The Mormon Trail - Stop 2 - Council Bluffs, Iowa

Gathering Point

Located on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River, Council Bluffs was settled in 1846 as the main outfitting point on the Mormon Trail. It was originally called Kanesville, after Civil War general and abolitionist Thomas L. Kane. It was in Kanesvile where thousands of Mormons spent the winter of 1846, before embarking toward the west on the Mormon Trail. The name was changed to Council Bluffs following the departure of the Mormons. The city was also a major "jumping off point" for people embarking on the Oregon and California Trails. In 1863, Council Bluffs was made the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad. Today, Council Bluffs is an important economic center, home to agricultural companies and riverboat casinos.

Next Stop: Platte River

Mormon Trail Stops

Introduction

Nauvoo, Illinois

Council Bluffs

Platte River

Great Plains

Chimney Rock

Rocky Mountains

Great Salt Lake