The idea for the church originated with a group of German women in December 1884. They formed a society where each member agreed to contribute a monthly fee to fund the project and in May 1886 local Catholic men formed their own group to help in the effort. St. Peter's parish was established on April 25, 1887. The first pastor was Brother Adolph Wesseling who was tasked with not only serving as leader of the parish but to also oversee the construction of the church, which was completed the next year. Six months after the church was dedicated a school and house (for Benedictine nuns who taught at the school) were built. The rectory was built eight years later (until then the parish priest lived in the back of the school). The Benedictines operated St. Peter's until 1975 when it became part of the Diocese of Des Moines. The parish hall was built in 1999 and church was updated in 2001.

St. Peter's Catholic Church was built in 1887. A fine example of Gothic Revival architecture, it was founded by German immigrants in 1886. It remained a German parish until 1975 when it joined the Diocese of Des Moines.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: St. Peter's Catholic Church & Rectory

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St. Peter's Catholic Church is home to a congregation established by German immigrants in 1887. Situated on a bluff overlooking the city, it was built in 1888 and is a good example of Gothic Revival architecture. It features a tall 100-food bell tower topped by a spire, buttresses, pilasters, lancet windows, and decorative brickwork. St. Peter's was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

St. Peter's Catholic Church

This short walk through the heart of Council Bluffs begins at a historic church established by German immigrants and moves on to several important downtown buildings such as the former Chieftain Hotel. Highlights of the tour include the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and the former county jail known for its unique system of rotating cells that led to the nickname "Squirrel Cage." While this walking tour focusses on the center of the town, be sure to also explore some of the landmarks along the river that are in Clio, including the Western Trails Center. 

The Bennett Building replaced three-story Victorian-style Woolworth's store that was destroyed by a fire in December 1922. The owner and some local businessmen formed the Bennett Building Corporation in March 1923 to build the present structure. They hired the architecture firms Jensen &amp; Jensen and McDonald &amp; McDonald to design it, as well as a local building contractor. It was built with reinforced concrete and steel and wireglass was used in windows facing the alley and adjacent building. Inside, the building featured equipment for the doctors and dentists (including gas and compressed air), cold and hot water in every suite, two fast elevators, and restrooms on every floor. It appears that doctors and dentists occupied the building until the early 1990s. Plans to convert it into apartments fell through at that time but it seems the transition finally occurred in the early 2000s. Women doctors were rare in the country during the first half of the 20th century. Those women who did become working professionals usually left their chosen fields when they got married. However, this was not often the case for women doctors, who usually married men who supported them and championed women's causes in general. Bernice DeConly and Harriet S. Hamilton were both married (Hamilton's husband was a dentist who also worked in the building; it appears that Charlotte McCuskey was not married). Generally speaking, women in the early 1900s became doctors to raise the standard of living for families and communities. Osteopathy, which emphasizes the health of the body as a whole and not just a condition of disease, was a popular choice for women doctors, who also became pediatricians and obstetricians. McCoskey and DeConly were osteopaths; Hamilton was a regular physician. McCuskey operated her practice in the Bennett Building from 1925 to 1928. Hamilton also began hers in 1925 and left in 1933. DeConly operated her practice from 1927 to 1932.

The Bennett Building, which was built in 1924, is primarily significant for its ties to local women's history. Three women doctors—Charlotte McCuskey, Bernice DeConly and Harriet S. Hamilton—operated private practices in the building in the 1920s. During a time when society largely disapproved of women doctors, McCuskey, Hamilton, and DeConly represent the strides women made in the medical field in the early 1900s. The building is also significant as the work of two local architecture firms, which designed it in the Commercial style. Now an apartment building, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Bennett Building

A number of hotels in Council Bluffs preceded the Chieftain Hotel. One of the first was built in the 1870s by the Union Pacific Railroad, which had recently completed the eastern segment first Transcontinental Railroad. In the coming years, additional hotels were constructed. Some were two to three-stories tall and included dining rooms and other amenities. A new hotel called the Grand Hotel was built in 1891 to replace these hotels, which had become outdated. The Grand Hotel was designed be a showpiece. Six-stories tall, it boasted a glass-roofed hotel lobby, telegraph office, barber shop, cigar stand, dining room, and laundry room.Unfortunately, the Grand Hotel was destroyed by fire in 1926 but local boosters and the community were determined to build a new one. Not only was it a matter of civic pride, they wanted to compete with Omaha, which had grown larger than Council Bluffs by this time (Omaha also had built new hotels). When it was completed in 1927, the Chieftain featured a large ballroom, convention room, and five private dining rooms. By including these facilities, the hotel not only provided lodging to travelers, it also became a public gathering place. As a result, the hotel both fostered civic pride and promoted economic development. The Chieftain operated for several decades until it was converted into a residence for senior citizens and people with disabilities in the 1970s. It appears the building was rehabilitated again in the mid-2010s.

Now a residence for senior citizens and people with disabilities, the former Chieftain Hotel was built in 1927 and remains an important landmark in Council Bluffs. It represents the city's prosperity in the 1920s and the boosterism that supported local economic development in the early 19th century. The building is also significant for its design, which combines Classical Revival and Italianate architecture. Interesting elements include pilasters topped with capitals, and two large arched openings with Palladian windows and cast concrete panels featuring decorative urns, garlands, medallions, and torches. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Chieftain Hotel

The Council Bluffs Library building was erected in 1905. An elegant example of Beaux-Arts architecture, philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated $70,000 to the city for its construction. It is the largest Carnegie library in Iowa. It replaced the previous library which by the early 1900s had become too small. In 1902, one of the library trustees wrote to Carnegie after learning about Carnegie's interest in providing communities funds to build public libraries. Carnegie initially offered $50,000 but he increased the amount to $70,000 at the request of the city. In exchange, the city agreed to acquire a site for the library and pay $7,000 in taxes per year to maintain it. After a new library was built in 1998, the old library was renovated and converted into the museum. It opened on May 10, 2003 which was the 140th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The UP leases the building from the city and pays for the museum's operating expenses. An organization called the Friends of the Museum is responsible for running it. The museum is located in Council Bluffs because this is where the UP began building the railroad (i.e. Council Bluffs was the eastern terminus of the railroad). The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 for its Beaux-Arts architecture, its association with Carnegie, and its contribution towards the city's civic and educational development.

Housed in the former Council Bluffs Library building, this museum promotes the history and impact of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP), which was one of the three railroad companies that built the first Transcontinental Railroad (the other two were the Central Pacific and the Western Pacific Railroads). The UP is still in operation and is the second largest railroad company in the country. The museum offers three permanent exhibits: America Travels By Rail, The Lincoln Collection, and Building America. Building America tells the story of the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. The Lincoln Collection honors President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862 which authorized the construction of the transcontinental railroad. America Travels By Rail highlights the UP's passenger rail service from the 1930s to 1971. The museum hosts traveling exhibits as well.

Union Pacific Railroad Museum

The idea of rotating cage jails originated with Indianapolis's William H. Brown and Benjamin F. Haugh. While the design seemed like a good idea to support efficiency and control, the crank systems often failed. In the Squirrel Cage Jail, the 45-ton cage rested on a three-foot square base that shifted regularly, causing the gears to jam. As a result, prisoners could be trapped for long periods of time without food or water. Worse yet, prisoner arms and legs could easily be caught, leading to broken limbs when the cage rotated. In desperation to get out of their cells, prisoners sometimes resorted to sticking their limbs out on purpose so they would be taken to the infirmary. Some prisoners even died from the injuries that occurred while the cell was rotating. In short, the physical and psychological toll of cage jails was high. Another problem was that prisoners could not be easily separated, meaning that low-level offenders were imprisoned close to individuals convicted of serious crimes. Other problems included issues with sanitation and winter heating.The Squirrel Cage Jail operated until it was condemned by the county in 1969. The building was under threat of demolition, but the Historical Society of Pottawatomie County acquired the building and later converted it to a museum. Some of the cells contain mattresses, clothing and other items to give visitors a sense as to what the cells may have looked like when the jail was in operation. The building also had offices, a kitchen, and women's quarters. The other two remaining rotating jails are a one-story building in Gallatin, Missouri, and a two-story jail in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Known today as the Squirrel Cage Jail Museum, this former county jail is one of the most unique attractions in Iowa. In the 1880s, eighteen jails with rotating cages containing pie-shaped holding cells were erected around the country, including six in Iowa. The cages were made entirely of steel, had only one door, and were rotated by a hand crank. The Squirrel Cage Jail, which is the largest of the eighteen that were built, is the only one with a three-level cage. The jail's nickname was apparently inspired by its resemblance to an animal cage and the city's Black squirrels. The purpose of the jails was to increase security and cut operating expenses by employing just one jailer who could control each cell individually. However, the design was plagued with problems, including malfunctions that could make them dangerous to prisoners. Only a few of the rotating jails are still in existence, and this one is a museum operated by the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Squirrel Cage Jail Museum (Pottawattamie County Jail)

In 1867, a group of wealthy residents decided to establish a private school for young women. The group included General Grenville M. Dodge, who was the chief engineer of Union Pacific Railroad, pioneer settler Samuel Bayliss, and land speculator Thomas Tostevin. They thought such a school was more appropriate for upper class young women. In May the group signed a contract with Reverend Little, who agreed to pay $4,000 of his own money to build the school. The group agreed to pay the rest of the cost. Classes began that fall in the sanctuary of the Presbyterian Church and remained there until the school building was completed in November. The classes taught included vocal and instrument music, gymnastics, and penmanship.It appears that the school was run well but Reverend Little had difficulty in obtaining the payments he was promised to build the school. The board of trustees told him on January 1, 1870 that he would not longer receive payments. In response, he closed the school and sued the trustees for the money they owed him. It doesn't appear he received the money but he did obtain the title to the property. However, instead of reopening the school, Little sold it to banker James F. Evans and moved to Nebraska to work as a missionary. Evans, who was one of the town's leading bankers and financiers, converted the school into a single-family house. He served as president of First National Bank, invested in a grain purchasing firm run by two brothers, and, in the 1880s, became a main partner in a flour mill. The Evans family lived in the house until 1898. The next owner, Rodney Tyler, lived in the house until 1907. Tyler was also a partner in the mill and he eventually bought it. He became a leading street railway developer in Council Bluffs as well. A few years after he sold the house it was converted into apartments. When it became an office building is unclear.

This attractive building was home to a short-lived women's school called Reverend Little's Young Ladies Seminary. It was founded by Presbyterian minister George Little in 1867 and operated until 1870. Designed in the Italianate style, the former school features a wraparound porch with decorative columns and spindle work, brick corner quoins, a cornice with carved wooden brackets, and cast iron window sills. The building now houses law offices. It was added to the National Register in 1982.

Reverend Little's Young Ladies Seminary

In 1869, Dodge built his handsome Victorian home at 605 Third Street 
at the cost of $35,000, which was a&nbsp; lavish sum at that time. The house was 
designed by William Boyington, a Chicago architect. General Dodge was deeply involved in the planning and building of his
 home, making several modifications, such as central heating and hot and
 cold running water. Despite the home's elegant appointments, it is important to remember that it was built on what was essentially the frontier. During his lifetime, he engaged in the mercantile business, organized a 
bank, surveyed the Missouri River Valley to the West for the 
Transcontinental Railroad, served a term in the U.S. Congress, and 
served with distinction in the Civil War, attaining the rank of Major 
General. Although, Grenville Dodge achieved fame, fortune and historic importance by being a renowned railroad builder, it is said that he was the youngest General in the US Army until WWII.

Perhaps one of Council Bluffs' most famous residents, General Grenville M. Dodge has been called "the greatest railroad builder of all time." A Civil War officer, Dodge's involvement in political, financial and military affairs made him an associate of many of the most influential Americans of his time and counsel to presidents, including Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. The Grenville M. Dodge House was his home. It is now open to the public as a museum. 

Council Bluffs Iowa Walking Tour

St. Peter's Catholic Church

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information