Kanesville Mormon Cemetery
1846-53
This historic cemetery of Kanesville (now Council Bluffs) was created as the resting place for the mortal remains of several hundred Mormon pioneers. From 1846 to 1853, thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) lived in this area as they prepared for the westward trek to Utah. Most of the early Mormon pioneers buried here died of disease, exposure, accidents, and other effects of the harsh frontier life. Their graves are at the high east end of the cemetery. Weather has destroyed all but a few of the headstones.
Other nearby monuments include a memorial to Abraham Lincoln, who came here in 1859 to examine a possible route for the intercontinental railroad. A few yards southeast of the cemetery is a memorial honoring Ruth Ann Dodge, wife of Grenville Dodge—chief engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad from Council Bluffs to Promontory, Utah. On the north edge of the cemetery is the Kinsmen Monument, which honors Iowa's Civil War dead. Chief Billy Caldwell and other Pottawatamie Indian veterans of [the] War of 1812 may be buried here also.
Erected
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Mormon Pioneer Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.
Location. 41° 16.075′ N, 95° 51.108′ W. Marker is in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in Pottawattamie County. Marker is at the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Lafayette Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Oakland Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Entrance to Fairview Cemetery, Council Bluffs IA 51503, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Abraham Lincoln's 1859 Visit (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Colonel William H. Kinsman (approx. 0.3 miles away); Spanish War Veterans (approx. 0.6 miles away); Mormon Trail (approx. 0.6 miles away); Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Council Bluffs Veterans Plaza (approx. 0.6 miles away); Council Bluffs Free Public Library (approx. 0.7 miles away); Grenville M. Dodge (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Council Bluffs.
Also see . . .
1. Pushing on to Zion: Kanesville, Iowa, 1846-1853 (Hartley). (Submitted on April 17, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
3. Fairview Cemetery, Council Bluffs IA. (Submitted on April 17, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 698 times since then and 117 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 17, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
