LIBRftWY rtf CONGRESS TWO Oooies Received SEP 9 1904 OoDyrlght Entry CLA^S a. XXo. Na COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA ENTERPRISING=UP'TO'DATE WIDE-AWAKE COUNCIL BLUFFS is the metropolis of Western Iowa. The history of Council Bluffs runs back to 1804, one century ago, when Lewis and Clark held a meeting: with the Indians on the present site of the city. When President Lincoln designated the town as the eastern ter- minus of the Pacific railways, it became at once a place of national note, and has demonstrated the wisdom of such selection at the hands of the president and his advisors, by remaining one of the most important railway centers of the country. This is due chiefly to its situation on the direct transcontinental route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Trunk lines of railway systems that comprise more than 50,000 miles of track now center at Council Bluffs, and it is said that 170 fast mail, express, freight and passenger trains arrive and depart from the city daily. Such complete connection with the outside world has made it a clearing house, so to speak, of the greatest importance in east and west traffic. The population of Council Bluffs is about 32.000 and rapidly increasing; it is the county seat of Pottawattamie county, which in area is half as large as the state of Delaware, and thirteen times as large as the District of Columbia. It is the center of a rich agricultural and fruit growing belt and is particularly noted as an important distributing point for agricultural im- plements and supplies, in fact, it is one of the three largest distributing centers for agricultural implements in the Unitetl States. The city has a very large and rapidly growing trade with the surrounding country, which, within a radius of 150 miles, contains a population of 3,000,000 prosperous people. Note the growth of population of Council Bluffs: 1860 2,011 1880 18.063 1900 25,802 1870 10,020 1890 21,474 1904 32.000 The progTe?sive spirit of its first settlers half a century ago is the heritage of its present people. Its numarous railroads, beautiful streets, handsome residences and costly improve- ments, all are the growth of but a few decades. Owing to thp refusal of the managers of the Water Works Company to state amount in- vested, we will state that it is considered the finest plant on the Missouri river, having 45 miles of pipes and 8,000.000 gallons daily capacity. Thirty-five bridges owned by the city. 22 of which are constructed of the very best steel patterns. Three large bridges over the Missouri river, which act as the gateway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, one of which has the longest draw in the world. Twenty-six miles of sewer, which the abundant fall of our slopes afford, give a drainage system insuring cleanliness and health, for which the city is noted. An era of substantial paving inaugurated several years ago, is marked by 20 miles of brick and granite streets, and more building, all on good substantial foundations. Though public improvements, not including streets, have more than doubled in the last few years, the city debt is but $270,000. There has been laid in the past year, and now in course of construction, 100,000 square feet of concrete sidewalk, taking the place of the brick walks in the business part of town. The city is well protected from fires by five well equipped fire companies, whose record shows it to be second to none in the country. The police department is well taken care of by 8 officers. 2 detectives. 7 patrolmen, 2 operators, and clerks. Our police department is of the most efficient, as may be judged by the low record of crime. It has an admirable public school system which is considered one of the best conducted in the United States. The schools and school houses. 20 in number, are comparatively unsur- passed; a corps of 140 teachers have 5,000 pupils under tuition, from which graduates are eligible to admittance to most universities in the land. Its educational advantages are not limited to the public school system, but there are several well conducted private schools, two of which are the St. Francis Academy and the Western Iowa College, while the State School for the Deaf is also located at Council i^luffc. Council Bluffs is without a rival among cities of its size, in number, membership and value of its churches, an element of moral strength and local felicity. The completeness of our hotels the traveling' public knows well, for it is here that it comes when within reach, to enjoy the hospitality for which they are noted. The park system is one of the finest in the country and consists of 645.67 acres, and valued at $383,000. Fairmount park, which is the largest, is enjoyed by the home population and all visitors to the city. Formed by nature, embellished by handiwork, Fairmount park is a model of its kind, while Bayliss, Cochran. Island, Lake View and Lake Manawa parks are sought by the throngs for their comfort and beauty. Lake Manawa is very popular in the warm weather, being a beautiful sheet of water on which yacht and rowing races are held: it is noted for its amusement features during summer months, also for bathing, fishing and hunting in season. The other parks are scattered about the city and furnish a breathing place much sought after during the warm weather. Sixteen hundred telephones are used in the city at prices, $24 to $51 per year. Four banks, with capital and surplus amounting to $575,000, are among the best, as shown by the excellent standing they maintain. No better street car service exists than ours; it is one of the finest electric railway equip- ments in the world, operating 24 miles of substantially built tracks, 68 cars of the finest pat- terns, and gives, for 5 cents, a passage to any part of the city, either direct or by transfer routes. The climate of Council Bluffs is most pleasant and healthful while the death rate is remark- ably low and is almost without precedent. Council Bluffs wants more manufactories, such as flouring mills, elevators, packing houses, tanneries, boot and shoe factories, canning factories, implement works, sugar factories, paint works, in fact, anything that pertains to the upbuilding of the community. The Commercial Club, designed to foster, protect, encourage and advance mercantile man- ufacturing and municipal interests, has been a large factor in the growth and development of the city. FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNTAIN IN BAYLISS PARK elks' club house COUNTY COURT HOUSE U. S. POST OFFICE AND CUSTOM HOUSE ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH CHRISTIAN HOME LOOKING WEST ON BROADWAY FROM SITE OF PETERSON'S GROCERY, 1854 LOOKING WEST ON BROADWAY FROM SITE OF PETERSON'S GROCERY, 1904 OLD SCHOOL HOUSE, 1853, WHERE KINSMAN TAUGHT. FIRST ODD FELLOWS' HALL I. O. O. F. TEMPLE MASONIC TEMPLE KINSMAN AND SOLDIERS' MONUMENT, FAIRVIEW CEMETERY FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILWAY BRIDGE OVER MISSOURI RIVER LONGEST DRAW SPAN IN THE WORLD PARTIAL VIEW OF CITY FROM FAIRMOUNT PARK PARTIAL BIRDSEYE VIEW OF COUl'l .UPFS FROM MOUNT GIBRALTER WATER WORKS RESERVOIR, FAIRMOUNT PARK ST. PETER'S GERMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH BROADWAY M. E. CHURCH ■ Ml ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CATHOLIC CHURCH COUNCIL BLUFFS COMMERCIAL CLUB WOODBURY BLOCK COCHRAN PARK I. O. O. F. CELEBRATION ON BROADWAY, APRIL 27, 1868 BROADWAY, JULY 1, 1904 HIGH SCHOOL UNION ELEVATOR PEAVEY ELEVATOR VIEW OF ST. BERNARD'S HOSPITAL AND GROUNDS FROM MERCY HOSPITAL W. C. A. HOSPITAL MERCY HOSPITAL MERRIAM BLOCK GRAND HOTEL AUDITORIUM ST. FRANCIS ACADEMY ST. FRANCIS ACADEMY WATER FRONT COUNCIL BLUFFS ROWING ASSOCIATION, LAKE MANAWA FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ST. JOHN'S ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH LIBRARY OF CONGRESS I 016 086 453 9