Perhaps the most intriguing part of the history of Cedar Falls during the Civil War is the town itself. When one considers the plight of a town during the Civil War it is often a southern one. The only exceptions would be the nation's capital, Washington, D. C., and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This is because, with the exception of Gettysburg, most of the major battles of the war were fought on southern soil. However, this does not mean that northern towns were not affected by the war. In fact, many northern towns became deeply involved in the war effort, and Cedar Falls was no exception. Cedar Falls did much to contribute to the war effort by sending her young men off to fight. But it is important to note that Cedar Falls was affected by the war in a number of other ways.

One of the more positive effects the war had on Cedar Falls was that it helped Cedar Falls to grow. "The war, in fact, helped boost Iowa's farm economy . . . Cedar Falls, the railhead of the Cedar Valley, became a leading town in Northeast Iowa." (12) This boost in economy was a plus for Cedar Falls.

There had been about 1,500 people in Cedar Falls when the Pioneer Greys boarded the cars for war in 1861; by the end of 1863 the population had grown to almost 2,400. There had been 272 new buildings erected since 1861: private dwellings, stores, churches, warehouses, barns, and stables. (13)

These increases played a major part in the development of Cedar Falls both during and after the war. The railhead was a reason that Cedar Falls was actually able to prosper during the war. "As it was the railhead for the entire Cedar Valley, most of the produce and the troops from the valley came through Cedar Falls." (14) Unfortunately, wartime inflation negated much of the profits made, but Cedar Falls did better than many other towns in Iowa during the war.