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About the Omaha, Nebraska Area EAST OMAHA Omaha is generally divided into five geographic areas: Downtown, Midtown, North Omaha, South Omaha and West Omaha. Omaha is generally divided into five geographic areas: Downtown, Midtown, North Omaha, South Omaha and West Omaha. Boundaries Due to the ever changing nature of the Omaha metro area, recognition of the boundaries of East Omaha has fluctuated through the years. Early reports about East Omaha identified it closely with the Union Pacific Railroad yards just north of downtown. The boundary moved north over the years, and today is loosely fixed along Florence Boulevard to the west, the Missouri River to the east, the Omaha Public Power District Plant to the north, and Carter Lake, Iowa to the south. Even these boundaries are in flux. The Omaha Chamber of Commerce has taken to referring to any area east of 72nd street as "east Omaha".[2]
The CB&Q railroad’s East Omaha Land Company was first formed in 1887 to develop land for homes and industrial uses. The Company spent a total of $300,000 clear low-lying land of willows and to grade streets before lots were offered for sale.[4] The company initially owned 1,000 acres (4.0 km2), rapidly increasing through further acquisition. In 1903 the East Omaha Land Company advertised East Omaha as "the manufacturing center of Omaha." Before the creation of Carter Lake, Iowa, the East Omaha community wrapped around a meander on the west bank of the Missouri River. In 1877, flooding caused the river to jump its banks and shortened the main stream. The meander became an oxbow lake, and residents on both sides of the river now found themselves on the right bank, attached to Nebraska. The area was home to "East Omaha Island", the "Florence Lake", and a number of icehouses on Carter Lake, which was then called Cut-Off Lake.[5] East Omaha once included all of Carter Lake, Iowa. Due to a flood that occurred in March 1877, the course of the Missouri River was redirected 1.25mi (2km) to the southeast. The remnants of the old river course became an oxbow-shaped lake, for which the Iowa town is named. After the river jumped its banks, a lengthy court case ensued. The Supreme Court of the United States held that the sudden change in the river's course did not change the original boundary. They ruled that the community to become known as Carter Lake was still part of Iowa. (Nebraska v. Iowa, 143 U.S. 359 (1892)). The Court delayed a final decree to allow Nebraska and Iowa to reach an agreement consistent with its holding, which they did. (145 U.S. 519 (1892)). Now, all roads into Carter Lake run through East Omaha and downtown Omaha. The largest single real estate deal in Nebraska up to 1890 is said to have occurred there. That year an unknown property in East Omaha was sold to the Omaha Bridge and Terminal company, a subsidiary of the Illinois Central, for nearly $700,000.[6] The south end of East Omaha was home to the Union Pacific Rail Yards, with one former hobo reporting that he tricked a railroad cop, also called "railroad dicks",[7] with his clothing, "“I even talked to a known bad dick in the yards in East Omaha, and he treated me like a brother while at the same time he was looking around for a hobo to arrest for trespassing on railroad property. I thought to myself, Good old clothes, a little deception is a wonderful thing."[8] "It has about 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) available... offers level ground... is dotted with trees... plentiful water supply. It is less than 3 miles (4.8 km) form the Downtown Post Office. A paved street (16th) already extends almost to the site and a new bridge across the Missouri River makes accessible from Iowa.[11]" At the turn of the century the area was home to numerous businesses important to Omaha's growth, with early examples including a hominy mill and a plaster mill.[12] The Carter White Lead Company built a large scale plant in East Omaha.[13] On its north edge, East Omaha was home to the Beechwood community. In 1948 the Beechwood School District joined Omaha Public Schools,[14] almost completely eliminating all traces of the Beechwood community. However, the community is still noted on maps.[15]
The Open Door Mission has been an Omaha institution since the 1950s. It relocated to 2706 North 21st Street East in 1986.[22] The USS Hazard is a former US warship permanently berthed at the Omaha Marina in East Omaha. She is maintained as a World War II museum and memorial. The Omaha Correctional Center, or OCC, is a medium/minimum security facility located on a 37-acre (150,000 m2) site in East Omaha, just south of Eppley Airfield.[23] Eppley Airfield serves as Omaha's primary airport, providing service throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A recent racial hate crime was the firebombing of "Bob's Grocery" store at 16th and Fort Streets has reignited concerns about potential racist elements. The store owner was Ethiopian, and a racist epithet was spray-painted on the building.[24] Bound and gagged, the store owner escaped uninjured; the building exploded and burnt to the ground. Police are investigating.
In 1979, the Omaha chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America held its first motorcycle show and swap meet at the Four "T" Service shop in East Omaha.[28]
Through the 1920s, East Omaha neighbors in the area around Carter Lake belonging to Iowa lacked the basic city services enjoyed by their fellow residents of Council Bluffs who lived east of the Missouri. Ironically, they were still subject to same city taxes. The community successfully seceded from Council Bluffs in the 1920s, intending to become part of Omaha. The Nebraska city didn't want to pay to extend sewers or water lines either. In 1930 Carter Lake was incorporated as its own municipality, still within the boundaries of the State of Iowa.
East Omaha was severely damaged by the Easter Sunday tornado of 1913, which destroyed many businesses and neighborhoods. When the tornado crossed 16th Avenue, the path extended from Binney Street on the south to Emmet Street on the north. The tornado devastated the Missouri Pacific roundhouse and went across Carter Lake and the East Omaha bottoms. When it crossed the lake the twister "sucked the water high into the air, a real water spout. The cottages along the lake were mostly destroyed, the Illinois Central trestle obliterated and scores of store buildings wrecked. At this point the width of the path is said to have been nearly half a mile wide."[32][33] As many as 1,000 people were displaced by a flood in 1943, which sent the Missouri River, Carter Lake, and the old Florence Lake into peoples' homes and businesses throughout East Omaha. One report states, "At Omaha, the river crested at 22.45 feet (6.84 m) and had a discharge of 200,000 cubic feet/second (89,760,000 gallons/minute). 3000 men helped fight the flood, but after a week, the River found a weak spot in the temporary dike and the battle was lost. 100 homes were flooded when the floodwater also breached a new dike at Locust Street. The industrial section on Grace Street was flooded, and businesses were closed several days. 1000 people were evacuated from Carter Lake and East Omaha as the old Lake Florence bed filled and inundated the airport with seven feet of water in 18 hours. One person was killed in Omaha and the damage estimate there was $1.4 million." Due to the ever changing nature of the Omaha metro area, recognition of the boundaries of East Omaha has fluctuated through the years. Early reports about East Omaha identified it closely with the Union Pacific Railroad yards just north of downtown. The boundary moved north over the years, and today is loosely fixed along Florence Boulevard to the west, the Missouri River to the east, the Omaha Public Power District Plant to the north, and Carter Lake, Iowa to the south. Even these boundaries are in flux. The Omaha Chamber of Commerce has taken to referring to any area east of 72nd street as "east Omaha".[2] History The CB&Q railroad’s East Omaha Land Company was first formed in 1887 to develop land for homes and industrial uses. The Company spent a total of $300,000 clear low-lying land of willows and to grade streets before lots were offered for sale.[4] The company initially owned 1,000 acres (4.0 km2), rapidly increasing through further acquisition. In 1903 the East Omaha Land Company advertised East Omaha as "the manufacturing center of Omaha." Before the creation of Carter Lake, Iowa, the East Omaha community wrapped around a meander on the west bank of the Missouri River. In 1877, flooding caused the river to jump its banks and shortened the main stream. The meander became an oxbow lake, and residents on both sides of the river now found themselves on the right bank, attached to Nebraska. The area was home to "East Omaha Island", the "Florence Lake", and a number of icehouses on Carter Lake, which was then called Cut-Off Lake.[5] East Omaha once included all of Carter Lake, Iowa. Due to a flood that occurred in March 1877, the course of the Missouri River was redirected 1.25mi (2km) to the southeast. The remnants of the old river course became an oxbow-shaped lake, for which the Iowa town is named. After the river jumped its banks, a lengthy court case ensued. The Supreme Court of the United States held that the sudden change in the river's course did not change the original boundary. They ruled that the community to become known as Carter Lake was still part of Iowa. (Nebraska v. Iowa, 143 U.S. 359 (1892)). The Court delayed a final decree to allow Nebraska and Iowa to reach an agreement consistent with its holding, which they did. (145 U.S. 519 (1892)). Now, all roads into Carter Lake run through East Omaha and downtown Omaha. The largest single real estate deal in Nebraska up to 1890 is said to have occurred there. That year an unknown property in East Omaha was sold to the Omaha Bridge and Terminal company, a subsidiary of the Illinois Central, for nearly $700,000.[6] The south end of East Omaha was home to the Union Pacific Rail Yards, with one former hobo reporting that he tricked a railroad cop, also called "railroad dicks",[7] with his clothing, "“I even talked to a known bad dick in the yards in East Omaha, and he treated me like a brother while at the same time he was looking around for a hobo to arrest for trespassing on railroad property. I thought to myself, Good old clothes, a little deception is a wonderful thing." "It has about 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) available... offers level ground... is dotted with trees... plentiful water supply. It is less than 3 miles (4.8 km) form the Downtown Post Office. A paved street (16th) already extends almost to the site and a new bridge across the Missouri River makes accessible from Iowa.[11]" At the turn of the century the area was home to numerous businesses important to Omaha's growth, with early examples including a hominy mill and a plaster mill.[12] The Carter White Lead Company built a large scale plant in East Omaha.[13] On its north edge, East Omaha was home to the Beechwood community. In 1948 the Beechwood School District joined Omaha Public Schools,[14] almost completely eliminating all traces of the Beechwood community. However, the community is still noted on maps.[15]
The Open Door Mission has been an Omaha institution since the 1950s. It relocated to 2706 North 21st Street East in 1986.[22] The USS Hazard is a former US warship permanently berthed at the Omaha Marina in East Omaha. She is maintained as a World War II museum and memorial. The Omaha Correctional Center, or OCC, is a medium/minimum security facility located on a 37-acre (150,000 m2) site in East Omaha, just south of Eppley Airfield.[23] Eppley Airfield serves as Omaha's primary airport, providing service throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A recent racial hate crime was the firebombing of "Bob's Grocery" store at 16th and Fort Streets has reignited concerns about potential racist elements. The store owner was Ethiopian, and a racist epithet was spray-painted on the building.[24] Bound and gagged, the store owner escaped uninjured; the building exploded and burnt to the ground. Police are investigating.[25]
In 1979, the Omaha chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America held its first motorcycle show and swap meet at the Four "T" Service shop in East Omaha.[28]
Through the 1920s, East Omaha neighbors in the area around Carter Lake belonging to Iowa lacked the basic city services enjoyed by their fellow residents of Council Bluffs who lived east of the Missouri. Ironically, they were still subject to same city taxes. The community successfully seceded from Council Bluffs in the 1920s, intending to become part of Omaha. The Nebraska city didn't want to pay to extend sewers or water lines either. In 1930 Carter Lake was incorporated as its own municipality, still within the boundaries of the State of Iowa. Weather East Omaha was severely damaged by the Easter Sunday tornado of 1913, which destroyed many businesses and neighborhoods. When the tornado crossed 16th Avenue, the path extended from Binney Street on the south to Emmet Street on the north. The tornado devastated the Missouri Pacific roundhouse and went across Carter Lake and the East Omaha bottoms. When it crossed the lake the twister "sucked the water high into the air, a real water spout. The cottages along the lake were mostly destroyed, the Illinois Central trestle obliterated and scores of store buildings wrecked. At this point the width of the path is said to have been nearly half a mile wide."[32][33] As many as 1,000 people were displaced by a flood in 1943, which sent the Missouri River, Carter Lake, and the old Florence Lake into peoples' homes and businesses throughout East Omaha. One report states, "At Omaha, the river crested at 22.45 feet (6.84 m) and had a discharge of 200,000 cubic feet/second (89,760,000 gallons/minute). 3000 men helped fight the flood, but after a week, the River found a weak spot in the temporary dike and the battle was lost. 100 homes were flooded when the floodwater also breached a new dike at Locust Street. The industrial section on Grace Street was flooded, and businesses were closed several days. 1000 people were evacuated from Carter Lake and East Omaha as the old Lake Florence bed filled and inundated the airport with seven feet of water in 18 hours. One person was killed in Omaha and the damage estimate there was $1.4 million."  North Omaha Located just north of Downtown Omaha, the community includes some of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, including the Near North Side, Bemis Park, Saratoga and Florence. It is the site of the Mormon Pioneers' Winter Quarters, the center of the historically significant African-American community, and the birthplace of Malcolm X. Important landmarks in the community include the Bank of Florence, Prospect Hill Cemetery and the Fort Omaha Historical District. In 2006, North Omaha became the focus of national attention after local State Senator Ernie Chambers introduced an amendment to divide the Omaha school system into three systems that some observers suggested would have created de facto segregated school systems based on residential patterns. The measure was eventually repealed. History When Omaha City was founded in 1854 the boundaries were around the present-day downtown core. Prospect Hill Cemetery, a North Omaha landmark, was founded on a high hill on the outskirts of Omaha in 1856, and with more than 15,000 burials it included many of the founding figures of Omaha, as well as soldiers from nearby Fort Omaha, immigrants, and many Blacks who worked throughout the city.[5] During the initial period of Omaha history there were a number of outlying towns surrounding it, many of which were located in present-day North Omaha, including Florence, East Omaha, and Saratoga, all of which were settled within a few years of Omaha. Scriptown was a land grab by early legislators of the Nebraska Territory who sought to award themselves for working for the new territory.[6] Casey's Row was a small neighborhood of Black porters who worked for the local railroads. Squatter's Row was an area between North 11th and North 13th Streets, from Nicholas to Locust Streets, behind the Storz Brewery. For more than 75 years this area was inhabited solely by squatters.[7] Before the city of Omaha extended north beyond Lake Street, mostly Irish settlers inhabited an area known as Gophertown, located north of Saratoga and south of Florence.[8] The towns of Benson and Dundee, both in North Omaha, were suburbs of Omaha founded in the 1880s. Fort Omaha was a U.S. Army instillation that was built starting in 1878, and was home to the Department of the Platte. Growth in North Omaha was spurred by the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad and railyards to the east. The older neighborhoods in North Omaha were all founded by 1900, including Bemis Park, Gifford Park, Gold Coast, Kountze Place, Miller Park, Walnut Hill and Orchard Hill.
Perhaps the most important community, if not the most visible, in all of North Omaha was the Near North Side.[11] This neighborhood was one of the first in Omaha, emerging in the 1860s as a home to the city's influx of German and Irish. In the later 19th century, they were joined by eastern European Jewish immigrants and African American migrants from the South. The bustling corridors of North 24th Street and North 16th Street were long the centers of important commercial and social activity. From the 1920s through the 1950s North 24th Street was seen as a "Street of Dreams" where the city's African-American culture thrived.[12] It was home to such important locations at the Dreamland Ballroom, and fostered a variety of social and political developments, including the founding of the Hamitic League of the World. Omaha had early chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Urban League. The early years of noted Harlem Renaissance writer Wallace Thurman were spent in the Near North Side,[13] and Jewish feminist author Tillie Olsen grew up in the neighborhood.[14] During this period Malcolm X was born in the neighborhood. After restructuring of railroads and the meatpacking industries, massive job loss resulted in poverty and social unrest. In the 1960s and 70s three major riots tore apart the North 24th Street corridor. One broke out after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968. With lower tax revenue because of job losses, the city had neglected many of the neighborhoods, leading to decreased police response times, decreased funding for education in the community, decreased support for youth and community programs, and other problems.[15] A 1966 documentary film entitled A Time for Burning highlighted the racial tension which had been driving white flight from the community for the two previous decades. That film portrayed a young Ernie Chambers. A barber who later earned a law degree, in 1970 Chambers started his service as the longest serving State Senator in the history of Nebraska.[16] That year's Rice/Poindexter Case proved controversial as two leaders of Omaha's Black Panther Party were sentenced to life in prison for bombing a house in which a policeman was killed. Contention spread throughout the 1970s, when, according to one government agency, "Construction of the North Omaha Freeway, coupled with social unrest in the 1970s, greatly impacted the North Omaha area. One neighborhood experienced a 30 percent housing loss and major increase in crime."[17] However, North Omaha has not seen another riot since 1970. In the 1990s the Omaha Housing Authority demolished the Logan Fontenelle Housing Project in North Omaha. Built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration as improved housing for working families, by the late 20th century, the project was called "Little Vietnam" because of its association with gangs, violence and drug dealing.[18]
Singer Wynonie Harris, saxophonist Preston Love and drummer Buddy Miles all called North Omaha home. Businesswoman Cathy Hughes is from North Omaha. The community was also the native home of several sports stars, including Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, football player Johnny Rodgers, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Chicago Bears Gale Sayers, Houston Texans starting running back Ahman Green, and basketball player Bob Boozer.
African-American community leader Jack Broomfield commissioned noted African-American architect Clarence W. Wigington to design the Broomfield Rowhouse in 1913 after the Easter Sunday Tornado ravaged much of North Omaha. This building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Recent controversy has focused on a spoof aired by a local radio station in which a popular area radio DJ parodied a recent North Omaha tourism promotion campaign, reportedly saying on air, "Discover miles of mayhem, discover drive-bys, discover gang violence, discover North Omaha."[21] The City Council fought against this portrayal, with North Omaha city councilman Frank Brown demanding an apology from the radio station because "the spoof paints all residents of north Omaha as criminals."[22] Many institutions within the boundaries of North Omaha reinforce these perceptions as they seek to disassociate with the area despite their proximity within North Omaha. A past example came from an online "information center for current and prospective medical students at Creighton University"[23] which reported housing in North Omaha to be "...Older, smaller, more run-down... A little ways from shopping areas. It can be close to Creighton (5-10 minute drive). Many of these neighborhoods have a bad reputation and we recommend looking elsewhere for housing."[24]
The shooting of a black 14-yr. old teenager named Vivian Strong by a white Omaha police officer in the Logan Fontenelle Projects in June 1968 marked the first of a number of incidents between individual members of the African American community in North Omaha and the Omaha Police Department. Since the late 1980s, there have been a number of gang-related clashes, as well.
Student and youth activism in North Omaha led to the creation of two unique groups: Creighton University's DePorres Club, started in 1947, and the Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity (BANTU), popular through the 1960s. In the summer of 1963 the Citizens Civic Committee for Civil Liberties rallied to demand change equal rights for all African Americans in Omaha.[25] While the Omaha civil rights movement did not gain its stated goals of gaining a state law ensuring equal housing opportunities or a separate state law ensuring equal job opportunities, it was successful for raising awareness of the inequities facing African Americans in Omaha.[26] From the film A Time for Burning to Senator Ernie Chambers' recent legislative action, the civil rights movement has had a significant legacy in Omaha.
Among the many community development programs are the historic Urban League of Nebraska[38], the Charles Drew Health Center[39], Heartland Family Services-FAST, New Community Development[40] and the Benson-Ames Alliance Community Plan, which is community-driven planning process for neighborhood revitalization [41]. North Omaha was affected by pollution and harmful emissions from the American Smelting and Refining Company, better known by the acronym "ASARCO". The windfall from their downtown Omaha plant led to more than 8,000 acres (32 km²) in North Omaha being designated by United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Superfund national priority site. As of 2003, 290 acres (1.2 km²) were cleaned[42]. Today North Omaha is the focus of the Lead-Safe Omaha Coalition. As is usual in older homes, there are sources of lead in older paints and other fabrications which have been found to be harmful. The Coalition offers lead screenings and workshops on hazards of lead poisoning, safe home evaluations, lead-safe practices workshops, environmental certification training, HEPA vacuum rental, and the Information Resource Center on Lead to residents through North Omaha [43].
Early North Omaha bands included Dan Desdunes Band, Simon Harrold's Melody Boys, the Sam Turner Orchestra, the Ted Adams Orchestra, and the Omaha Night Owls, as well as Red Perkins and His Original Dixie Ramblers. Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders who became the first Omaha band to record in 1931. A Lloyd Hunter concert poster can be seen on display at the Community Center in nearby Mineola, Iowa.[49] Nat Towles was a renowned territory band leader based in Omaha. One of Omaha's most notable musicians of the 1940s was Anna Mae Winburn. As the leader of North Omaha's Cotton Club Boys, which included the amazing guitarist Charlie Christian[50], Winburn traveled the local region as a typical territorial band. However, upon the advice of Jimmie Jewell, owner of the Jewel Building, Winburn left Omaha and hit the "big time" with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. North Omaha's musical culture also birthed several nationally and internationally reputable African American musicians. Influential drummer Buddy Miles was friends with Love while they grew up and played together. They collaborated throughout their lives, and while they were playing with the greatest names in Rock and Roll, Jazz, R&B and Fund. Funk band leader Lester Abrams is also from North Omaha. Omaha-born Wynonie Harris, one of the founders of rock and roll, got his start at the North Omaha clubs and for a time lived in the now-demolished Logan Fontenelle Housing Project.[51]. Another notable local musician was Lomie Washburn. Born in North Omaha, she went on to write songs and sing backup with such legends as Chaka Khan, Rufus, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.[52]. She and many of the musicians from North Omaha have been inducted in the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame. North Omaha is home to several important annual events that help define and celebrate the community, its history, and its future. Native Omaha Days is a biennial North Omaha cultural tradition, reuniting members of the city's African-American community. The Days are commemorated with a variety of events, including the Evergreen Reunion, named after a town in Alabama from where many family's ancestors migrated.[53] Other annual activities include the Juneteenth Parade, to mark Emancipation; the Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow; the Omaha Blues, Jazz & Gospel Festival[54], Florence Days, and the Omaha North High School Homecoming, which includes a parade for the community. The Stone Soul Picnic is also an important annual event in the community.
Lee Terry, a Republican, represents all of Omaha, including North Omaha, as part of Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ben Nelson, a Democrat, is the incumbent junior Senator from Nebraska, including North Omaha. Chuck Hagel, a Republican, is the senior United States Senator from Nebraska, including North Omaha. The current Governor of Nebraska is Dave Heineman, a Republican.
Several streets in the area are named after locally, regionally, and nationally important individuals.[58] One of the main thoroughfares is North 24th Street, which from Cuming Street on the south to Reed Street on the north, is commonly thought to represent North Omaha's greatest historical legacy and hope for the future. North 24th was addressed as Omaha's "Street of Dreams" because of the prosperity and hope it embodied for its early African American, Eastern European and Jewish residents.[59] Florence Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard and Fontenelle Boulevard are three once-highly regarded components of Omaha's boulevard system that are located in North Omaha. Several North Omaha traffic ways are named after military interests. They include Military Road, which is a historic road first laid out in 1854 by the US Army. It starts in North Omaha just off Hamilton at North 45th Street, where it is signed as Military Avenue. General John J. Pershing Drive was named after the successful World War I U.S. Army leader, and flows from East Omaha north by Florence, by the historic site of Fort Lisa and towards Blair. Similarly, Sherman Avenue, also known as North 16th Street, was named after William Tecumseh Sherman, the commander general of the U.S. Army in charge of the Indian Wars. Fort Street between North 30th and North 24th is named for Fort Omaha. Sorenson Parkway, a modern contribution to the historic park boulevard system, was named after an Omaha mayor. It was built along an abandoned railroad bed and runs from North 72nd Street to North 30th Street, which is the historic Main Street of Florence. Sorenson is an example of a street in North Omaha which has been renamed; prior to 1996 Sorensen Parkway west of Northampton Boulevard was called Redick Avenue until 72nd Street. That year the city changed the name, and currently Sorensen Parkway travels beyond 72nd Street, continuing to the intersection of Blair High Road and North 90th Street, which is the start of Nebraska Highway 133. John A. Creighton Boulevard was named after the brother of Edward Creighton. U.S. Highway 75 is a historic highway flowing along North 30th Street to become the North Expressway. This stretch of the highway was the source of much contention in when it was constructed in the 1970s and 80s. As a Nebraska state agency reports, "Construction of the North Omaha Freeway, coupled with social unrest in the 1970s, greatly impacted the North Omaha area. One neighborhood experienced a 30 percent housing loss and major increase in crime."[60] Interstate 680 is the north bypass freeway that is a boundary for North Omaha. The Mormon Bridge is located on this stretch. Other important streets in the area include Lake Street, Ames Avenue, Cuming Street, State Street, Abbott Drive and North 20th Avenue.
West Omaha West Omaha is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska that comprises all points within the Omaha metropolitan area west of 72nd Street. Demographics The average home value in West Omaha is over $80,000 more than North Omaha. One isolated West Omaha voting district added over 15,000 jobs from 1987 to 1995. In North Omaha total job growth was just under 11,000, with over 3,000 lost in the same time period.[2]
Midtown Omaha About
Other buildings in the area include the Mutual of Omaha headquarters and the Masonic Manor, which is the third largest skyscraper in Omaha. Berkshire Hathaway and Kiewit Corporation also have their corporate headquarters in Midtown.
A new neighborhood development in the area is called "Midtown Crossing at Turner Park." Being developed by Mutual of Omaha,[5] this new community will include condominiums, apartments, hotel, movie theater, grocery store, restaurants and a health club. It will also renovate and expand Turner Park, one of Midtown’s public parks.[6] The Morton Meadows Neighborhood is located in between Saddle Creek Road to the west, South 42nd Street to the east, Leavenworth Street to the north and Center Street to the south. With approximately 500 single family homes in the neighborhood, Morton Meadows is best known for it's charming older houses built mostly in the early 1900's and the large tree lined boulevard running through the center of the neighborhood. [7] The Morton Meadows Neighborhood Association officers include Michael Terry as president and Kathy Callahan as secretary. [8] Midtown Omaha property values have on a whole consistently improved over the past 4 years. [9] The City of Omaha's efforts at revitalization through economic development [10] , raising gas prices and Midtown Omaha's close proximity to large employers [11] have all played an important role in the Midtown Omaha's appreciating home values. [12]
Downtown Omaha Dating almost to the city's inception, downtown has been a popular location for the headquarters of a variety of companies. The Union Pacific Railroad has been headquartered in Omaha since its establishment in 1862. Once the location of 24 historical warehouses, Jobbers Canyon Historic District was the site of many import and export businesses necessary for the settlement and development of the American West. Today, downtown boasts national and regional headquarters for dozens of companies.[2] The area is home to more than 30 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with two historic districts. Downtown Omaha was also the site of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District, all 24 buildings of which were demolished in 1989, representing the largest single loss of buildings to date from the National Register.[3] 
Downtown Omaha was the location of the settlement of the city. William D. Brown's Lone Tree Ferry landing was the site of Omaha's first development. In 2004 a map expert using GPS and old maps identified a location near Gallup University as the location of the ferry landing.[4] Omaha Central High School, located at 124 North 20th Street, is on the site where the city's founders first met on July 4, 1854 for a celebration to found the city. Much of Omaha's grim history happened downtown, as well. The Douglas County Courthouse was twice the location of racially motivated lynchings. The first occurred when George Smith, a local worker, was accused of raping a white woman and dragged from the jail in the courthouse to his death.[5] The second was the mass mob murder of Willy Brown in 1919, in which Mayor Ed Smith was lynched and almost murdered as well. The event, coordinated by city boss Tom Dennison, was in retaliation of Smith's reform administration. Dennison operated a private bank at 1409 Douglas Street, bankrolling a number of illegal operations throughout the city.[6] He was likely in control of the city's Sporting District, a downtown neighborhood where debauchery of all sorts took place. Today the highlight of downtown's social scene, the Old Market was once a warehouse district on par with the Jobbers Canyon. Torn down in 1989, Jobbers Canyon was a large area of warehouses in which much of Omaha's industrial wealth was made. Other historical areas downtown included Chinatown, the Burnt District and the Sporting District. The latter two areas were locations for much of the crime in Omaha in the late 1800s and early 1900s. [edit] NeighborhoodsDowntown Omaha is generally thought of as a large neighborhood itself; however, currently and historically within it are several distinct areas. The Old Market Historic District has been rehabilitated into boutique shops, offices and loft residential units. On the south edge of downtown bordering Little Italy, the Burlington Station is one of the buildings in the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District that has been renovated into residential apartments. [edit] NoDoA new mixed-use development on the northern edge of downtown is called "NoDo", short for "North Downtown". NoDo extends 80 blocks, from the campus of Creighton University to the Qwest Center and new developments along the Missouri River. The boundaries are Seward Street on the north, I-480 on the south, 17th Street to the west and Riverfront Drive on the east.[7] It includes the new Slowdown venue.[8] There are tentative plans to move the Omaha Royals baseball team from Rosenblatt Stadium in South Omaha to a new stadium located in the area, as well.[9] The movement in Omaha to reintroduce street cars is led by former mayor Hal Daub.[10] The proposed streetcars would cost $55 million and run in a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) loop through Downtown Omaha and NoDo. The system would cost about $2 million per year to operate and would serve almost 7,000 passengers in its first year. One route would run the cars from Creighton University near 20th and Webster streets, proceeding east to 10th Street, passing by the Qwest Center and moving south to Jackson Street in the Old Market. After that it would then move west to 16th Street and then north to Farnam before returning to 10th Street.[11]
[edit] Restoration and expansion projectsSeveral projects commencing in Downtown Omaha are restoring and expanding the city's core. One is the 32 story 373-foot (114 m) condominium tower called WallStreet Tower Omaha, which will be the third tallest building in Omaha, passing the Masonic Manor. The project was designed by Townsend Inc. of Overland Park, Kansas, which is also attempting to purchase the Brandeis Building in downtown. The project is estimated to be completed by 2010. Omaha's own HDR Inc. designed downtown's important Omaha World-Herald Freedom Center, which opened in 2001. The Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge is sparking a riverfront expansion project in Omaha and Council Bluffs. The bridge has a very modern design with two 200-foot (61 m) spires that will have sail-like appearances. The Omaha side of the riverfront project will have a commercial area, twin twelve story towers and a large plaza area. There are also plans for a new downtown baseball stadium in NoDo that will be located on the Qwest Center's current parking lots C and E. The stadium will seat 24,000 and could be expanded to hold as many as 35,500. The plan will feature open councourses and will have impressive views of the downtown skyline from the third base side. The stadium will face southeast towards the Qwest Center and the new pedestrian bridge and Riverfront Place condominium towers on the riverfront. [edit] Headquarters
Downtown Omaha is home to several corporate headquarters for businesses of international, national and regional importance. Among the earliest were the U.S. Army's Department of the Platte[12] and the Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific laid its first rails in Omaha in 1862, and its headquarters have been located in Downtown Omaha since then. The company has stated their commitment to maintain their headquarters in Omaha, particularly with the opening of the new Union Pacific Center in 2004.[13] The Enron corporation began in downtown as Northern Natural Gas Company.[14] ConAgra Foods relocated their headquarters to downtown in 1991, after a contentious battle with local historians of the destruction of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District to make room for their buildings. In 2002, First National Bank of Omaha moved into the 42-story First National Bank Tower as headquarters for the company. The Gallup Organization built an $81 million operational headquarters that employs 650 people on the edge of downtown in 2001.[15] RDG Planning & Design followed in 2004, winning awards for moving and contributing to downtown's growth.[16] The Scoular Company, a grain trading & storing company, is headquartered in downtown Omaha in the Northern Natural Gas Building. The new Carl T. Curtis National Park Service Midwest Headquarters located downtown on the Missouri Riverfront is the first building in Nebraska to be rated under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system.[17] Neighboring Creighton University has been steadily expanding their campus in order to "integrate with Downtown Omaha". New facilities such as Morrison Stadium bring the university closer.[18] Other locally relevant organizations downtown include all of the city's utilities. The Metropolitan Utilities District, Omaha Public Power District, Omaha Police Department, the Omaha Housing Authority and Metro Area Transit are each located within downtown. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District is headquartered in Downtown Omaha, as well.[19] Pacific Life is also planning to build a new headquarters in downtown in the form of a tower. No information has been released on height, design, or location. [edit] Attractions
Aside from the Old Market, other attractions in Downtown Omaha include the historic Orpheum Theater, which was built by influential Omaha philanthropist John A. Creighton, whose family also built the city's Creighton University. Along with the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center, this is the oldest theater left in downtown. Other performance spaces downtown include the Magic Theatre, which features experimental theater. The Omaha Children's Museum, Durham Western Heritage Museum, and the Holland Performing Arts Center are all important visual arts spaces downtown, while the Qwest Center and the Omaha Civic Auditorium play host to many different events, including concerts, sports and more. Slowdown is a new cultural center that straddles the boundaries of NoDo and the Near North Side neighborhood. Heartland of America Park and the Gene Leahy Mall play host to outdoor concerts and other events throughout the year. [edit] ArchitectureDowntown Omaha was the original site of the city of Omaha, where the riverfront held businesses and the area surrounding it bore the brunt of its commercial, residential, and social activities. There has been a recent revitalization of the area, with several notable new buildings and other developments taking place. Following are some of the notable locations throughout the area.
[edit] Tallest buildingsOmaha's tallest building, the 45-story First National Bank Tower, is in Downtown. There is a proposed 373-foot (114 m), 32-story downtown condominium tower in the works. The WallStreet Tower Omaha would be built as soon as fall 2009 in Downtown as well.[20]
[edit] Historic districtsThe Old Market Historic District is bordered by Farnam Street on the north to Leavenworth on the south, from South 10th Street on the east to South 14th Street on the west. The Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District is bounded by Jackson, 15th and 8th Streets, as well as the Union Pacific main line. Both are also listed as historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown Omaha is also the site of the largest single loss of buildings included on the National Register of Historic Places to date.[21] All of the 24 buildings in the Jobbers Canyon were demolished in 1989, to be replaced by the ConAgra headquarters and Heartland of America Park.[22] The Warehouses in Omaha Multiple Property Submission brings together several historic locations around Downtown Omaha, as well. [edit] Historic buildingsAccording to a 1939 publication by the Federal Writers Project, the downtown core has at least 23 historic sites that were central to the growth and development of the city.[23] Many significant buildings have been recognized as landmarks, including the following, which are all included on the National Register of Historic Places.[24][25] 
[edit] Former locationsThe location of the William D. Brown's Lone Tree Ferry, downtown has been the pivotal site for Omaha's growth since the city's inception in 1854. The following are all buildings, districts and other notable locations in Omaha that have been lost over the last 150 years.[29][30] 
Other sites labeled as key historic sites by the Federal Writers Project include the Douglas Street Bridge, Herndon House, First Territorial Capitol, Diamond Gambling House, Original Union Pacific Headquarters, Joslyn Memorial, Original World-Herald Building, Apex Saloon, St. Nicholas House, Omaha Municipal Auditorium and the Union Passenger Terminal.[37] [edit] Transportation
Omaha's main east-west street, Dodge Street begins downtown as a westbound one-way offramp from I-480 right after it crosses the Missouri River from Iowa. This route of the former Lincoln Highway in Omaha includes several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery, Inc. at 901 Dodge Street, The Logan at 1804 Dodge Street, and the Simon Brothers Company at 1024 Dodge Street. The street was once lined by the Old Post Office. Accommodating U.S. 6 it conjoins with Douglas Street at 30th Street to hold six lanes of two-way traffic. The City of Omaha is considering developing a light rail system that would extend from NoDo to the Rosenblatt Stadium/Henry Doorly Zoo area in South Omaha.[38] The historical Omaha port site was located in downtown, with dozens of businesses lining the riverside to serve the steamboats and other water traffic. Jobbers Canyon was originally built here to accommodate river traffic. That same area today is home to Miller's Landing, which is a riverboat excursion launching site, and the new Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge that will take walkers to Council Bluffs. Downtown has been the location of the Union Pacific Railroad headquarters since its founding in 1865[39]; they constructed a bridge, shops and a station downtown for their traffic. In 1989 the railroad combined all of its nationwide operational coordination into the rehabilitated 1892 Harriman Dispatch Center[40][41]; in 2002 they opened a new headquarters building downtown as well. In a similar fashion, the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad built their headquarters in downtown in 1879, with renowned Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball redesigning the building extensively in 1899.[42] That company's depot in the downtown area was recently rehabilitated for use as high-end condominiums. [edit] Environmental concernsIn 1889 ASARCO, a smeltering company, consolidated several plants at the corner of 5th & Douglas Streets in Downtown Omaha. By 1915 it was the largest lead refinery in the world. In 1972 the plant was found to be releasing high amounts of lead into the air and ground surrounding the plant, and in 1995 ASARCO submitted a demolition and site cleanup plan to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. The company was fined $3.6 million in 1996 for discharging lead and other pollutants into the Missouri River, and the plant was closed in July, 1997.[43] After extensive cleanup the land was turned over to the City of Omaha for use as a 23-acre (93,000 m2) park. All of North Omaha, comprising more than 8,000 acres (32 km²), was declared a Superfund site, and as of 2003, 290 acres (1.2 km²) had been cleaned.[44] South Omaha, NebraskaSouth Omaha, Nebraska is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth due to the rapid development of the Union Stockyards. Annexed by the City of Omaha in 1915, the community has numerous historical landmarks. Many are within the South Omaha Main Street Historic District. [edit] DefinitionThe traditional borders of South Omaha included Vinton Street to the north, Harrison Street to the south, the Missouri River on the east, and 42nd Street on the west. [edit] HistoryThe area that would become South Omaha was rural until the early 1880s, when cattle baron Alexander Hamilton Swan decided to establish a stockyards operation just south of Omaha. The South Omaha plat was registered on July 18, 1884. Two years later, South Omaha was incorporated as a city. By 1890, the city had grown to 8,000 people, a rate of growth that earned it the nickname of "The Magic City". In less than 10 years, South Omaha had become a regional stockyards and meat packing center, drawing thousands of immigrant workers, mostly from southern and eastern Europe. South Omaha was annexed by Omaha on June 20, 1915. At that time it was 6.4 mi² and had 40,000 residents.[1] In 1947 there were 15,000 people working in meatpacking, but structural changes to the industry in the 1960s cost the city 10,000 jobs. Dale Carnegie's first job out of college was working for Armour & Company as their South Omaha sales representative.[2] [edit] Cultural diversitySouth Omaha was, and continues to be, culturally diverse. Many residents are descended from the Irish, Polish, Czech, Lithuanian, Italian, and Latino immigrants who made up the original workforce in the meatpacking industry. In recent decades, South Omaha has seen an influx of Hispanic and Sudanese populations. The early diversity is evident in the variety of religious institutions established by the various ethnic communities, including Roman Catholic churches:
Orthodox churches:
In the late 1800s a Jewish synagogue was also established in South Omaha. In the early part of the 20th century, the Lithuanian community published a newspaper, known as the Bell of the West. [edit] Landmarks in South Omaha
OMAHA ~ The Place To LIVEOmaha's economy today has diversified to become a national leader in several industries, to include banking, insurance, telecommunications, architecture/construction and transportation. Omaha's most prominent business man is Warren Buffett, nick named the "Oracle of Omaha". He is ranked the 2nd richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine, and still lives in a modest home in the Dundee neighborhood west of downtown Omaha. Omaha's education system is top notch with a multiple of great Public and Private Schools and Universities. Omaha is the smallest city in the United States to have two Major Research Hospitals, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton Medical Center. UNMC is a world renowned cancer treatment and transplant center, attracting patients internationally. Omaha is ranked No. 7 as one of the best big cities to live in. Our World-Class culture, economy and education are all the more reason to make this great Mid-Western City the next move for your family. Request our Free Elkhorn, Gretna and Omaha Relocation Package. It's packed full of useful and important information about the Elkhorn, Gretna and Omaha, Nebraska area. Don't move here without it! Remember: we'll send it to you for free and without obligation. Just fill out the form and we will send it right out...It's our job to know EVERYTHING about Elkhorn, Gretna and Omaha! Ask us any question. Or request a FREE information package. There's no obligation, and we promise to get back to you quickly...
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