Historic US highway endpoints in Council Bluffs, IA
Photo credits: Jeff
Morrison; me
Additional research: Jeff
Morrison; Neil
Bratney
| Highway | Approx. time period |
|---|---|
| US 32 | 1926-1932 |
| US 34 | 1926-1935 |
| US 275 | 1932-1939 |
Here's a scan of an old map of Council Bluffs, showing all the US routes that ever ended there:
Standard
Oil, c. 1932
That's the perfect map for this discussion, as Jeff's research indicates that November 1931 was the only month that Council Bluffs was served by both US 32 and US 275. The road coming in from the north and going off to the left is US 30/US 75, or Broadway. The alignments of these roads have changed quite a lot over the years, and the junction where US 32 ended no longer exists. Also, neither US 30 nor US 75 come through here now - but US 6 does. The shot below is looking west on US 6, or Kanesville Boulevard:
Morrison, June 2003
This segment of road (on this side of the traffic signal) didn't exist during the time when US 32 came through here. The cars at far right are at what is today the south end of North Broadway. But originally that was just "Broadway", and the road used to make a gentle curve away from the camera at this point, continuing straight ahead on Broadway. That was the routing of old US 30/US 75. US 32 came in from the left, following roughly the same line as today's pedestrian overpass, ending off to the right of the photo, at the intersection with North Broadway. The photo below is looking south on North Broadway:
Morrison, June 2003
That was US 30/US 75, which continued by curving to the right on Broadway. Right about here, to the left on Oak Street was the west beginning of US 32.
Meanwhile, from Glenwood IA, instead of crossing the Missouri to Plattsmouth NE (as it does today), US 34 headed north and west (along what later became US 275) toward Council Bluffs. While today US 275 turns west to cross the Missouri via the South Omaha Bridge, both it and US 34 used to continue north of there, on what is now called Harry Langdon Blvd, or "Old Highway 375". The routes terminated at their junction with Broadway - which used to carry US 6, but before that was both US 75 and US 30, and even before that, the Lincoln Highway. Here's a shot showing that endpoint:
me,
Aug. 2005
That's looking north on Main; Broadway is the cross street. The white car is at the former end of US 34 and US 275. The photo below is looking east on Broadway:
me,
Aug. 2005
That was eastbound US 30/northbound US 75. To the right was the beginning of US 34 and US 275.