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    Carroll County Freedom Rock

    5.0 (1 review)

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    Black Angel Statue

    Black Angel Statue

    4.5(2 reviews)
    60.3 miCouncil Bluffs

    This is a very simple statement of one family and specifically 2 people Granville Dodge and his…read morewife. The description above does a very good job of telling you what to see. During the summer it is a fountain, although the city has been having problems with the piping and it seems to off frequently. If you take the time to stand or sit by the edge of the fountain there is a quiet presence. That it is even here is a story because when the next generations of the Dodge family left Council Bluffs the stature was dismantled and stored in their basement. Many years later when the property was bought with the intent of restoring it to its original look the statue was found. Eventually, a suitable location was found to place it. A personal side note because I live only a few houses from the angel. While they deny it now the Angel goes through stages of legends being told by the kids nearby. She is said to talk or move possibly even cry at certain times of the year. Full moons and Halloween are considered prime times. None of us can verify if any of the legends are true but I know of several 'now adults' who visited the Angel when they were kids usually without their parent's knowledge or approval.

    Yes I'm reviewing another cemetery. My friend has a thing for these black angels scattered through…read moreIowa so we found another one (I previously reviewed one in Iowa City). Locally known in Council Bluffs as the "Black Angel," this statue was inspired by visions experienced by Ruth Anne Dodge, the wife of General Dodge, in 1916 on the three nights preceding her death. This memorial sculpture, dedicated in 1920, represents a dream experienced by Ruth Anne Dodge. The angel, on the prow of a boat, extends her hand and offers the water of life. The solid bronze statue, commissioned by the Dodges' two daughters, was created by Daniel Chester French who call the Black Angel one of his finest works. French is known nationally for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. According to the legend, Mrs. Dodge related to family members that she had a vision of being on a rocky shore and, through a mist, seeing a boat approach. In the prow was a beautiful young woman whom Mrs. Dodge thought to be an angel. The woman carried a small bowl under one arm and extended the other arm toward Mrs. Dodge in an invitation to partake of the water flowing from the vessel. Then, according to accounts later published by Mrs. Dodge's daughter, Anne, the angel spoke twice, saying: "Drink, I bring you both a promise and a blessing." The daughter wrote that the vision came three times to her mother and, on the third visit, Mrs. Dodge took the drink as offered and felt "transformed into a new and glorious spiritual being." Mrs. Dodge died immediately after her supposed third vision, on September 5, 1916. She had died in her sleep at her home in New York. Her body was brought back to Council Bluffs where she was buried in a mausoleum in Walnut Hill Cemetery. The memorial was commissioned in 1917 to Daniel Chester French, the same man who sculpted the statue of the Minute Man in Concord, Massachusetts and the Lincoln Memorial Statue in Washington DC. The ten foot tall angel statue is made of solid bronze. The construction of the statue took approximately two years, and the cost of the statue was reported at around $40,000. Council Bluffs began its fine military record during the Civil War when, in 1861, the attack on Fort Sumter brought four companies of the town's volunteers to the famed Fourth Iowa Infantry. In command was Captain Grenville M. Dodge, later promoted to Colonel, then General. As the War ended, Dodge returned to the Bluffs, built an impressive home on Third Street for his wife, Ruth Anne, and family, and took a job as surveyor and chief engineer for the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. Four years prior to the War, Abraham Lincoln, in a personal visit, had designated Council Bluffs as the eastern terminus for this first transcontinental line. Dodge later built railroads all over the world and was president of seven of them before he died. Grenville's daughters, Anne Dodge and Eleanor Dodge Pusey, commissioned and contributed this city's most valuable work of art in memory of their mother, Ruth Anne Dodge. Located very near to the cemetery where The Black Angel is located, is a monument marking the spot where Abe Lincoln selected this as the terminus of The Union Pacific Railroad. This impressive pylon was erected in July, 1911 and commemorates Abraham Lincoln's visit to the site in 1859. From this site, Lincoln viewed and selected the Eatern Terminus of the first transcontinental railroad built on the United States.

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    Black Angel Statue
    Black Angel Statue
    Black Angel Statue

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    The Durham Museum

    The Durham Museum

    4.4(157 reviews)
    64.0 mi
    Established in 1975
    Free estimates

    The Durham Museum is in the old Union Station. I'm glad they were able to preserve the building…read morebecause it really is spectacular. There are many permanent displays about Omaha history, and there are train cars you can walk through; enthusiastic docents are often there to answer any questions. There are temporary exhibits here as well, and in the summers they will have something cool that the whole family will enjoy. There are lots of programs here, many of them free with admission or membership. I do recommend getting a membership if you think you might want to come at least a couple times in a year. And you probably will want to! There is a soda fountain/snack bar area. The ice cream is great! The food is okay. It's a museum and not a lunch destination. The museum is located right next to Omaha's Old Market.

    This was my second time visiting The Durham Museum, and it continues to impress. My first visit was…read moreduring a free event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and this most recent trip was with a group for the "Negro Motorist Green Book" exhibit. From start to finish, the experience was excellent. The museum provided discounted tickets for our nonprofit group, communicated clearly throughout the planning process, and had a tour guide ready who found us right away. That level of organization and customer care made a big difference. The exhibit itself was powerful and deeply educational, highlighting the history of the Green Book and the realities African American travelers faced during segregation. Through artifacts, photographs, and personal stories, it sparked meaningful conversations--especially among our younger visitors. I also really appreciate the museum's intentionality around inclusivity and programming. You can feel that it's a space designed to educate and welcome a wide range of audiences. The museum itself is on the smaller side, with exhibits primarily on the lower level, which actually made it manageable for our group to move through at different paces. My kids love the super long train you can walk through and the nearby play area. Practical perks matter too--there's plenty of parking (a huge plus), and they even offer umbrella strollers to borrow, which is incredibly thoughtful for families. Overall, a meaningful, well-run experience that I would absolutely recommend--whether you're visiting on your own, with family, or as part of a group.

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    The Durham Museum
    The Durham Museum
    The Durham Museum

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    The Bridges of Madison County

    The Bridges of Madison County

    4.9(12 reviews)
    66.6 mi

    We visited the bridges of Madison County entirely by accident during the Covered Bridge Festival…read more That just happened to be the time that we were driving through the area and we honestly had no idea until we arrived. I honestly think the timing kind of put a damper on our experience. Instead of being able to take in the bridges quietly and enjoy this scenery, there were people everywhere including loud groups and dust was getting kicked up on us constantly. It was really difficult to find parking and there was just a general sense of disturbance of the piece and the beauty of the nature surrounding us. It was also virtually impossible to get any good photographs. I know we've come a long way and our phones can remove a person or two from a picture, but crowds of people make it much more difficult. After the first few Bridges, we figured if our visit was going to be disturbed in this way, we might as well balance things out by checking out the main festival in winterset. Unfortunately, when we arrived we realized that dogs are not allowed even though it's an outdoor fair. That made it even more frustrating because we couldn't even enjoy some kennel corn to make up for the overcrowded bridge visits. All that said, the bridges themselves are still really lovely and historical and I can see why this area is loved and that people would come from all around to celebrate the bridges. I would still recommend coming to take a look at them, but definitely to avoid the festival weekend if you're looking for a more peaceful, reflective experience.

    I took a tour through the chamber of commerce and had Jewel as my tour guide. She was very…read moreinformative and fun to be around. I loved all of the history that she shared with me and all of the personal stories in between. Highly recommend!

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    The Bridges of Madison County
    The Bridges of Madison County
    The Bridges of Madison County

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    Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge

    Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge

    4.8(5 reviews)
    67.2 mi

    Constructed in 1870 by Eli Cox, this 79 foot long timber town lattice truss covered bridge is the…read moresecond oldest of the six surviving in Madison County. Originally traversing the North River, in 1979 it was moved to its present location inside Winterset City Park. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. There is ample parking, and access to the park is paved. We recommend a visit at the peak of fall foliage, when the park is breathtaking.

    As an avid amateur photographer and Iowa native... How can you not make the hop, skip, and a jump…read moredown (over or up) to explore the covered bridges of Madison County...? Here's a secret. I've never seen the movie or read the book, but I did run into Clint Eastwood and his entourage back in the day (1995ish). We weren't able to get too close though. Lol The covered bridges take you back to a much simpler time. When people and cars just weren't as complicated as they are now. The construction of each one seems to be a little unique and diffent from the next. It's too bad that they have been plagued by graffiti artists, people who can't seem to leave things as they find them, and even arson over the years. If you live within a decent driving distance you can experience the bridges in all the seasons. It might sound a little silly, but as a photographer sometimes a few months can make a world of differece in your pictures...sometimes even days. While there is curb appeal to all the bridges Roseman is probably my personal favorite. The Roseman bridge location also has a nice little gift shop you can stop at to take home a momento of your visit (open May 1st through the end of October). Don't miss the shopping opportunities in downtown Winterset. Expect to get dusty, as most of the bridges are on gravel roads, and enjoy your visit!

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    Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge - Entrance to the bridge

    Entrance to the bridge

    Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge
    Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge

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    Carroll County Freedom Rock - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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