Shows
Accidentally HistoricInvisible Excellence- Mobile 1 Logistics, staffing and 1st Wartime ExperienceThe 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
2025-03-0428 min
Accidentally HistoricInvisible Excellence- Creation of Mobile Hospital #1It 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, nur...2024-09-1626 min
Accidentally HistoricBlack Squirrels of the BluffsIn 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.
2024-05-1711 min
Accidentally HistoricRuffles to Reubens- Foods From the MetroQuestions and comments are always welcome. Here’s link: https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/contact-us.html
2023-06-2719 min
Accidentally HistoricLoess Hills- A Grape Grower's DreamThis 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.
2023-03-2022 min
Accidentally HistoricThe Mobster and the MetroComments 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.
2022-11-2210 min
Drinking The Cool AidSquirrel Cage Jail // 106 // Haunted // Pottawattamie County JailThe Pottawattamie County Jail is also known as Squirrel Cage Jail is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It's built like a giant Lazy Susan and the cells are pie shaped. There is a single door on all 3 levels, but you need to use a hand crank to spin the jail and line it up. Some very infamous prisoners served time in this jail, including Jake Bird, also known as the Tacoma Ax-killer. It's rumored that Jake put a hex on people and now he haunts the jail.Website: Drinking The Cool AidResources:A Haunted Hist...2022-04-1045 min
Accidentally HistoricMovie Media from the MetroIn 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.htmlQ...2022-04-0723 min
Accidentally HistoricCouncil Bluffs' Tiniest CoupleJohn 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...2022-01-2215 min
Accidentally HistoricSome Council Bluffs MysteriesThis 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 t...2021-10-1519 min
Accidentally HistoricCandy From Council Bluffs- Woodward'sSeeking 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...2021-02-0316 min
Accidentally Historic150 Years of CB High: Guns, Tunnels, and TrivaPerched 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 sc...2020-06-0129 min
Accidentally HistoricCouncil Bluffs Squirrel Cage GhostsThe “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. Le...2020-03-2422 min
Boosier PodcastIt was All a Dream & Watch Your LimbsThings get Real sad and weird as we explore the haunts at Malvern Manor in Malvern, Iowa and Th Squirrel Cage Jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Malvern Manor https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/television/2017/02/07/paranormal-lockdown-malvern-manor-iowa/97592274/ https://malvernmanor.weebly.com/blog https://www.miamighostchronicles.com/stranger-than-fiction/inezs-ghost https://paranormaldares.com/what-lies-within-malvern-manor/ https://paranormaldares.com/what-lies-within-malvern-manor/ http://weekinweird.com/2017/01/18/iowa-malvern-manor-haunted/ https://malvernmanor.weebly.com/blog/grim-raper-part-iSquirrel Cage Jail https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/museums/squirrel-cage-jail.html https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/paranormal/scj-paranormal-1.html https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pottawattamie-squirrel-cage-jail https://midwestwanderer.com/haunted-squirrel-cage-jail-museum/ https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/paranormal/scj-paranormal.html--- This episode i...2020-01-0651 min
Accidentally HistoricLove at Lake ManawaYoung 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 a...2019-09-2512 min
Accidentally HistoricWhat 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 traditi...2019-09-2517 min
Accidentally HistoricIntroducing the Accidentally Historic podcastFind 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
2019-09-2502 min