James Charles Dahlman (December 15, 1856 – January 21, 1930), also known as Jim Dahlman, Cowboy Jim and Mayor Jim, was elected to eight terms as
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
, serving the city for 20 years over a 23-year-period. A
German-American
German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...
and an
agnostic
Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...
, Dahlman grew up in a ranching area and started working as a Texas cowboy. He was elected as a county sheriff and small town mayor in western Nebraska before moving to Omaha.
Called the "perpetual Mayor" in Omaha, Dahlman was seen by many as a cover man for the city's vice elements. Earning the reputation as the "wettest mayor in America", Dahlman saw the number of saloons in Omaha double during his first 10 years as mayor. The term "Dahlmanism" was coined to describe his politics.
Background
James Charles Dahlman was born in
Yorktown,
DeWitt County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, in 1856. He was the eldest son of Charles and Mary Dahlman, both
German American
German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...
s. At age 17, he won a Texas state riding competition and became a cowhand shortly afterwards. He was known as an expert with the
lariat
A lasso ( or ), also called lariat, riata, or reata (all from Castilian, la reata 're-tied rope'), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the Spanish an ...
. In 1878, at the age of 22, Dahlman killed his brother-in-law during an argument and fled to western Nebraska, where he used the name "Jim Murray". Dahlman later learned a judge ruled the killing was self-defense. After working as a
cowpuncher
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
at the N-Bar
Newman Ranch near
Gordon
Gordon may refer to:
People
* Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters
* Gordon (surname), the surname
* Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War
* Clan Gordon, ...
for several years, Dahlman became a
range boss.
In late 1884, Dahlman married Hattie Abbott who was a student at Wellesley College. Her father, Charles Abbott, was a doctor in Maine and Hattie met Dahlman at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation where he was working at the time.
Early political career
Later Dahlman became a
brand inspector for the
Wyoming Stock Association at
Valentine. Soon he was elected
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
of
Dawes County
Dawes County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 9,182. Its county seat is Chadron. The county was formed in 1885; it was named for James W. Dawes, the Nebraska Governor at the time ...
. In 1885 he became the mayor of
Chadron and was elected twice to that office.
While mayor of Chadron, Dahlman formed a friendship with a successful young lawyer from
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
named
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...
. For the next several years, the pair maintained contact, with Dahlman raising funds in Chadron for Bryan's 1892 campaign for re-election to Congress. Dahlman served twice as a Nebraska delegate to the
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
, in 1892 and 1896.
After declining an offer as the
police chief
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
in
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
in 1896, Dahlman served as Democratic state chairman. He helped Bryan to carry Nebraska in his first run for
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
that year.
In 1899 Dahlman was hired by the
Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha
The Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha was a 90-year-old company first founded in South Omaha, Nebraska in 1878 by John A. Smiley. After being moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa and dissolved within a year, the company was reorganized and moved to So ...
.
Mayor of Omaha
Dahlman was elected in 1906 to serve as
Omaha mayor
This is a list of mayors of Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
List of mayors
See also
* Government of Omaha
* History of Omaha
References
{{Omaha
Lists of mayors of places in Nebraska, Omaha
Mayors of Omaha, Nebraska, ...
, the first of three elections in a row which he won. He became a close ally of
Tom Dennison, who reportedly supported his first campaign because Dahlman was "tolerant" of Dennison's
Sporting District in downtown Omaha. In 1908 the
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...
passed a law that required saloons to be open only during daylight hours. Mayor Dahlman led the opposition in Omaha, where he openly flaunted his defiance in a variety of establishments throughout the city.
In his first term Dahlman ensured Dennison's political standing within the city. However, running on an anti-Prohibition ticket, Dahlman quickly lost support of Bryan, who deeply supported Prohibition.
Dahlman has been noted for his early concern for the city's citizens, particularly calling for prudence during
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden a ...
meals. He was also condemned for his "loose" attitudes towards Omaha's vice elements. Religious leaders throughout the city started referring to "Dahlmanism", which according to a period newspaper called the ''
Omaha Bee
The ''Omaha Daily Bee'' was a leading Republican newspaper that was active in the late 19th and early 20th century. The paper's editorial slant frequently pitted it against the ''Omaha Herald'', the '' Omaha Republican'' and other local papers. A ...
'', "exposes the most sacred interests of morality and public order. Its concealed friendliness to the elements of vice and crime renders Dahlmanism a menace to public morals."
Governor's race
Dahlman lost a race for
Governor of Nebraska
The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential e ...
against
Chester H. Aldrich in 1910. Running on anti-Prohibition and local control for cities, Dahlman lost to Aldrich's promises of
progressive reform. Dahlman also hinted at moving the
Nebraska State Capitol
The Nebraska State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Nebraska and is located in downtown Lincoln. Designed by New York architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in 1920, it was constructed of Indiana limestone from 1922 to 193 ...
from
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
to Omaha. However,
Germans in Omaha
Germans in Omaha immigrated to the city in Nebraska from its earliest days of founding in 1854, in the years after the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. They continued to immigrate to Omaha in large numbers later in the 19th century, when ...
and the
National German-American Alliance The National German-American Alliance (NGAA; German: Deutschamerikanischer National-Bund), was a federation of ethnic German associations in the United States founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 6, 1901. Charles John Hexamer was elected ...
supported Dahlman by providing him with 70% of their vote that year. In what was called the "Dahlman element", the mayor gained a great deal of support from breweries across the state, but failed to significantly challenge Aldrich.
After serving as a
United States Marshal
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcem ...
in 1920, he resigned in 1921 to become mayor of Omaha for the fifth time, and was mayor for three more terms afterwards.
Policy-making
Under Dahlman, Omaha claimed its "strong city" status for the first time. Before him, the city had to get permission from the state legislature to give a policeman a raise. Dahlman led the battle to gain the city's autonomy and was accused of wanting to "secede" Omaha from the state of Nebraska. State legislators scoffed at Omaha's ability to control her own affairs.
When a constitutional amendment was submitted to the voters, however, they approved giving Omaha government more authority. Other major accomplishments of Dahlman's mayorship included the city's purchase of the
Florence Waterworks, the gas company and formation of the
Metropolitan Utilities District
The Metropolitan Utilities District, or M.U.D., is the political subdivision and public corporation of the U.S. State of Nebraska that operates the drinking water and natural gas systems for Omaha, Nebraska and surrounding areas. M.U.D. is the only ...
in 1921.
Dahlman was lambasted for his response to the disastrous
Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913, when he refused federal aid and contributions from people across the country. The city suffered more than 100 related deaths, and millions of dollars in property damage in a swath of destruction for miles through the city.
Civic involvement
Dahlman was a member of several social and philanthropic organizations, including the Omaha Community Chest, the Omaha
Chamber of Commerce
A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...
, the
Young Men's Christian Association
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
, the Omaha Library Commission, the Fraternal Aid Union, the
Royal Arcanum
The Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum, commonly known simply as the Royal Arcanum, is a fraternal benefit society founded in 1877 in Boston, Massachusetts by John A. Cummings and Darius Wilson, who had previously been among the founders of the ...
, the
Woodmen of the World
WoodmenLife (officially Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society) is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society founded in 1890, based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members.
...
, the
Ancient Order of United Workmen
The Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW) was a fraternal organization in the United States and Canada, providing mutual social and financial support after the American Civil War. It was the first of the "fraternal benefit societies", organizatio ...
, the
Moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
and the
Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City.
History
The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...
. He was president of the Americanization League.
Omaha Race Riot of 1919
After keeping the mayorship for three terms in a row, Dahlman lost the 1918 election to
Edward P. Smith, a reformist Democrat who was supported by the powerful
Omaha Church Federation and the Douglas County Dry League. Smith focused his slate on making Omaha a dry city, cleaning up the "vice" elements of the city, and securing a positive future for the city's businesses. Smith and the city commission that shared his reformist objectives were the bane of Tom Dennison.
Later a grand jury found suggested that the "vice element" or Dennison's men, had assaulted women while in
blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person.
In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...
, to raise racial tensions in the city. Postwar social issues, as in other industrial cities, were brewing, as groups competed for space and jobs. Blacks were recruited by the
meatpacking
The meat-packing industry (also spelled meatpacking industry or meat packing industry) handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat from animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. Poultry is generally no ...
industry as strikebreakers, which increased hostility of white ethnics toward them. Their numbers increased dramatically in Omaha between 1910 and 1920; it was the only place in the state where many blacks lived. Ethnic Irish were involved in an earlier riot in Greektown, resulting in attacks, burning of buildings and Greeks' leaving Omaha.
[(nd]
"Who Was to Blame?"
NebraskaStudies.org. Retrieved 9/4/07.
In September 1919 an
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
named Willy Brown was accused of rape and taken to the county courthouse for protection. A mob of white men from South Omaha, who were mostly of white ethnic immigrant descent, marched to the
Douglas County Courthouse and ended up
lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
Brown, after attacking and burning the courthouse. While there were reports that the violence was led by a variety of men, one of Dennison's henchman was seen urging on the mob. Dennison quickly got him out of town after the riot. Contemporary historians believe that Dennison, acting on behalf of Dahlman, contributed to the poisonous atmosphere in the city, if not to the specific event.
The report of the
grand jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
trial, initiated two weeks after the riot, stated the riot "was not a casual affair; it was premeditated and planned by those secret and invisible forces that today are fighting you and the men who represent good government."
Because of the riot, Smith never could recover his political career. He had barely survived being lynched himself. He hired 100 more police officers for the city, but could recover no political momentum. He refused to take any action with the city commission. In 1921 Dahlman and his ticket were re-elected into control of the city.
Death
Dahlman died in office January 21, 1930.
Legacy
After his death, the
Dahlman neighborhood, Dahlman School, Dahlman Park and Dahlman Avenue in Omaha were named in his honor.
In 1964, Dahlman was inducted into the
Hall of Great Westerners
The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...
, cited as "the Cowboy Mayor of Omaha, cattleman and Sheriff of Dawes County."
His two grandsons went to the U.S. Naval Academy. The
USS ''Collett'' (DD-730) was named for the eldest grandson, John A. Collett, and the first commanding officer was the other grandson, James Dahlman Collett.
In 1964, he was inducted into the
Hall of Great Westerners
The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...
of the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...
.
Popular culture
Jim Dahlman makes an appearance in the historical novel
Kings of Broken Things' by
Theodore Wheeler that is set in Omaha during the era of
Tom Dennison's control. The novel depicts the Omaha Race Riot of 1919 and an attempt to fix the municipal election of 1918 when Dahlman lost his re-election bid.
Political timeline
James Dahlman was a lifelong Democrat who served in the following positions:
See also
*
History of Omaha
The history of Omaha, Nebraska, began before the settlement of the city, with speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa staking land across the Missouri River illegally as early as the 1840s. When it was legal to claim land in Indian C ...
*
List of mayors of Omaha
This is a list of mayors of Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
List of mayors
See also
* Government of Omaha
* History of Omaha
References
{{Omaha
Omaha
*
Mayors
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipa ...
References
External links
"Recollections of Cowboy Life in Western Nebraska."An address given by James Dahlman at the Annual Meeting of the
Nebraska State Historical Society
History Nebraska, formerly the Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." I ...
on January 10, 1922.
Photo of Dahlman* (1909
''Omaha Police Souvenir Book.''
Photo of Dahlmanfrom the ''Omaha Police Souvenir Book.''
1908 photo
Bibliography
* (1927) "Sketches of American mayors," ''National Municipal Review. 16''(2). p 111–117.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dahlman, James
People from Yorktown, Texas
Mayors of Omaha, Nebraska
1856 births
1930 deaths
American cattlemen
Nebraska Democrats
American agnostics
American crime bosses
American people of German descent
Crime in Omaha, Nebraska
United States Marshals
People from Chadron, Nebraska
State political party chairs of Nebraska
People from Valentine, Nebraska