Mr & Mrs John Bregant were “little people”. Mrs. Bregant had been a dancer and singer as Inez Lewis, her maiden name while Mr. Bregant was a comedian and vaudeviller performer, performing in Europe as Prince Colibri, a name given him by his manager. Together they were known as the “Candy Kids” and toured the country advertising and selling the candy products of the John G. Woodward company. They retired to Council Bluffs and had a home built to their proportions on 4th Street.
Orson Hyde was the first civic leader of Kanesville from 1847 to 1853. He was an imaginative leader who lead the pioneers to build schools, churches, civic organizations and governments for Kanesville. His influence spread to the establishment of eighty other communities in the surrounding area.
William Kinsman, Col, in the Iowa 23rd, was out ahead of his men in the battle at Big Black River in the Civil War, waving his sword, when he went down. Brigadier General Michael Lawler, later recalled: “Struggling to his feet, he staggered a few paces to the front, cheered forward his men, and fell again, this time to rise no more, pierced through by a second ball.” (from Time-Life’s The Civil War – War on the Mississippi). A monument to Col. Kinsman is at the top of the hill in Fairview Cemetery. It is surrounded by four Civil War cannon and the graves of Civil War veterans.
Daniel Miller was a hard working pioneer who helped build Kanesville. He and his brother, Henry, who were inseparable, not only built the historic Kanesville Tabernacle but helped in establishing many other communities throughout the west.
Henry Miller – Brigham Young, in December of 1847, asked Henry Miller to construct a building large enough to hold the first solemn assembly held in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Henry, with the help of 200 men, built the Kanesville Tabernacle in three weeks. This log structure would hold 1,000 people and has been called “the largest log building every built.”
Brigham Young was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) during the beginning of Kanesville. The Kanesville Tabernacle was constructed in December of 1847 for the sole purpose of conducting a Solemn Assembly to pass the mantle of authority, onto Brigham Young to become the second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because of his leadership in moving thousands of Mormons to the Salt Lake Valley and establishing hundreds of communities, he is considered by today’s historians as a modern-day Moses.
