Cold Springs As a Place Mormons Stayed in Nebraska 1846

 When my wife visited with a member of the stake presidency, Papillion Stake, we got on the name of our ward, Cold Springs.  He indicated the name came by inspiration as they weren't sure what it meant.  Only later did they discover the significance in LDS history.  He indicated that Cold Spring is off of 36th in Bellevue.  The book "Mormons on the Missouri" by Richard E. Bennett mentions Cold Spring as a place the Mormons stayed before arriving at Cutler's Park or Winter Quarters.  The book I read about Omaha Chief Big Elk mentioned Mormon Hollow as a place the Mormons had stayed.  Mormon Hollow extended from the Missouri River up the Hollow for a mile or so.  (The river has shifted so the hollow no longer starts at the river.  If these are the same place I do not think so.  I am not familiar with a spring in Mormon Hollow.

The actual location of Cold Spring is uncertain but it was on Petit Papio Creek.  It is also called Butterfly Bluff.  

What is certain is both these areas were considered to be too confining to accommodate all the Saints who were on the west bank of the Missouri.  A better situation had to be found.  A place was found, Cutler's Park, named for the person who found it.  there as more room, good grass and plentiful water so the Saints moved to this location, and then to Winter Quarters when the Otoe said the land was theirs and approved suitable for the Mormons to stay.  It was too far from the river.  They subsequently moved the entire group of Saints on the West side of the river to Winter Quarters before winter set in.  This was on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River.

With regards to Cold Springs this is what the Bennett book says in the notes. "The precise location of the Cold Springs encampment is uncertain.  Some contemporary writers said is was 13 miles from Mosquito Creek while others claimed it was only four miles from Council Point. See Heber C. Kimball journal, 13 July 1846 and journal of Horace K. Whitney 21 October 1846.  A consensus estimate would place it four miles from the west bank landing in present Omaha, Nebraska.  Gail Holmes contends in was on the Little Pappio Creek just north of Interstate 80 and near the corner of 61st and Patterson street in Omaha.  (61st and Patterson are south of the freeway.)  See Gail George Holmes, "Winter Quarters Revisited--Untold Stories of the Seven-Year Stay of Mormons in the Missouri Valley 1846-1853," 19-20 and Holmes's leaflet "Historic Mormon Sites to Visit in Greater Omaha--Council Bluffs."

My feeling is there may be some confusion because Bellevue carried the name Council Bluffs, at least the Council Bluffs Indian Agency until 1853 when Council Bluffs, Iowa took the name.  If this is the case, then the 35th street location is very probable.  It is about five miles east of downtown Bellevue.  Papillion Creek aka Little Papio Creek crosses 36th about where Marcus Theater is located.  There are also several springs in the area.  Two Springs park is about three miles south.

Mormon Hollow

This is the Two Springs Area in Bellevue