It early became a trading centre of importance, well known as an outfitting point for miners and other emigrants to the Rocky Mountain region and the Pacific coast.
Before 1850 it was practically the exclusive eastern terminus on the river for the Santa Fe trade, 2 and a great outfitting point for Californian emigrants.
During 1849-1850 Council Bluffs became an important outfitting point for California gold seekers - the goods being brought by boat from Saint Louis - and in 1853 it was incorporated as a city.
The gold excitement of 1849 and the following years was the source of the city's first prosperity: the Mormons did not attempt to do any mining - Brigham Young counselled them not to abandon agriculture for prospecting - but they made themselves rich by outfitting those of the gold-seekers who went to California overland and who stopped at the City of the Great Salt Lake, the westernmost settlement of any importance.
