The purpose of the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County is to kindle and keep alive an active interest in state and local history. To accomplish this goal, the Society engages in a number of activities and programs, among which are:
PROMOTING interest in local history through publications, programs, observations, and pageants of early pioneer history via programs and displays ;
COLLECTING and preserving pamphlets, messages, genealogies, portraits, paintings, relics, manuscripts, letters, journals, surveys, field notes, and any and all articles and materials that may establish or illustrate the history of Pottawattamie County, the State of Iowa, or of adjoining states ;
SECURING, preserving, and publishing recollections and reminiscences of those who have taken part in or witnessed the growth of local communities ;
PROMOTING the education, presentation, and display of historical relics and sites by whatever means is available to the Society, including museums and other similar operations;
ASCERTAINING and marking historical sites;
PRESERVING public archives of counties, cities, and villages; and
WORKING with the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Iowa State Department of History and Archives, and with other agencies for the commemoration of historical events and preservation of historical records and the marking of historical sites.
The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County serves people of all ages from southwest Iowa and southeast Nebraska. The Society provides educational tours and programs for grade schools, middle schools, and high school students. Additionally, the Squirrel Cage Jail is part of many historical bus tours from around the country from as far away as South Carolina and Utah.
Interested in volunteering? Learn more!
Historical Society of
Pottawattamie County
County Seat Council Bluffs, Iowa