In 1880 the site that was to become Glenwood City was a tranquil "glen" (valley) in the midst of huge forests. By 1885-1890 with the coming of the railroad and the lumber mills, Glenwood was the major trading center of the area with a population of 2000. In the late 1890s, the forests were depleted and the area transformed into farming, which exists to this day.