OAKLAND

Oakland, formerly known as Big Grove, is located on the east bank of the West Nishnabotna, and is the center of a rich and extensive section of country. It is one of the most prominent points on the Avoca & Southwestern Railroad, being about twelve miles south of Avoca, and about twenty six miles north of Hastings.

Though it is comparatively a new town, it would require twenty five years to make some of our western towns so interesting and picturesque in their natural aspects. It is a natural forest town. At this part of the Nishnabotna Valley there are forests of oak, walnut, hickory, and other hard wood trees, some of them being miles across. The time is not far back when those forests were the hunter's paradise, being filled with deer, turkeys, and other game; but it is now almost impossible to get out of sight and hearing of scenes and sounds of human industry.

Oakland is located near the center of one of these great forests -- the timberbelt extending for quite a distance east of the town and westward to the banks of the Nishnabotna. It is built upon what had formerly been a heavily wooded plateau, and in laying out and grading the streets ranks of beautiful and symetrically shaped trees were left standing at regular intervals, and some lovely parks have also been laid out by cutting away the undergrowth and leaving the more stately trees standing -- so that now, although one of the youngest of the western towns, Oakland boasts a display of forest scenery as grand and interesting as the old historic towns of Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut. The poet's expression, "Sweet village of the plain," came involuntarily to our mind when we first looked down upon the thrifty place, with its bright new business houses and cottage homes nestled among the grand old native trees.

John T. Baldwin, the well known capitalist of Council Bluffs, is the founder of Oakland, and a brief review of the many natural advantages of the location -- of Oakland's present prosperity and prospective importance -- will show that in this venture, Mr. Baldwin has evinced the same remarkable business sagacity which seems to unfailingly carry him to success in all enterprises he projects and carries forward. First, it is one of the best stock raising districts of Iowa; next, it is unrivaled as a grain and fruit region; then it is a well watered and well timbered section; and it commands and will continue to command the trade of the rich heart and center of Pottawattamie county; and a glance at our map will show that it must some time in the future, and probably at no very distant day, be itself a county seat.

Increasing in population as Council Bluffs is, and the entire western half of Pottawattamie County, the time must soon come when few in the three tier of townships next to the Missouri River would object to having the four eastern tiers set apart into an independent county organization. This will undoubtedly be done; and then Oakland will be the geographical and business and population center of the new organization.

Mr. Baldwin is offering rare inducements to all who choose to locate in Oakland; those desiring business or residence sites there will not fail to get satisfactory terms from him. He has donated much valuable property for the moral and commercial advancement of the place -- having recently given an eligible piece of ground for a church and parsonage, and made other donations for the religious advancement of the place. There are now about thirty business houses in Oakland, and the population is rapidly increasing.

[1880-81 City Directory, Submitted by Darlene Vergamini]