historical Society of Pottawattamie County 00:07:42 If getting there is good, getting there faster is even better, right? That seems to be the conventional wisdom, as machines are pushed to and nudged beyond their limits. It takes some brave people to test those machines, and at least on a couple of occasions Council Bluffs men were ready to accept the challenge. This podcast tells the tale of O.J. Mitchell and James Bernard Verdin, two locals that set world speed records, one on land, the other in the air. If getting there is good, getting there faster is even better, right? That seems to be the conventional wisdom, as machines are pushed to and nudged beyond their limits. It takes some brave people to test those machines, and at least on a couple of occasions Council Bluffs men were ready to accept the challenge. This podcast tells the tale of O.J. Mitchell and James Bernard Verdin, two locals that set world speed records, one on land, the other in the air. o.j. mitchell, f4d skyray, m-10000, union pacific, james bernard verdin, speed record false full 19 e00c37cf-fbf6-4bb6-9c1c-ec515d7a9ff9 Handle Code Three Patrick Toscano grew up in Council Bluffs and made law enforcement his career.  In this podcast he explains how things have changed during his decades of police work and shares some of the interesting incidents he encountered.  The podcast title is taken from the open of the old "Adam 12" television show in which the dispatcher informs the officers there is a 2-11 in progress, "handle code 3."  The officers switch on the lights and siren, and race to the scene.

]]> Mon, 18 Apr 2022 10:16:07 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Patrick Toscano) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Patrick Toscano grew up in Council Bluffs and made law enforcement his career.  In this podcast he explains how things have changed during his decades of police work and shares some of the interesting incidents he encountered.  The podcast title is taken from the open of the old "Adam 12" television show in which the dispatcher informs the officers there is a 2-11 in progress, "handle code 3."  The officers switch on the lights and siren, and race to the scene.

]]> Handle Code Three Patrick Toscano 00:18:44 From "Adam 12" and "Dragnet" to modern times, police have been a staple of television shows. But what's it really like out there on the streets of Council Bluffs? 38-year veteran of law enforcement, retired police officer Patrick Toscano, shares the perspective from the other side of the badge. From "Adam 12" and "Dragnet" to modern times, police have been a staple of television shows. But what's it really like out there on the streets of Council Bluffs? 38-year veteran of law enforcement, retired police officer Patrick Toscano, shares the perspective from the other side of the badge. council bluffs police, law enforcement false full 18 cc60c6b3-97bc-4e7d-86ce-12a56cd656d1 Movie Media from the Metro In this episode Kelli Bello, production manager of Council Bluffs' Firehouse Letterpress, explains how Omaha became the center of movie marketing and distribution, how film advertising and the technology used to create it changed over time, and how a good amount of the printing and cinematic archival material found its way to Council Bluffs.  Firehouse Letterpress owner Larry Richling describes the collection and how he got interested in putting it together.

To view some examples of the items mentioned in the podcast and the 1950 documentary about the printing process: https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/movies.html

Questions, comments and suggestions for podcast guests or topics are always welcome!  You can contact us at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  The Society also has a YouTube channel you may enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg

 

]]> Thu, 7 Apr 2022 20:58:50 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Kelli Bello, Larry Richling, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org In this episode Kelli Bello, production manager of Council Bluffs' Firehouse Letterpress, explains how Omaha became the center of movie marketing and distribution, how film advertising and the technology used to create it changed over time, and how a good amount of the printing and cinematic archival material found its way to Council Bluffs.  Firehouse Letterpress owner Larry Richling describes the collection and how he got interested in putting it together.

To view some examples of the items mentioned in the podcast and the 1950 documentary about the printing process: https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/movies.html

Questions, comments and suggestions for podcast guests or topics are always welcome!  You can contact us at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  The Society also has a YouTube channel you may enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg

 

]]> Movie Media from the Metro Kelli Bello, Larry Richling, Richard Warner 00:23:51 Omaha became known as a major distribution hub of Hollywood film and promotional materials from the 1930s-1980s through the work of FEPCO and Modern Sound Pictures. Much of the collections of these once international companies is now archived in Council Bluffs. Omaha became known as a major distribution hub of Hollywood film and promotional materials from the 1930s-1980s through the work of FEPCO and Modern Sound Pictures. Much of the collections of these once international companies is now archived in Council Bluffs. movie advertising, modern sound pictures, fepco, omaha, firehouse letterpress, council bluffs, movies, fairmount letterpress, film exhibitors printing company false full 17 16960cfa-7a08-42e0-8845-ea916c8bf6ad Council Bluffs' Tiniest Couple John G. Woodward wasn't the first to use little people in advertising, but may well have contributed to what became a popular trend for the next couple of decades.  Buster Brown shoes had adopted a comic strip character as their advertising image a few years earlier and hired little people to play Buster in tours around the country.  This came at the time when the trend was to introduce novelty into advertising to attract consumer attention in what was becoming the highly competitive world of marketing.  Woodward's approach was different in that the company treated the Bregants with respect.  What the company called "the lightest weight and best proportioned couple in the world" were photographed in adult poses and portrayed as sophisticated, unlike Little Oscar the Chef of the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile or Sunshine Bakers promoting "the cutest midgets you ever saw." 

The Bregant's custom-made home was restored by Preserve Council Bluffs and is open for tours.  Find more information about the house: https://sites.google.com/thehistoricalsociety.org/pcb/home/bregant-house

 

]]> Sat, 22 Jan 2022 21:06:23 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Historical Society of Pottawattamie County) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org John G. Woodward wasn't the first to use little people in advertising, but may well have contributed to what became a popular trend for the next couple of decades.  Buster Brown shoes had adopted a comic strip character as their advertising image a few years earlier and hired little people to play Buster in tours around the country.  This came at the time when the trend was to introduce novelty into advertising to attract consumer attention in what was becoming the highly competitive world of marketing.  Woodward's approach was different in that the company treated the Bregants with respect.  What the company called "the lightest weight and best proportioned couple in the world" were photographed in adult poses and portrayed as sophisticated, unlike Little Oscar the Chef of the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile or Sunshine Bakers promoting "the cutest midgets you ever saw." 

The Bregant's custom-made home was restored by Preserve Council Bluffs and is open for tours.  Find more information about the house: https://sites.google.com/thehistoricalsociety.org/pcb/home/bregant-house

 

]]> Council Bluffs' Tiniest Couple Historical Society of Pottawattamie County 00:15:21 The Little People of Council Bluffs had talents quite disproportionate to their stature. They were skilled vaudevillians, a top notch sales team for Woodward Candy, operated the candy department at Beno's Department Store, sold real estate, and left an impressive sum of money to the city of Council Bluffs. This podcast looks at how the Jean and Inez Bregant met, their entertainment career, how "little people" were used in advertising at that time, the Woodward Candy Factory and their custom made home. The Little People of Council Bluffs had talents quite disproportionate to their stature. They were skilled vaudevillians, a top notch sales team for Woodward Candy, operated the candy department at Beno's Department Store, sold real estate, and left an impressive sum of money to the city of Council Bluffs. This podcast looks at how the Jean and Inez Bregant met, their entertainment career, how "little people" were used in advertising at that time, the Woodward Candy Factory and their custom made home. jean bregant, woodward candy, council bluffs, midget, inez bregant false full 16 f6fb45b7-bf48-47a1-a296-e5353004856d First Avenue- Where 175 years connect This episode was shared from the On First podcast series, which details the plans and progress of the FIRST AVE project by talking with planners, historians, and civic leaders.  Other episodes include information about the Great American Rail Trail and how the corridor will once again be part of a transcontinental route, the railroad history of First Avenue, the planning processes involved, what the corridor will mean to Council Bluffs, and comments from Mayor Walsh.  To hear these podcasts search "On First" in your favorite podcast app, go to OnFirstCB.com, or at this link: https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/2416/On-FIRST-Podcast

]]> Thu, 19 Aug 2021 13:26:35 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Brandon Garrett, Richard Warner, Ashley Kruse) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org This episode was shared from the On First podcast series, which details the plans and progress of the FIRST AVE project by talking with planners, historians, and civic leaders.  Other episodes include information about the Great American Rail Trail and how the corridor will once again be part of a transcontinental route, the railroad history of First Avenue, the planning processes involved, what the corridor will mean to Council Bluffs, and comments from Mayor Walsh.  To hear these podcasts search "On First" in your favorite podcast app, go to OnFirstCB.com, or at this link: https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/2416/On-FIRST-Podcast

]]> First Avenue- Where 175 years connect Brandon Garrett, Richard Warner, Ashley Kruse 00:23:48 First Avenue was platted as a city street, but most of it never actually saw automobiles, just railroad trains. Today those tracks are gone as the path undergoes transformation into a 1.8 mile landscaped multi-use corridor. The area's growth from a boggy patch of sunflowers to the first transcontinental rail route and later home to businesses, a high school and a ball park are discussed plus how this history is being incorporated into the new design plan.  Accidentally Historic podcast host Richard Warner is the guest of Council Bluffs Community Development Director Brandon Garrett and City of Council Bluffs Communications Officer Ashley Kruse on their podcast, On First. First Avenue was platted as a city street, but most of it never actually saw automobiles, just railroad trains. Today those tracks are gone as the path undergoes transformation into a 1.8 mile landscaped multi-use corridor. The area's growth from a boggy patch of sunflowers to the first transcontinental rail route and later home to businesses, a high school and a ball park are discussed plus how this history is being incorporated into the new design plan.  Accidentally Historic podcast host Richard Warner is the guest of Council Bluffs Community Development Director Brandon Garrett and City of Council Bluffs Communications Officer Ashley Kruse on their podcast, On First. firstave, council bluffs, first avenue false full 14 a7bd8bb9-81f3-4a57-aa9c-8d615901ca69 Nishnabotna's Forgotten Tragedy: 1958 Flood Disaster Those living near the Missouri River are accustomed to periodic devastating floods, but neighbors to the normally docile Nishnabotna River were caught unawares in 1958.  One woman was swept away in her front yard, but was able to grab onto a tree trunk being swept down with her. She passed to two more trees, and ended up nearly forty miles away from her home. Another group was known as the Lucky 13. Thirteen people clung to an oil tanker truck as they held two children out of the water and pushed away debris with a rake so that it didn't tip the truck. In this podcast Iowa historian and author joins Accidentally Historic host Dr. Richard Warner to tell the truly amazing story of this largely forgotten Southwest Iowa tragedy. 

Find more stories, books and podcasts by Mr. Brassard at www.johnbrassardjr.com

 

]]> Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:01:53 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (John Brassard Jr, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Those living near the Missouri River are accustomed to periodic devastating floods, but neighbors to the normally docile Nishnabotna River were caught unawares in 1958.  One woman was swept away in her front yard, but was able to grab onto a tree trunk being swept down with her. She passed to two more trees, and ended up nearly forty miles away from her home. Another group was known as the Lucky 13. Thirteen people clung to an oil tanker truck as they held two children out of the water and pushed away debris with a rake so that it didn't tip the truck. In this podcast Iowa historian and author joins Accidentally Historic host Dr. Richard Warner to tell the truly amazing story of this largely forgotten Southwest Iowa tragedy. 

Find more stories, books and podcasts by Mr. Brassard at www.johnbrassardjr.com

 

]]> Nishnabotna's Forgotten Tragedy: 1958 Flood Disaster John Brassard Jr, Richard Warner 00:18:12 Thanks to a freak weather pattern, nearly 13 inches of rain fell overnight in Southwest Iowa, July 1958. The Nishnabotna River overran it's banks, washing out houses, bridges, and nearly everything else in it's path. Numerous lives were lost, but some of the survival stories are almost unbelievable.  Thanks to a freak weather pattern, nearly 13 inches of rain fell overnight in Southwest Iowa, July 1958. The Nishnabotna River overran it's banks, washing out houses, bridges, and nearly everything else in it's path. Numerous lives were lost, but some of the survival stories are almost unbelievable.  audubon iowa, southwest iowa, exira iowa, nishnabotna river, flood, lucky 13, audubon county false full 13 6281c47d-c37f-4a5f-8c51-0865750873a3 The Black Angel's Secret When General Grenville Dodge passed away, tens of thousands braved a blustery winter day to turn out and pay their respects.  When Ruth Anne Dodge died a couple of years later the Dodge daughters wanted their mother to be remembered at that same level, so nationally known sculptor Daniel Chester French was commissioned to create a memorial.  The planned dedication was to be grand affair, with prominent dignitaries from around the country and a city-wide celebration.  But when the piece was finally done, there was no public ceremony at all.  The reason for the dramatic change of plans has long been unknown, until discovered by Dodge researcher Robert Svacina.  In this podcast Svacina explains the motivation for the memorial, how it was built, and why the Dodge family became embarrassed by it when it was all done.

]]> Thu, 1 Jul 2021 16:57:47 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Robert Svacina, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org When General Grenville Dodge passed away, tens of thousands braved a blustery winter day to turn out and pay their respects.  When Ruth Anne Dodge died a couple of years later the Dodge daughters wanted their mother to be remembered at that same level, so nationally known sculptor Daniel Chester French was commissioned to create a memorial.  The planned dedication was to be grand affair, with prominent dignitaries from around the country and a city-wide celebration.  But when the piece was finally done, there was no public ceremony at all.  The reason for the dramatic change of plans has long been unknown, until discovered by Dodge researcher Robert Svacina.  In this podcast Svacina explains the motivation for the memorial, how it was built, and why the Dodge family became embarrassed by it when it was all done.

]]> The Black Angel's Secret Robert Svacina, Richard Warner 00:19:55 Daniel Chester French took time out from his work on the iconic seated Abraham Lincoln in Washington to come to Council Bluffs to create a memorial to Ruth Anne Dodge.  Why such a priceless work was never formally dedicated has been a mystery... until now.  Dodge researcher Robert Svacina shares the reason the Dodge family was too embarrassed of the sculpture for which they paid a fortune to hold a public ceremony. Daniel Chester French took time out from his work on the iconic seated Abraham Lincoln in Washington to come to Council Bluffs to create a memorial to Ruth Anne Dodge.  Why such a priceless work was never formally dedicated has been a mystery... until now.  Dodge researcher Robert Svacina shares the reason the Dodge family was too embarrassed of the sculpture for which they paid a fortune to hold a public ceremony. council bluffs art, black angel, daniel chester french, ruth anne dodge memorial, council bluffs, grenville dodge false full 12 c8c89d03-e590-4aee-827e-86b8063b5636 Women of the Rails Men may have done the survey work and laid the track, but there's a lot more to a railroad than steel rails and flanged wheels.  In this episode, author and western researcher Chris Enss and Union Pacific Railroad Museum curator Patricia LaBounty describe the role women have played in railroading, dating from the industry's earliest times. Women were among the first telegraphers, as well as inventors of game-changing devices like the crossing gate and refrigerator car, plus creators of a myriad of inventions and means to make travel more safe and comfortable. Some worked to create a mystic allure of the West as a destination, building an interest in vacation train travel, even serving as railroad-employed tour guides at the destination. As early as the Civil War the loss of men to the military opened nontraditional railroad jobs to women, but the industry's apprentice and seniority systems made it difficult for most to maintain those positions.  Not all women involved with the trains were on the railroad payroll, but the robbers and ladies of negotiable virtue all fit into the story as well. Chris Enss is a New York Times best selling author who has written over fifty books about women of the West, and was the recipient of the Will Rogers Medallion Award for best nonfiction Western for 2015.  Chris Enss' book on this subject is called "Iron Women" and is available on Amazon.  Patricia LaBounty is curator of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the town that is milepost zero of the transcontinental railroad.

]]> Mon, 29 Mar 2021 15:48:28 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Richard Warner, Chris Enss, Patricia LaBounty) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Men may have done the survey work and laid the track, but there's a lot more to a railroad than steel rails and flanged wheels.  In this episode, author and western researcher Chris Enss and Union Pacific Railroad Museum curator Patricia LaBounty describe the role women have played in railroading, dating from the industry's earliest times. Women were among the first telegraphers, as well as inventors of game-changing devices like the crossing gate and refrigerator car, plus creators of a myriad of inventions and means to make travel more safe and comfortable. Some worked to create a mystic allure of the West as a destination, building an interest in vacation train travel, even serving as railroad-employed tour guides at the destination. As early as the Civil War the loss of men to the military opened nontraditional railroad jobs to women, but the industry's apprentice and seniority systems made it difficult for most to maintain those positions.  Not all women involved with the trains were on the railroad payroll, but the robbers and ladies of negotiable virtue all fit into the story as well. Chris Enss is a New York Times best selling author who has written over fifty books about women of the West, and was the recipient of the Will Rogers Medallion Award for best nonfiction Western for 2015.  Chris Enss' book on this subject is called "Iron Women" and is available on Amazon.  Patricia LaBounty is curator of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the town that is milepost zero of the transcontinental railroad.

]]> Women of the Rails Richard Warner, Chris Enss, Patricia LaBounty 00:23:50 The railroads built the West. And men built the railroads. But in many ways, it was women that made them successful.  Women have played a huge part in the story of trains, from inventing ways to make them safer to robbing them, and just about everything in between.  The railroads built the West. And men built the railroads. But in many ways, it was women that made them successful.  Women have played a huge part in the story of trains, from inventing ways to make them safer to robbing them, and just about everything in between.  union pacific railroad museum, women, laura bullion, railroads, miriam leslie, council bluffs, harvey house false full 11 660acf12-63a3-4cee-a6ef-c732d1a7c8a8 Council Bluffs and Omaha's First Artist- George Simons The West intrigued many artists.  The challenge for those seeking to use their work as a historical record 150 years later is differentiating between what was artistic license versus reality.  Thanks to the cook hired for the railroad surveying party of Grenville Dodge, Council Bluffs and Omaha are extremely fortunate.  George Simons was a self-taught artist, thus not influenced by the artist methods directed by the art schools of the day.  As a folk artist, his style was to document things as he saw them, remarkably free of embellishments.  Simons provided the earliest pictorial record of Council Bluffs and Omaha, and one that is apparently quite accurate.  In the episode Council Bluffs artist Andrew Peters and Historic General Dodge House director Tom Emmett discuss the style, significance and legacy of George Simons work, as well as the man himself.  Mr. Peters severs on the board of directors of PACE (Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment); Mr. Emmett severs on the board of directors of Preserve Council Bluffs.  A short video overview of this presentation can be found on the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg.  Photographs of many of the sketches and paintings mentioned are in the collection of the Council Bluffs Public Library and can be viewed online at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cbpl/albums/72157625464657773.

]]> Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:54:31 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Tom Emmett, Andrew Peters, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org The West intrigued many artists.  The challenge for those seeking to use their work as a historical record 150 years later is differentiating between what was artistic license versus reality.  Thanks to the cook hired for the railroad surveying party of Grenville Dodge, Council Bluffs and Omaha are extremely fortunate.  George Simons was a self-taught artist, thus not influenced by the artist methods directed by the art schools of the day.  As a folk artist, his style was to document things as he saw them, remarkably free of embellishments.  Simons provided the earliest pictorial record of Council Bluffs and Omaha, and one that is apparently quite accurate.  In the episode Council Bluffs artist Andrew Peters and Historic General Dodge House director Tom Emmett discuss the style, significance and legacy of George Simons work, as well as the man himself.  Mr. Peters severs on the board of directors of PACE (Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment); Mr. Emmett severs on the board of directors of Preserve Council Bluffs.  A short video overview of this presentation can be found on the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg.  Photographs of many of the sketches and paintings mentioned are in the collection of the Council Bluffs Public Library and can be viewed online at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cbpl/albums/72157625464657773.

]]> Council Bluffs and Omaha's First Artist- George Simons Tom Emmett, Andrew Peters, Richard Warner 00:16:34 George Simons was a cook for Grenville Dodge, but it was his self taught sketching and painting skills brought art and history together, leaving Council Bluffs and Omaha with an invaluable look at their earliest days that most Western towns aren't so fortunate to have. George Simons was a cook for Grenville Dodge, but it was his self taught sketching and painting skills brought art and history together, leaving Council Bluffs and Omaha with an invaluable look at their earliest days that most Western towns aren't so fortunate to have. omaha, council bluffs, grenville dodge, mormon, kanesville, general dodge, george simons false full 10 790c8496-0c02-4c33-90ab-f02582e0a08d Candy From Council Bluffs- Woodward's Seeking a safer occupation following an rail yard accident that cost him the tip of a finger, John G. Woodward began work at a Council Bluffs candy store. He eventually bought it, and grew the company into the largest candy manufacturing operation in the West.  In this podcast, Richard Warner of the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County, traces the history of the company, including the claim they were the inventors of the Butter Brickle flavor and that Omaha's Blackstone Hotel was the first to use this to make Butter Brickle ice cream.  The podcast also explores possible reasons such a successful company would close so suddenly, what happened to their recipes, and their advertising icons, Jean and Inze Bregant, Council Bluffs "little people."   Read more and see some photos with the Historical Society's History Online story: https://sites.google.com/thehistoricalsociety.org/woodward-candy/ufo

]]> Wed, 3 Feb 2021 15:07:11 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Historical Society of Pottawattamie County) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Seeking a safer occupation following an rail yard accident that cost him the tip of a finger, John G. Woodward began work at a Council Bluffs candy store. He eventually bought it, and grew the company into the largest candy manufacturing operation in the West.  In this podcast, Richard Warner of the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County, traces the history of the company, including the claim they were the inventors of the Butter Brickle flavor and that Omaha's Blackstone Hotel was the first to use this to make Butter Brickle ice cream.  The podcast also explores possible reasons such a successful company would close so suddenly, what happened to their recipes, and their advertising icons, Jean and Inze Bregant, Council Bluffs "little people."   Read more and see some photos with the Historical Society's History Online story: https://sites.google.com/thehistoricalsociety.org/woodward-candy/ufo

]]> Candy From Council Bluffs- Woodward's Historical Society of Pottawattamie County 00:16:22 Lots of promotion-- including use of a married couple that were under 45 inches tall-- plus a five story factory that occupied a full square block downtown kept the Woodward Candy Company in Council Bluffs quite visible. Pioneers of Butterscotch and inventors of Butter Brickle, their candy was distributed across the country, and was quite good! Lots of promotion-- including use of a married couple that were under 45 inches tall-- plus a five story factory that occupied a full square block downtown kept the Woodward Candy Company in Council Bluffs quite visible. Pioneers of Butterscotch and inventors of Butter Brickle, their candy was distributed across the country, and was quite good! jean bregant, woodward candy, council bluffs, the bregants, inez bregant, butter brickle false full 9 9884d6ef-745e-4dea-a770-b96ef92629fe 150 Years of CB High: Guns, Tunnels, and Triva Perched atop one of the highest hills, Council Bluffs' first high school building in 1870 reflected the city’s optimism as much as it did society’s expectations of education. The towering building had a chapel, but no facilities for practical training; there was no sports equipment, yet ample rifles and live ammunition to arm all students. In this episode Historical Society member Michael Winchester explores the city's first high school building and why it quickly fell out of use, the struggle over where to rebuild, how Abraham Lincoln High School’s first principal, Gerald W. Kirn, came to define the school he ruled for over a quarter century plus how changing societal expectations influenced design and remodeling of the new building while along the way creating a new stage in life called adolescence.  Intriguing bits of trivia pop up along the way, including a football field that wasn’t quite long or wide enough, why the ROTC drill room was left with a dirt floor, the district's lack of concerned over a fifty percent dropout rate, and a system of secret tunnels discovered by students but unknown to the administration.

Michael Winchester has served as vice-president of the Council Bluffs school board.  He and fellow school board member Michael O'Bradovich were subjects of a story on the television program “60 Minutes” in 1976 when host Mike Wallace interviewed them about their status as the youngest elected public officials in the United States and their interest in preserving the city’s old school buildings.  A graduate of Creighton University’s law school, Mr. Winchester served nearly thirty years as an Omaha city prosecutor and is now semi-retired.  He has been inducted into Abraham Lincoln High School’s Hall of Fame.

A short video except of this podcast can be found on the Historical Society's YouTube Channel at 

Comments, questions and suggestions are welcome at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.

]]> Sun, 31 May 2020 23:10:31 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Historical Society of Pottawattamie County) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Perched atop one of the highest hills, Council Bluffs' first high school building in 1870 reflected the city’s optimism as much as it did society’s expectations of education. The towering building had a chapel, but no facilities for practical training; there was no sports equipment, yet ample rifles and live ammunition to arm all students. In this episode Historical Society member Michael Winchester explores the city's first high school building and why it quickly fell out of use, the struggle over where to rebuild, how Abraham Lincoln High School’s first principal, Gerald W. Kirn, came to define the school he ruled for over a quarter century plus how changing societal expectations influenced design and remodeling of the new building while along the way creating a new stage in life called adolescence.  Intriguing bits of trivia pop up along the way, including a football field that wasn’t quite long or wide enough, why the ROTC drill room was left with a dirt floor, the district's lack of concerned over a fifty percent dropout rate, and a system of secret tunnels discovered by students but unknown to the administration.

Michael Winchester has served as vice-president of the Council Bluffs school board.  He and fellow school board member Michael O'Bradovich were subjects of a story on the television program “60 Minutes” in 1976 when host Mike Wallace interviewed them about their status as the youngest elected public officials in the United States and their interest in preserving the city’s old school buildings.  A graduate of Creighton University’s law school, Mr. Winchester served nearly thirty years as an Omaha city prosecutor and is now semi-retired.  He has been inducted into Abraham Lincoln High School’s Hall of Fame.

A short video except of this podcast can be found on the Historical Society's YouTube Channel at 

Comments, questions and suggestions are welcome at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.

]]> 150 Years of CB High: Guns, Tunnels, and Triva Historical Society of Pottawattamie County 00:29:25 Council Bluffs has had imposing high school buildings for 150 years, but there’s more to their story than education. The desire of civic leaders to make statement, a rivalry between two principals, and even a military need have all figured in. In this episode Michael Winchester describes the beginnings of Council Bluffs' first high school and its first hundred years. Council Bluffs has had imposing high school buildings for 150 years, but there’s more to their story than education. The desire of civic leaders to make statement, a rivalry between two principals, and even a military need have all figured in. In this episode Michael Winchester describes the beginnings of Council Bluffs' first high school and its first hundred years. false full 7 f479e520-95d5-42ca-bdce-89418de72467 Council Bluffs Squirrel Cage Ghosts The “squirrel cage” jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa is unique in many ways. The largest of a rare 19th century design that featured a cell block that rotated, the 1885 former Pottawattamie County jail has increasingly come under scrutiny as a site of robust paranormal activity. Occurrences that were difficult to explain date to its early days as a jail.  In modern times, teams of paranormal investigators have conducted tests with positive results.  The building was featured on Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, Serial Killer Spiritsmini series in 2019.

In this episode, host Richard Warner talks with Historical Society vice-president J.W. LeMaster, Society Museums Director Kat Slaughter, and Sarah Stream, member of the Paranormal Research Institute and investigative team Paranormania.  The trio discuss why the history of this building makes it particularly likely as site of activity, what types of evidence are being found, how investigations are undertaken, equipment needed, and tips for those new to the field that might want to participate in a paranormal event or investigation.  For more information or to contact the Historical Society go to the website www.TheHistoricalSociety.org. 

You can view the jail’s segment of the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, Serial Killer Spiritsmini series on the Travel Channel’s page  https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/ghost-adventures/episodes/serial-killer-spirits-axe-killer-jail or on IMDb at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10938858/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

]]> Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:33:17 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Sarah Stream, J.W. LeMaster, Richard Warner, Kat Slaughter) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org The “squirrel cage” jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa is unique in many ways. The largest of a rare 19th century design that featured a cell block that rotated, the 1885 former Pottawattamie County jail has increasingly come under scrutiny as a site of robust paranormal activity. Occurrences that were difficult to explain date to its early days as a jail.  In modern times, teams of paranormal investigators have conducted tests with positive results.  The building was featured on Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, Serial Killer Spiritsmini series in 2019.

In this episode, host Richard Warner talks with Historical Society vice-president J.W. LeMaster, Society Museums Director Kat Slaughter, and Sarah Stream, member of the Paranormal Research Institute and investigative team Paranormania.  The trio discuss why the history of this building makes it particularly likely as site of activity, what types of evidence are being found, how investigations are undertaken, equipment needed, and tips for those new to the field that might want to participate in a paranormal event or investigation.  For more information or to contact the Historical Society go to the website www.TheHistoricalSociety.org. 

You can view the jail’s segment of the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, Serial Killer Spiritsmini series on the Travel Channel’s page  https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/ghost-adventures/episodes/serial-killer-spirits-axe-killer-jail or on IMDb at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10938858/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

]]> Council Bluffs Squirrel Cage Ghosts Sarah Stream, J.W. LeMaster, Richard Warner, Kat Slaughter 00:22:09 Investigators of paranormal phenomena have discovered the unique 1885 rotary cell jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa to be teeming with activity. This episode explores what they are finding, why it is here, and how you can search and discover for yourself. Investigators of paranormal phenomena have discovered the unique 1885 rotary cell jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa to be teeming with activity. This episode explores what they are finding, why it is here, and how you can search and discover for yourself. rotary cell jail, ghosts, paranormal, squirrel cage jail, council bluffs, iowa false full 6 63797228-9ea1-4385-a01a-bf55ce3b0cbe Council Bluffs and its Train Robbers As one of the earliest and largest railroad centers of the Midwest, it’s not surprising Council Bluffs would right at at the forefront of train robberies as well. The first moving train to ever be robbed West of the Mississippi left from Council Bluffs. Another train robbery in a Bluffs rail yard netted over $3,500,000; a tidy sum in 1920, and triggered copycat deeds all across the country. Not all local robbers fared well; another’s bullet-ridden body was put on display, becoming quite a popular public curiosity. This episode, written by historian Ryan Roenfeld, tells the tales of these three robberies that had ties to Council Bluffs.

]]> Thu, 23 Jan 2020 21:10:37 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Ryan Roenfeld, Richard Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org As one of the earliest and largest railroad centers of the Midwest, it’s not surprising Council Bluffs would right at at the forefront of train robberies as well. The first moving train to ever be robbed West of the Mississippi left from Council Bluffs. Another train robbery in a Bluffs rail yard netted over $3,500,000; a tidy sum in 1920, and triggered copycat deeds all across the country. Not all local robbers fared well; another’s bullet-ridden body was put on display, becoming quite a popular public curiosity. This episode, written by historian Ryan Roenfeld, tells the tales of these three robberies that had ties to Council Bluffs.

]]> Council Bluffs and its Train Robbers Ryan Roenfeld, Richard Warner 00:13:43 Train robbers came in all forms: Jesse James was famous, or at least infamous. Others, not so much; nobody was even able to identify the body of later robber. And it was just two-bit local hooligans that managed to bungle their way into the biggest train heist in history. Train robbers came in all forms: Jesse James was famous, or at least infamous. Others, not so much; nobody was even able to identify the body of later robber. And it was just two-bit local hooligans that managed to bungle their way into the biggest train heist in history. ryan roenfeld, mail robbery, jesse james, train robbery, council bluffs false full 5 fc77f761-23cd-4c56-a68c-7d3ac4c17c46 Omaha Council Bluffs' Sweet 98 Rocked the Metro It has to be one of the Omaha area’s greatest “rags-to-riches” stories. Radio station Sweet 98 (KQKQ-FM) became hugely popular, for 25 years dominating the Omaha metro ratings as the area’s first personality-driven FM music station, kicking off with “Breakfast Flakes” Mark Evans and Dick Warner in the summer of 1980. Known for its nonstop promotions, high dollar giveaways, and colorful, opulent studio appearing somewhat like a spaceship, its origin was considerably more humble. The station was in poor economic shape when owner John Mitchell came up with a plan to completely reinvent it, switching the progressive, album-oriented format to popular Top 40 music. The transformation was extensive and involved an almost complete staff turnover. Just three people were retained from the old station to become part of the new Sweet 98, which started in a converted apartment building at 36th and West Broadway in Council Bluffs. This podcast brings those three together. Kevin Kassera (“Special K”), Dick Warner, and Bob Warner talk and reminisce about the conditions leading up to the format change and the beginning of Sweet 98.

Excerpts of the podcast can be found in a video on the Historical Society's YouTube channel at 

FInd photos at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Council-Bluffs-Revealed-281093015390863/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1429948487171971

]]> Fri, 27 Dec 2019 17:54:14 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Kevin Kassera (Special K), Dick Warner, Bob Warner) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org It has to be one of the Omaha area’s greatest “rags-to-riches” stories. Radio station Sweet 98 (KQKQ-FM) became hugely popular, for 25 years dominating the Omaha metro ratings as the area’s first personality-driven FM music station, kicking off with “Breakfast Flakes” Mark Evans and Dick Warner in the summer of 1980. Known for its nonstop promotions, high dollar giveaways, and colorful, opulent studio appearing somewhat like a spaceship, its origin was considerably more humble. The station was in poor economic shape when owner John Mitchell came up with a plan to completely reinvent it, switching the progressive, album-oriented format to popular Top 40 music. The transformation was extensive and involved an almost complete staff turnover. Just three people were retained from the old station to become part of the new Sweet 98, which started in a converted apartment building at 36th and West Broadway in Council Bluffs. This podcast brings those three together. Kevin Kassera (“Special K”), Dick Warner, and Bob Warner talk and reminisce about the conditions leading up to the format change and the beginning of Sweet 98.

Excerpts of the podcast can be found in a video on the Historical Society's YouTube channel at 

FInd photos at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Council-Bluffs-Revealed-281093015390863/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1429948487171971

]]> Omaha Council Bluffs' Sweet 98 Rocked the Metro Kevin Kassera (Special K), Dick Warner, Bob Warner 00:27:12 Sweet 98 (KQKQ-FM) evolved from a nearly bankrupt progressive rock station into the Omaha area's first personality-driven FM music station and a ratings leader. The transition took place in a dilapidated apartment building at 36th and West Broadway in Council Bluffs in the summer of 1980. Sweet 98 (KQKQ-FM) evolved from a nearly bankrupt progressive rock station into the Omaha area's first personality-driven FM music station and a ratings leader. The transition took place in a dilapidated apartment building at 36th and West Broadway in Council Bluffs in the summer of 1980. radio, omaha, breakfast flakes, kqkq, sweet 98, council bluffs false full 4 235c8ea0-c9cb-4296-bab3-788c8fb138ca Love at Lake Manawa Young ladies find love at Lake Manawa— an upscale resort with dance pavilions, an amusement park, galas and entertainment.  It's a romantic and beautiful place; but how much of that setting for the Lake Manawa series novels actually ever existed?  Author Lorna Seilstad explains her characters and their adventures may be fiction, but the setting for the adventures is very much real.  Making Waves,  A Great Catch, and The Ride of Her Life take place in the "glory years" of Lake Manawa's days as a resort, the late 1800s and early 20th Century.  

Learn more about the books and other works by Lorna Seilstad at her website, www.lornaseilstad.com.  If you want to explore Lake Manawa yourself you can download a brochure that uses GPS coordinates to take you where the various attractions of the past were located at http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/history-online/lake-manawa.html

A short video about Lake Manawa history with Lorna Seilstad and historians Ryan Roenfeld and Troy Stolp can be found on the Historical Society's YouTube channel at 

 

]]> Wed, 25 Sep 2019 14:49:02 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Lorna Seilstad, Richard Warner, Karen DeForest, Bill Michalski) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Young ladies find love at Lake Manawa— an upscale resort with dance pavilions, an amusement park, galas and entertainment.  It's a romantic and beautiful place; but how much of that setting for the Lake Manawa series novels actually ever existed?  Author Lorna Seilstad explains her characters and their adventures may be fiction, but the setting for the adventures is very much real.  Making Waves,  A Great Catch, and The Ride of Her Life take place in the "glory years" of Lake Manawa's days as a resort, the late 1800s and early 20th Century.  

Learn more about the books and other works by Lorna Seilstad at her website, www.lornaseilstad.com.  If you want to explore Lake Manawa yourself you can download a brochure that uses GPS coordinates to take you where the various attractions of the past were located at http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/history-online/lake-manawa.html

A short video about Lake Manawa history with Lorna Seilstad and historians Ryan Roenfeld and Troy Stolp can be found on the Historical Society's YouTube channel at 

 

]]> Love at Lake Manawa Lorna Seilstad, Richard Warner, Karen DeForest, Bill Michalski 00:12:22 Council Bluffs author Lorna Seilstad set out to bring life to history and grew up hearing the legends of Lake Manawa. In this podcast she explains what she learned about the history of the lake and its glory days as a resort and what prompted her to write this trilogy of popular books. Council Bluffs author Lorna Seilstad set out to bring life to history and grew up hearing the legends of Lake Manawa. In this podcast she explains what she learned about the history of the lake and its glory days as a resort and what prompted her to write this trilogy of popular books. lake manawa, council bluffs false full 3 f1f04307-80ed-4584-ae0f-ec8d7e7db4f5 What is the "Squirrel Cage" jail?     Buildings that revolve or that have portions that do have been a dream for centuries, but generally never moved past the design stage.  The rotary cell jail was very real.  Touted as cost effective, modern, and escape-proof the concept spread quickly throughout the Midwest. Mechanization was coming of age; invention of the telephone and building of the transcontinental railroad fostered the notion man could solve any problem with his innovations. 

    Nationally the enthusiasm for the rotary jails waned almost as quickly as it had spread. Decried as inhumane and dangerous, most were rapidly dismantled or converted to more traditional cells.  Perhaps the most unique thing about the rotary cell jail in Council Bluffs is how long is lasted.  Despite repeated efforts to close it, the “Squirrel Cage” remained the Pottawattamie County jail for 84 years.

   Learn more about Council Bluffs' unique jail at www.TheHistoricalSociety.org and join us on Facebook at Squirrel Cage Jail of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

]]> Wed, 25 Sep 2019 00:51:43 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (J.W. LeMaster, Richard Warner, Kat Slaughter) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org     Buildings that revolve or that have portions that do have been a dream for centuries, but generally never moved past the design stage.  The rotary cell jail was very real.  Touted as cost effective, modern, and escape-proof the concept spread quickly throughout the Midwest. Mechanization was coming of age; invention of the telephone and building of the transcontinental railroad fostered the notion man could solve any problem with his innovations. 

    Nationally the enthusiasm for the rotary jails waned almost as quickly as it had spread. Decried as inhumane and dangerous, most were rapidly dismantled or converted to more traditional cells.  Perhaps the most unique thing about the rotary cell jail in Council Bluffs is how long is lasted.  Despite repeated efforts to close it, the “Squirrel Cage” remained the Pottawattamie County jail for 84 years.

   Learn more about Council Bluffs' unique jail at www.TheHistoricalSociety.org and join us on Facebook at Squirrel Cage Jail of Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

]]> What is the "Squirrel Cage" jail? J.W. LeMaster, Richard Warner, Kat Slaughter 00:17:38 Imagine a jail where the jailer doesn’t have to walk to his prisoners; he can turn a crank and bring each cell to him, one at a time. Imagine a jail where the jailer doesn’t have to walk to his prisoners; he can turn a crank and bring each cell to him, one at a time. rotary cell jail, squirrel cage jail, council bluffs, pottawattamie county, iowa false full 2 b2531002-563d-4805-85b2-98cf0e8fd7ae Introducing the Accidentally Historic podcast Find more information about Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County history on our website at www.TheHistoricalSociety.org and on our Facebook page, Council Bluffs Revealed.

Questions, comments and suggestions for podcast guests or topics are always welcome!  You can contact us at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  The Society also has a YouTube channel you may enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg

]]> Wed, 25 Sep 2019 00:08:35 +0000 information@TheHistoricalSociety.org (Historical Society of Pottawattamie County) http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org Find more information about Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County history on our website at www.TheHistoricalSociety.org and on our Facebook page, Council Bluffs Revealed.

Questions, comments and suggestions for podcast guests or topics are always welcome!  You can contact us at information@TheHistoricalSociety.org.  The Society also has a YouTube channel you may enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BijwKxeirRtL7QLnyfMzg

]]> Introducing the Accidentally Historic podcast Historical Society of Pottawattamie County 00:02:53 More often than not those history makers weren’t trying to become famous or create landmarks… they were only trying to get through their day… and history just happened. History shouldn’t be a bunch of dates to memorize… it’s intriguing stories... exploring the real lives of the people right here where we live... and how our lives are interwoven into the fabric of it all. That’s why local history is so very important. And that’s what we hope to explore with this podcast. More often than not those history makers weren’t trying to become famous or create landmarks… they were only trying to get through their day… and history just happened. History shouldn’t be a bunch of dates to memorize… it’s intriguing stories... exploring the real lives of the people right here where we live... and how our lives are interwoven into the fabric of it all. That’s why local history is so very important. And that’s what we hope to explore with this podcast. historical society of pottawattamie county, council bluffs, pottawattamie county, iowa false full 1