From the 1882 & 1907 Pottawattamie County Histories
Crescent township was formed on February 12, 1853, from part of Rockford, by a petition signed by A. J. Williams and thirty-seven other citizens of the territory. The territory consisted of congressional township 76, range 42, and township 76, range 43, also a fractional part of township 76, range 44. This included its present territory as well as that of Hazel Dell and part of Norwalk. It was also ordered that an election for township officers be held at Crescent City in April 1857.
The first settlers were Mormons who came with the great exodus that halted at Council Bluffs, (IA) and overflowed into the adjacent territory.
FIRST EVENTS
- Settlers: David Wilding, Robert Kirkwood, William Strang, H. A. Terry, S. M. Hough, & Joseph McCoid, David Dunkle, Henry McMullen, Joseph E. Johnston, A. J. Williams, S. Eggleson, L. J. Goddard, A. M. Lewis, William Menary, L. O. Littlefield, Alexander R. Prentiss, Nelson Swanson, and O. H. Dutrow.
- Highway: From Crescent City to Council Bluffs, through the valley of the Little Pigeon. The first bridge was a crossing over the Little Pigeon
- School: September 1855; organized by Reuben Barton, David Dunkle, Wm. McMullen, Henry McMullen, and Solomon McMullen in the school township of Little Pigeon, district No. 7.
- Teacher: Sophronia E. Whitcomb
- Post office: 1856, April — At Ellisdale farm, two miles south of what was destined to be Crescent City.
- Postmaster: L. J. Goddard
- Newspapers: Rock Bottom and Crescent City Oracle
- Notable Citizens: H. A. Terry and Walter I. Smith
- Old Settlers: (of Crescent and Hazel Dell Townships) — W. C. McIntosh; A. B. Boren; C. G. McIntosh; William A. Reel and Perry Reel.