Howdy, To continue with "jumping-off -places" of our overland emigrants, let's move up the Missouri River from the Independence/St.Jo area to Iowa. Above the intersection of the Platte and a few miles east of the Missouri River, tucked away in the Iowa bluffs lays Kanesville. The Mormons founded the town in 1846. First named Miller's Hollow, it was renamed for a Colonel Thomas KANE - a national political figure. Later, in 1853( I think), it was formally named Council Bluffs, even though many had called it that for years. Editor Robert Manley in "The Overland Diary of Edgar Reynolds 1852" states: "In 1849 George JEWETT wrote in his diary that Kanesville was 'situated 3 miles from the Missouri in a deep hollow at the bluff. Scrubby town of some 80 or 100 log cabins containing 4 or 5 stores doing at this time a good trade.'" On May 14th, 1850, Diarist Byron N. McKINSTRY(whose diary book listmember Cindy/LadyBug just snailed me) writes,"I went to Kanesville today to get our supplies. They are full of business buying and selling. You can scarcely get through the streets for the crowd(This book's annotator, Bruce L. McKinstry, states that Kanesville occupied what is now downtown Council Bluffs. And that a downtown Council Bluffs hotel, in 1975 at least, had a mural based on the layout of the town's original settlement.) Diarist Lucy Ruthledge COOKE in her "Crossing the plains in 1852, writes on May 2, 1852: "Well, there are not nearly so many teams camped around[Kanesville] as I expected to find. But they say more than half were here are now gone out, but fresh ones are coming all the time, giving the town an appearance of a country fair. This Kanesville is a poor little mean place{:-)))] Returning to editor Manley: "Thomas TURNBULL arrived in Kanesville on May 10, 1852, just a few days after Edgar Reynolds and... observed that Kanesville consisted of small log houses 'Shingled and covered with mud.' Although the town was not impressive, the streets were filled with people. 'Such a rush of waggons & Horses & Cattle & Mules' he had never seen 'in the old country.'". Another in 1852, not unlike diarist Lucy Cooke, cynically wrote,"Went down to the City of Kanesville and a great place it is, not worth anything except it be for making money out of the emigrants." On May 13, 1852, "The Frontier Guardian & Iowa Sentinel"( Kanesville/Council Bluffs?) published this article: "EMIGRATION "Our town is literally crowded with emigrants from all parts of the Globe, who are wending their way to California, Oregon and Utah. "There has[sic] many hundreds crossed the Missouri River, on their way already, and are crossing continually at the different ferries. Our Ferries are supplied with good boats, and the boats well manned, and they are prepared to cross any number of teams that may come her to make their outfit. "Our merchants are also well supplied with Groceries, Provisions, and Dry Goods, suitable for the trip, all of which are sold at low prices[:-)] "Come one, come all, and we can accommodate you in any way to suit you. There is still enough in store for you. There are several thousands of strangers in and about our town; all peaceable and quiet." NOTE: Yesterday, I posted a query about the "general registry" of overland emigrants maintained by Kanesville/Council Bluffs newspaper,"The Frontier Guardian & Iowa Sentinel" starting either in 1850 or 1852. Later yesterday, Listmember Jimbo Smith wrote that among the references used by Rasmussen in his Wagon Train Book: was "Frontier Guardian (Kanesville, IA) - 26 refs." Oh, well, I figured as much. But at least now we're sure:-) Yep, I reversed the order of my promised postings - now on to 1860, Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>