Accidentally Historic

Accidentally Historic

Historical Society of Pottawattamie County

Episodes 36
Avg. Duration 21m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (13)
Since Sep 2019
Latest Episode Mar 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Months
Format
Episodic
Consistency
42%
Hosting
feeds.simplecast.com

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About This Podcast

Council Bluffs’ location has put the town into contact with a lot of history. Lewis and Clark and the Mormon pilgrims came through, as did the westbound pioneers on the Oregon and California Trails. Abraham Lincoln designated the town as milepost zero for the transcontinental railroad. The first coast-to-coast automobile trip passed through and later the first transcontinental highway. Council Bluffs was the birthplace of Omaha and first war-time mobile hospital. It also boasted the state’s first nursing school and FM radio station as well as the largest rotary cell jail ever built. This all created a lot of what we call history-- but at the time it wasn’t intended that way at all. It was just normal people finding innovative ways to solve problems, inventing the future one day at a time. And that has made for some really interesting tales that we intend to explore in this podcast series.

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Recent Episodes

From the Bahnsen Burner to the Don Chandler Rule

Mar 21, 2026 34m

The Iowa West Foundation recently launched a program to celebrate some of the athletes from Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County who have achieved national recognition in various sports.…

Invisible Excellence- WWI Armistice Signed, Unit K/Mobile One Returns Home

Jan 17, 2026 35m

The sixth and final episode of our “Invisible Excellence” podcast series sees Council Bluffs Unit K’s remarkable wartime experience finally reaching its end.  Titled “The WWI Armistice Signed, Unit…

Some Council Bluffs Mysteries

Oct 23, 2025 18m

This 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…

Fright for a Fee- Fifty Years of Omaha Council Bluffs Haunted Houses

Oct 14, 2025 26m

Seasonal haunted houses appeared on the local scene about fifty years ago, initially fund raisers for a variety of groups and causes.  Youth For Christ, Campus Life, March of Dimes, the Jaycees, and…

Invisible Excellence- A Difficult and Dangerous Drive Toward the Front

Sep 24, 2025 29m

This installment finds Unit K/Mobile One being stationed ever closer to the perilous European front, with its attendant danger and devastation.   For example, during this episode, in two different…

Philosophy of the American West

Aug 10, 2025 29m

Is the American West a physical place or the concept of interacting with the wilderness and taming the land?  Better represented by John Wayne winning the West and settling down living happily ever…

Invisible Excellence-Heightened Intensity: More Postings, More Patients

Jul 14, 2025 30m

This is episode Four of the Invisible Excellence podcast series.  It takes the listener right into the operating tents of the Army’s first ever battlefield hospital that actually moved long the front…

Invisible Excellence- Mobile 1 Logistics, staffing and 1st Wartime Experience

Mar 04, 2025 28m

The 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…

Amelia Bloomer- Crusading for Rights and Temperance from Council Bluffs

Feb 12, 2025 27m

Amelia Bloomer was born in New York but spent most of her adult life in Council Bluffs.  Her name is associated with a garment worn by women and women’s rights, but there’s a lot more to the story…

Invisible Excellence- Unit K/Mobile 1 WWI Operations in France

Jan 04, 2025 26m

This episode continues the story of Mobile Hospital No, 1, also known as Unit K or the Council Bluffs Unit in World War I. In this episode writer/researcher Brian Mainwaring recounts events such as…

Invisible Excellence- Creation of Mobile Hospital #1

Sep 16, 2024 26m

It 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…

Black Squirrels of the Bluffs

May 17, 2024 11m

In 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…

Ruffles to Reubens- Foods From the Metro

Jun 27, 2023 19m

Questions and comments are always welcome.  Here’s link: https://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/contact-us.html

A Legacy of Regret

Mar 29, 2023 20m

Things out of history aren’t always what they appear. Historic figures that seem good or bad were actually every bit as complicated as we are. Even statues and monuments may have been designed to…

Loess Hills- A Grape Grower's Dream

Mar 20, 2023 22m

This 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.…

The Mobster and the Metro

Nov 22, 2022 10m

Comments and questions are always welcome.  Contact the Historical Society at [email protected].  If you are interested in Council Bluffs history be sure to check our our local…

It’s History that Makes us Human

Oct 24, 2022 23m

Kat Slaughter is Museums Director for the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County.  She studied at the University of Wyoming, graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree of History and…

Lost Restaurants of Omaha

Oct 01, 2022 17m

The book "Lost Restaurants of Omaha" is available at The Bookworm at 2501 S. 90th in Omaha as well as Barnes & Noble at Oak View.Stay up-to-date on restaurants and things to do in the area by…

Kanesville Kollectibles

Aug 27, 2022 21m

Kanesville Kollectibles is located at 530 South 4th Street in Council Bluffs, Iowa.Website: kanesvillekollectibles.com

The Fastest Men in the World

Aug 11, 2022 7m

If getting there is good, getting there faster is even better, right? That seems to be the conventional wisdom, as machines are pushed to and nudged beyond their limits. It takes some brave people…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Accidentally Historic have?

Accidentally Historic has published 36 episodes since September 2019, covering topics in History.

Is Accidentally Historic still active?

Accidentally Historic is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 months. Average episode length is 21m.

How do I contact Accidentally Historic for sponsorship or guest appearances?

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