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CITY OF OMAHA HISTORY
The Woodmen Tower
Building in Omaha
Omaha is located right in the center of the United States! It's
generally less than four hours by plane to either coast. Omaha is strategically located at
the intersection of Interstates 80 and 29, in addition 12 other highways converge in the
area.
Omaha is a booming metropolitan area of 700,000. Over
one million people reside within a 50-mile radius of the city, making Omaha a regional
trade and transportation center.
More than 20% of the US population is within a day's
drive of Omaha. The nearly 2,500 square mile Omaha metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
consists of five counties - Cass, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington in Nebraska and
Pottawattamie in Iowa. The City of Omaha sits on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River
and is the 45th largest city in the nation.
Local terrain consists of gently rolling hills along
the Missouri River, which continue into the surrounding suburban communities.
Omaha has a continental climate - relatively warm
summers and cold dry winters. According to the National Climatic Data Center, most of the
precipitation in Omaha occurs from April through September in the form of showers or
thunderstorms in the evening hours.
Omaha has a dynamic and diverse economy. Employment and business
establishments have seen steady growth over the past several years. Currently, the metro
area’s work force tops 400,000.
The economy is well diversified – no employment sector
accounts for more than 33% of total jobs. Omaha is the home of five Fortune 500
headquarters – ConAgra, Berkshire Hathaway, Mutual of Omaha, Peter Kiewit and Union
Pacific.
There are also more than two dozen insurance companies
headquartered in Omaha. About half of the over twenty telemarketing / reservation / direct
response centers operating in Omaha also have their corporate headquarters located in the
metro area.
In total, over 18,000 business establishments operate in the
Omaha metropolitan area. Omaha’s strategic location in the “heartland” of
the nation enables our businesses to reach regional and national markets efficiently.
Omaha has long been an area trade, agriculture and transportation center. From a consumer
standpoint, there are over one million people within a 50-mile radius of Omaha and 53
million (20% of the US population) within the overnight market. From a manufacturing view,
over 18 percent of the nation’s manufacturers are within a 500-mile radius of Omaha.
Truck and rail transit times average 2 to 3 days from Omaha to the majority of the
country. Projections point to steady growth in Omaha well into the 21st century.
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A History of Omaha
"Omaha," according to Indian legend, literally means "above all others
upon a stream." And, indeed, that stream, the Missouri River, played an important
part in the development of the city. The City of Omaha was originally laid out in 1854 by
a ferry company operating between Iowa and the new Nebraska territory. To inform people
about Omaha, a newspaper, the Omaha Arrow was first issued on July 28, 1854. In the
beginning, lots were given away to those who would make improvements on them. By June
1855, the population had grown to 250 while lots were being sold for $100; two years later
the population was approximately 1,500 and lots were selling for $4,000.
From those early days, when
the first structures were log buildings, Omaha grew to be a thriving commercial and
cultural center. The Mormons, on their westward trek, set up winter quarters, constructing
nearly 1,000 houses in Florence, a site north of town. A cemetery and memorial today bear
witness to the brutal winter of 1855-56 and the losses in the Mormon camp.
The city of Omaha grew
rapidly after President Lincoln located the eastern terminus of the first transcontinental
railroad (Union Pacific Railroad) in Omaha, breaking ground in December 1863. Today, Omaha
is headquarters to Union Pacific Railroad and is served by three Class I railroads.
Transportation by river, rail and air has played an important role in Omaha's growth.
Eppley Airfield, one of the nation's fastest growing airports, provides the
state-of-the-art facilities to commercial and general aviation.
Likewise, communication has
been important to the development of Omaha. The Western Union Telegraph Co., under the
guidance of Edward Creighton (for whom Omaha's Creighton
University was named), strung the first telegraph wires west from Omaha, while another
company worked eastward from California to eventually link the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts
for the first time in 1861. Quality telephone service and Omaha's central location has
spurred the growth of the telecommunications and telemarketing industry in recent years.
Over two dozen telecommunications centers currently employ approximately 20,000+ Omahans.
With this in mind, Omaha is considered to be the "800-number capital of the
nation."
Agriculture, too, is an
integral part of Omaha's heritage. Since the first meat packing plant opened in 1871 and
the Union Stock Yards began operations, Omaha grew to dominate the industry, becoming the
largest livestock market in 1955. The livestock market has since declined, but the
production of various food products is still an essential aspect of the Omaha economy.
Food processing is an
important industry with major employers like Kellogg Co., daily turning the yield of 100
acres of corn into corn flakes, and Vlasic Co., which produces frozen Swanson and LeMenu
products. Yet, Omaha's economy is diversified to include both manufacturing and service
industries. One of the nation's largest health and accident companies, Mutual of Omaha, as
well as United of Omaha, Guarantee Mutual, Woodmen of the World and Physicians Mutual are
among the over twenty insurance companies with home offices in the city.
Omaha's role in military
history dates back to 1868 when Omaha Barracks was established for protection of settlers
and railroad workers. Congress designated the barracks as Fort Omaha in 1878. Fort Crook,
located south of town in 1888, came into importance during World War II when the Martin
Aircraft Corp. established a plant to produce B-26 and B-29 bombers. The B-29 bombers
produced at Fort Crook included "Enola Gay," which dropped an atomic bomb on
Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 and "Bock's Car," which dropped an atomic
bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. Today, the Fort Crook facilities are part of
Offutt Air Force Base, the home of the U. S. Strategic Command.
Omahans' have a strong
commitment to others. A "City of Little Men," Boys Town, was founded in 1917 by Father Edward Flanagan. A city within a city,
providing care for youths in crisis, Father Flanagan's Boys Town is located in west Omaha.
Boys Town opened its doors to young women in 1979, and currently houses and educates over
500 boys and girls annually on the home campus in Omaha, as well as serving thousands of
youth annually across the nation.
There is a strong tradition
of community leadership and working together in Omaha. Omaha has emerged through the years
from a frontier town on the prairie, to a thriving metropolitan city. The atmosphere is
cosmopolitan with a professional symphony, opera, ballet, a variety of quality
restaurants, museums, one of the country's most progressive zoos, a regional medical and
research center, and eleven colleges and universities. All the advantages of a large city,
yet much of the small town flavor remains. Omahans enjoy their ethnic heritage at a
variety of festivals, and everyone celebrates western style during the River City
Round-up, ranked one of the 100 top attractions in the country. Plus, Omahans are
friendly, hardworking and wholesome in true "midwestern" tradition. Those who
live in Omaha agree, it is truly a city "above all others."
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A History of Omaha
By Robert D. Anderson
Since Council Bluffs was already a bustling outfitting point for the
California gold rush, some ambitious businessmen decided to strengthen their holding by
expanding to the prime area directly across the the river.
William D. Brown had operated a ferry across the Missouri River since
1850. In 1853 Brown and his associates took a leaky scow and rowed across to the Nebraska
side where they pounded stakes to mark their claims. A.D. Jones built the first cabin and
was appointed postmaster. When the Kansas-Nebraska bill was passed on May 30, 1854, Jones
began surveying.
Omaha started out as a rip-roaring frontier town that was a jumping
off place for the Western pioneer and continued to provide entertainment for years
afterward. The Omaha community is now one of the most vibrant urban centers in the
country.
- 1541
- Francisco Vasquez de Coronado marched from Mexico in search of the
Province of Quivira and touched the southern part of the present state of Nebraska.
- 1599
- Don Juan de Onate led an expedition from New Mexico in quest of Quivira.
Some think it possible he may have reached the Platte Valley.
- 1682
- Sieur de La Salle claimed all the territory drained by the Mississippi
and its tributaries for France and gave the region the name of Louisiana. Present-day
Nebraska was included in this claim.
- 1762
- Nebraska became part of the Spanish possessions in America under the
Treaty of Fontainebleau whereby France ceded all that part of the Province of Louisiana
west of the Mississippi River to Spain.
- 1800
- At the conclusion of the Treaty of San Ildefonso Spain ceded Louisiana
back to France.
- 1803
- The United States purchased Louisiana for $15,000,000 under the Treaty of
Paris. Nebraska thus became the property of the United States.
- 1804
- Lewis and Clark held a council with the Otoe and Missouri Indians about
where the town of Fort Calhoun now stands.
- 1819
- The steamboat Western Engineer passed the plateau where Omaha now stands.
It was the first steamboat to ascend the Missouri River to that point.
- 1820
- The US Army establishes Fort Atkinson (later Fort Calhoun) on the west
bank of the Missouri, the only government authority in the vast territory west of the
river.
- 1825
- T.B. Roye (or J.B. Royce) establishes a trading post within the present
city limits of Omaha.
- 1846
- Mormons, led by Brigham Young, establish temporary settlement of Winter
Quarters (in present-day Florence area) where 600 die during the harsh winter.
- 1853
- A. D. Jones and Thomas and William Allen row across the Missouri in a
leaky skow and stake the first claims in what would become Omaha.
- 1854
- Presidential proclamation ratifies treaty with Omaha chiefs, opening the
lands west of the Missouri to settlement. A. D. Jones conducts survey of the proposed site
of Omaha
- 1854
- Men and women from Council Bluffs celebrate the beginning of Omaha at a
Fourth of July picnic in the future town.
- 1855
- Acting Governor Thomas Cuming approves bill locating the territorial seat
of government at Omaha.
- 1857
- Governor Izard approves act of Legislature incorporating the City of
Omaha.
- 1860
- Edward Creighton completes the first telegraph line from St. Louis to
Omaha.
- 1860s
- Hotels, stores, markets, restaurants and saloons spring up along lower
Farnam Street. Omaha's population is 1,883.
- 1862
- Telegraph line between Omaha and San Francisco is completed.
- 1863
- President Lincoln issues order fixing the eastern terminus of the Union
Pacific Railroad at Omaha.
- 1865
- Omaha's population is now 30,000.
- 1866
- Omaha Police Department is organized.
- 1867
- Nebraska admitted into the Union as a state.
- 1870s
- Omaha flourishes with streetlights, rail lines and several large
buildings.
- 1878
- Creighton College is founded.
- 1880s
- A warehouse district is developed. J. L. Brandeis opens a large
department store. Meat packing plants are developed.
- 1885
- Gilbert Hitchcock founds the Omaha World-Herald.
- 1890
- South Omaha grows into a new town with over 10,000 residents.
- 1893
- William Paxton helps organize the Union Stock Yards and the South Omaha
Land Company.
- 1893
- The Commercial Club (Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce is founded to
improve Omaha's economy.
- 1895
- The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben (Nebraska spelled backwards) is formed to
promote patriotism among citizens and advertise the city. Woodmen of the World moves to
Omaha.
- 1898
- The Trans-Mississippi Exposition is held in Omaha and marks the beginning
of the "Golden Age" for Nebraska farmers. First horseless carriage appeared on
the streets of Omaha.
- 1899
- Otto Bayesdorfer builds a vehicle he calls the Ottomobile and became the
first of nearly a dozen Omaha car manufacturers
- 1900
- Omaha's population is now 102,000.
- 1913
- A tornado kills 170 people on Easter Sunday.
- 1915
- South Omaha, Florence, Benson and Dundee are annexed to the city.
- 1917
- Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town. Fort Omaha becomes he site
for a World War I army balloon school.
- 1924
- First traffic light in Omaha causes so much confusion that STOP and GO
are painted on the appropriate colors.
- 1930
- Stock market crash of 1929 brings "Great depression" Omaha goes
from first largest livestock market in the country to third.
- 1931
- The Joslyn Art Museum opens.
- 1941
- The Martin Aircraft Corp. builds its plant at Fort Crook. (now Offutt Air
Force Base), and employs over 14,000.
- 1946
- The headquarters of the Strategic Air Command is moved to Offutt Air
Force Base. An underground command center is built.
- 1948
- Omaha becomes the nation's leading meat supplier, generating annual
business in excess of $5 billion.
- 1950
- New industries come to Omaha and its population is over 300,000. Mutual
of Omaha becomes the nation's leading accident insurance company. The College World Series
comes to Omaha.
- 1957
- Omaha receives "All America Cities Award" from the National
Municipal League.
- 1969
- Woodmen of the World Tower is opened to the public.
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