Cemeteries

Council Bluffs' two historic cemeteries date back to the mid-1800s.

Fairview Cemetery - Lafayette and N. 2nd. Street

The oldest known burial at this site was in 1826, well before the area was officially designated as "Fairview Cemetery" in 1846. The cemetery is located at the top of Oakland Avenue and Lafayette and includes Mormon pioneer graves, Kinsman War Memorial, and the resting site of Amelia Bloomer (the suffragette credited with promoting the wearing of "bloomers").

Other notable graves include:

  • Francis Guittar, the first permanent white settler on Traders Point, about eight miles south of Council Bluffs. Guittan came to Traders Point in 1824.

  • Mrs. Caroline Pace, who rode the first locomotive to come into Council Bluffs on January 17, 1867.

  • John Clausen, who built his home on Council Bluffs first building site. His home replaced a stockade and blockhouse at what is now Pierce Street and Franklin Avenue.


Clark Cemetery - off Franklin Ave. near Bennett

Algernon Sidney Bonham purchased what he thought was 120 acres from Edwin Clark in 1860. The property, located off Franklin Ave. near Bennett, overlooks Mosquito Creek to the east.

A survey revealed that the property Bonham had purchased was really 121 acres. Clark and Bonham decided to make the extra acre into a cemetery. They flipped a coin to decide whose name the cemetery would bear, and Clark won. The road nearby the cemetery was named for Bonham (Bonham Ave.)

Clark Cemetery has approximately 94 graves. Historical searches (in progress) could reveal more.


For Cemetery Informationincluding locations of specific plots, other historical figures, and new burials, contact the City Clerk's office at (712) 328-4616. To report vandalism or maintenance requests, contact Parks and Recreation at (712) 328-4650.
© Copyright 2008 City of Council Bluffs, Iowa, All rights reserved.