Grant Wood's Early Days of Kanesville Mural

Created by renowned Iowa artist Grant Wood, best known for American Gothic, Early Days of Kanesville is a monumental mural depicting the early history of Council Bluffs. Commissioned in 1927 for the Hotel Chieftain, the 19-foot-by-6-foot artwork was based on sketches and paintings by George Simons, the first artist to document life in Kanesville and the Missouri River Valley during the 1850s. After decades of preservation and restoration efforts, the mural found its permanent home at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, where it is displayed in the Anne and John P. Nelson Gallery. The artwork offers visitors a rare opportunity to experience an original Grant Wood masterpiece while exploring the people, landscapes, and stories that shaped early Council Bluffs. The mural is displayed alongside Wood's Corn Room mural, creating one of the most significant collections of Grant Wood artwork in western Iowa.