The Pottawattamie County town of Crescent got its name because of the shape of the bluffs near the town site. First settled by Mormons in 1856, a prosperous future was anticipated due to its proximity to the Missouri River. The WPA Guide to Iowa, written in 1938, suggested the “town had ceased to grow” as businessmen decided to build in Council Bluffs instead of Crescent. While Crescent remains a small community in comparison to the county seat of Council Bluffs, it’s population (537) has more than doubled since the book was written.