Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the
U.S. state of
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Douglas County.
Omaha is in the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
on the
Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the
Platte River.
The nation's 39th-largest city, Omaha's
2020 census population was 486,051.
Omaha is the anchor of the eight-county, bi-state
Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. The Omaha Metropolitan Area is the
58th-largest in the United States, with a population of 967,604.
The Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA
Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
(CSA) totaled 1,004,771, according to 2020 estimates. Approximately 1.5 million people reside within the Greater Omaha area, within a radius of
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and ...
. It is ranked as a
global city by the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network
The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leicestershi ...
, which in 2020 gave it "sufficiency" status.
Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854, when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...
. The city was founded along the Missouri River, and a crossing called
Lone Tree Ferry The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, US, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown. Brown was the first pio ...
earned the city its nickname, the "Gateway to the West". Omaha introduced this new West to the world in 1898, when it played host to the World's Fair, dubbed the
Trans-Mississippi Exposition. During the 19th century, Omaha's central location in the United States spurred the city to become an important national
transportation hub. Throughout the rest of the 19th century, the transportation and
jobbing sectors were important in the city, along with its
railroads and
breweries
A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...
. In the 20th century, the
Omaha Stockyards The Union Stockyards of Omaha, Nebraska, were founded in 1883 in South Omaha by the Union Stock Yards Company of Omaha. A fierce rival of Chicago's Union Stock Yards, the Omaha Union Stockyards were third in the United States for production by 1890. ...
, once the world's largest, and its
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 ...
plants gained international prominence.
Today, Omaha is the home to the headquarters of four
Fortune 500
The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...
companies: conglomerate
Berkshire Hathaway; one of the world's largest construction companies,
Kiewit Corporation; insurance and financial firm
Mutual of Omaha; and the United States' largest railroad operator,
Union Pacific Corporation
The Union Pacific Corporation (Union Pacific) is a publicly traded railroad holding company. It was incorporated in Utah in 1969 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the parent company of the current, Delaware-registered, form of the ...
. Berkshire Hathaway is headed by local investor
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net w ...
, one of the wealthiest people in the world, according to a decade's worth of ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' rankings, some of which have ranked him as high as No. 1.
Omaha is also the home to five
Fortune 1000
The Fortune 1000 are the 1,000 largest American companies ranked by revenues, as compiled by the American business magazine ''Fortune''. It only includes companies which are incorporated or authorized to do business in the United States, and for ...
headquarters:
Green Plains
Green Plains is an American company based in Omaha, Nebraska that was founded in 2004. The company is the third largest ethanol fuel producer in North America (as of February 2012). It was reported in early 2012 that the company ships approximate ...
,
Intrado,
TD Ameritrade,
Valmont Industries
Valmont Industries, Inc. () is a large, publicly held American manufacturer of Valley center pivot and linear irrigation equipment, windmill
A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails o ...
, and
Werner Enterprises. Also headquartered in Omaha are the following:
First National Bank of Omaha
First National Bank Omaha is a bank headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The namesake and leading subsidiary of First National of Nebraska, it is the third largest privately held bank subsidiary in the United States with $17 billion in assets and 43 ...
, the third largest privately held bank in the United States; three of the nation's ten largest architecture/engineering firms (
DLR Group
DLR Group is an employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design. A self-described advocate for sustainable design, the ...
,
HDR, Inc.
HDR, Inc. is an employee-owned design firm, specializing in engineering, architecture, environmental, and construction services. HDR has worked on projects in all 50 U.S. states and in 60 countries, including notable projects such as the Hoover ...
, and
Leo A Daly
LEO A DALY, established by Leo A. Daly, Sr. in 1915, is an American architecture, planning, engineering, interior design and program management firm. The firm's portfolio includes projects in 91 countries, all 50 U.S. states and the District of C ...
);
and the
Gallup Organization, of
Gallup Poll fame, and its riverfront Gallup University.
Notable modern Omaha inventions include the following: the "pink hair curler" created at Omaha's
Tip-Top Products
Carl Willard Renstrom (September 27, 1902 – November 13, 1981) was an American multi-millionaire businessman who made his fortune selling hair curlers and other hair accessories through his company, Tip-Top Products.
Early life
Renstrom was born ...
;
Butter Brickle
Butter Brickle is a chocolate-coated toffee first sold 20 November 1924 by candy manufacturer John G. Woodward Co. of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and toffee pieces for flavoring ice cream, manufactured by The Fenn Bros. Ice Cream and Candy Co. of Sioux F ...
Ice Cream, and the
Reuben sandwich, conceived by a chef at the then–
Blackstone Hotel on 36th and Farnam Streets; cake mix, developed by
Duncan Hines
Duncan Hines (March 26, 1880 – March 15, 1959) was an Americans, American pioneer of restaurant ratings for travelers. He is best known today for the brand of food products that bears his name.
Early life
Hines was born in Bowling Green, Kentu ...
, then a division of Omaha's Nebraska Consolidated Mills, the forerunner to today's ConAgra Foods; center-pivot irrigation by the Omaha company now known as Valmont Corporation;
Raisin Bran
Raisin bran (sultana bran in some countries; see sultana grape) is a breakfast cereal containing raisins and bran flakes. Raisin bran is manufactured by several companies under a variety of brand names, including the popularly known Kellogg's R ...
, developed by Omaha's Skinner Macaroni Co.; the first
ski lift
A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Hochschwarzwald.
Types
* Aerial l ...
in the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, in 1936, by Omaha's
Union Pacific Corp.; the
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
radio format, pioneered by
Todd Storz, scion of Omaha's
Storz Brewing Co. and head of Storz Broadcasting, and first used in the U.S. at Omaha's
KOWH Radio; and the
TV dinner, developed by Omaha's
Carl A. Swanson
Carl Anton Swanson (May 1, 1879 – October 9, 1949) was the founder of the national food production company Swanson.
Background
Carl Anton Swanson was born in Karlskrona, Blekinge County, Sweden. He came to the United States in 1896 at the age o ...
.
History
![Logan fontenelle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Logan_fontenelle.jpg)
Various
Native American tribes had lived in the land that became Omaha, including since the 17th century, the
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 ...
and
Ponca
The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...
,
Dhegihan-Siouan language people who had originated in the lower Ohio River valley and migrated west by the early 17th century;
Pawnee,
Otoe
The Otoe (Chiwere: Jiwére) are a Native American people of the Midwestern United States. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa, Missouria, and Ho-Chunk tribes.
Historically, t ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, and
Ioway
The Iowa, also known as Ioway, and the Bah-Kho-Je or Báxoje (English: grey snow; Chiwere: Báxoje ich'é) are a Native American Siouan people. Today, they are enrolled in either of two federally recognized tribes, the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and ...
. The word ''Omaha'' (actually ''Umoⁿhoⁿ'' or ''Umaⁿhaⁿ'') in the Omaha language means "Upstream People" or "Against The Current."
In 1804 the
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
passed the riverbanks where the city of Omaha would be built. Between July 30 and August 3, 1804, members of the expedition, including
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...
and
William Clark, met with Oto and Missouria tribal leaders at the
Council Bluff at a point about north of present-day Omaha. Immediately south of that area, Americans built several fur trading outposts in succeeding years, including
Fort Lisa in 1812;
Fort Atkinson in 1819;
Cabanné's Trading Post
Cabanne's Trading Post was established in 1822 by the American Fur Company as Fort Robidoux near present-day Dodge Park in North Omaha, Nebraska, North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was named for the influential fur trapper Joseph Robidoux II ...
, built in 1822, and
Fontenelle's Post in 1823, in what became
Bellevue. There was fierce competition among fur traders until John Jacob Astor created the monopoly of the
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British co ...
. The
Mormons
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
built a town called
Cutler's Park in the area in 1846. While it was temporary, the settlement provided the basis for further development.
Through 26 separate treaties with the United States federal government,
Native American tribes in Nebraska
Native American tribes in the U.S. state of Nebraska have been Plains Indians, descendants of succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples who have occupied the area for thousands of years. More than 15 historic tribes have been identified as having ...
gradually ceded the lands that now make up the state. The treaty and cession involving the Omaha area occurred in 1854 when the
Omaha Tribe
The Omaha ( Omaha-Ponca: ''Umoⁿhoⁿ'') are a federally recognized Midwestern Native American tribe who reside on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States. There were 5,427 enrolled members as of 2012. The ...
ceded most of east-central Nebraska.
Logan Fontenelle
Logan Fontenelle (May 6, 1825 – July 16, 1855), also known as ''Shon-ga-ska'' (White Horse), was a trader of Omaha and French ancestry, who served for years as an interpreter to the US Indian agent at the Bellevue Agency in Nebraska. He was e ...
, an interpreter for the Omaha and signatory to the 1854 treaty, played an essential role in those proceedings.
Pioneer Omaha
Before it was legal to claim land in
Indian Country,
William D. Brown
William D. Brown (1813 – February 3, 1868) was the first pioneer to envision building a city where Omaha, Nebraska sits today. Many historians attribute Brown to be the founder of Omaha, although this has been disputed since the late nineteenth ...
operated the
Lone Tree Ferry The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, US, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown. Brown was the first pio ...
that brought settlers from Council Bluffs, Iowa to the area that became Omaha. Brown is generally credited as having the first vision for a city where Omaha now sits.
[ Federal Writers Project of the ]Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. (1970)
Nebraska: A Guide to the Cornhusker State
.'' 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 ...
. p. 241. The passage of the
Kansas–Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law by ...
in 1854 was presaged by the staking out of claims around the area to become Omaha by residents from neighboring Council Bluffs. On July 4, 1854, the city was informally established at a picnic on Capital Hill, current site of
Omaha Central High School
Omaha Central High School, originally known as Omaha High School, is a fully accredited public high school located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is one of many public high schools located in Omaha. As of the 2015-16 academic year, ...
. Soon after, the
Omaha Claim Club The Omaha Claim Club, also called the Omaha Township Claim Association(1954 ''Omaha's First Century''. Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 7/14/07. and the Omaha Land Company, was organized in 1854 for the purpose of "encouraging the building of a city"Mo ...
was formed to provide
vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
justice for
claim jumpers and others who infringed on the land of many of the city's
founding fathers
The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...
. Some of this land, which now wraps around Downtown Omaha, was later used to entice
Nebraska Territorial legislators to an area called
Scriptown Scriptown was the name of the first subdivision in the history of Omaha, which at the time was located in Nebraska Territory. It was called "Scriptown" because scrip was used as payment, similar to how a company would pay employees when regular mon ...
. The Territorial capitol was in Omaha, but when Nebraska became a state in 1867, the capital was relocated to
Lincoln, south-west of Omaha. The
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
later ruled against numerous landowners whose violent actions were condemned in ''
Baker v. Morton
''Baker v. Morton'', 79 U.S. (12 Wall.) 150 (1870), was the second of two land claim suits to come out of Omaha, Nebraska Territory, filed in September 1860, prior to statehood. A claim jumper filed suit against local land barons to stake out a h ...
''.
Many of Omaha's founding figures stayed at the
Douglas House or the
Cozzens House Hotel
The Cozzens House Hotel, later known as the Canfield House, was a pioneer hotel located at 9th & Harney Streets in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Constructed in by Union Pacific promoter George Francis Train, the 120-room hotel cost $60,000 to build ...
.
Dodge Street
Dodge Street is the main east–west street in Omaha, Nebraska. Numbered as U.S. Route 6 (US 6), the street starts in Downtown Omaha and connects to West Dodge Road just west of 78th Street. From there, it continues westward through the ...
was important early in the city's early commercial history;
North 24th Street
North 24th Street is a two-way street that runs south–north in the North Omaha area of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. With the street beginning at Dodge Street, the historically significant section of the street runs from Cuming Street to Ames ...
and
South 24th Street also developed independently as business districts. Early pioneers were buried in
Prospect Hill Cemetery and Cedar Hill Cemetery. Cedar Hill closed in the 1860s and its graves were moved to Prospect Hill, where pioneers were later joined by soldiers from
Fort Omaha,
African Americans
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 ...
and early
European immigrants
European emigration is the successive emigration waves from the European continent to other continents. The origins of the various European diasporas can be traced to the people who left the European nation states or stateless ethnic communities ...
. There are several other
historical cemeteries in Omaha, historical
Jewish synagogues and historical
Christian churches dating from the pioneer era, as well. Two sculpture parks, Pioneer Courage and Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness and
The Transcontinental Railroad, celebrate the city's pioneering history.
19th century
![hotelfontenelle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Hotelfontenelle.jpg)
The
economy of Omaha The economy of Omaha, Nebraska is linked to the city's status as a major commercial hub in the Midwestern United States since its founding in 1854. Dubbed the "Motor Mouth City" by ''The New York Times'',Feder, J"Omaha: Talk, Talk, Talk of Telemarke ...
boomed and busted through its early years. In 1858, the ''Omaha Daily Republican'' was founded by the ''Omaha Printing Company (rebranded Aradius Group, 2016)'', it was Nebraska's first regional newspaper–founded before Nebraska claimed statehood. Omaha was a stopping point for settlers and prospectors heading west, either overland or by the Missouri River. The steamboat ''
Bertrand
Bertrand may refer to:
Places
* Bertrand, Missouri, US
* Bertrand, Nebraska, US
* Bertrand, New Brunswick, Canada
* Bertrand Township, Michigan, US
* Bertrand, Michigan
* Bertrand, Virginia, US
* Bertrand Creek, state of Washington
* Saint-Bert ...
'' sank north of Omaha on its way to the goldfields in 1865. Its massive collection of artifacts is on display at the nearby
Desoto National Wildlife Refuge. The
jobbing and wholesaling district brought new jobs, followed by the
railroads and the stockyards. Groundbreaking for the
First transcontinental railroad
North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...
in 1863, provided an essential developmental boom for the city. In 1862, the
U.S. Congress allowed the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
to begin building westward railways;
in January 1866 it commenced construction out of Omaha.
A History of Travel in America
'' by Seymour Dunbar, Bobbs-Merrill Company (1915), pg. 1350; (Retrieved 9/25/08)
The
Union Stockyards
The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, was the meatpacking district in Chicago for more than a century, starting in 1865. The district was operated by a group of railroad companies that acquired marshland and turned it into a central ...
, another important part of the city's development, were founded in South Omaha in 1883. Within 20 years, Omaha had four of the five major
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 ...
companies in the United States. By the 1950s, half the city's workforce was employed in meatpacking and processing. Meatpacking, jobbing and railroads were responsible for most of the growth in the city from the late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century.
Immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
soon created
ethnic enclave
In sociology, an ethnic enclave is a geographic area with high ethnic concentration, characteristic cultural identity, and economic activity. The term is usually used to refer to either a residential area or a workspace with a high concentration ...
s throughout the city, including Irish in
Sheelytown Sheelytown was a historic ethnic neighborhood in South Omaha, Nebraska, USA with populations of Irish, Polish and other first generation immigrants. Located north of the Union Stockyards, it was bounded by Edward Creighton Boulevard on the north, ...
in South Omaha; Germans in the
Near North Side, joined by the European Jews and black migrants from
the South;
Little Italy and
Little Bohemia in South Omaha. Beginning in the late 19th century, Omaha's upper class lived in posh enclaves throughout the city, including the south and
north
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
Gold Coast neighborhoods,
Bemis Park,
Kountze Place The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located betw ...
,
Field Club
Field Club is a neighborhood located in the Midtown region of Omaha, Nebraska. Roughly bounded by Pacific Street, 32nd Avenue, Center St., and 36th Street, the neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic dis ...
and throughout
Midtown Omaha
Midtown is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska that is a culturally, socially and economically important area of the city. It is home to major research centers, national corporations, several historic districts, and a number of historic residenc ...
. They traveled the city's sprawling
park system
A park system, also known as an open space system, is a network of green spaces that are connected by public walkways, bridleways or cycleways. The concept first emerged with the need to minimize fragmentation of natural environments and was r ...
on
boulevards designed by renowned
landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manageme ...
Horace Cleveland
Horace William Shaler Cleveland (December 16, 1814 – December 5, 1900) was an American landscape architect. His approach to natural landscape design can be seen in projects such as the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Con ...
. The
Omaha Horse Railway
The Omaha Horse Railway was a private transportation company in early Omaha, Nebraska. The company was founded in 1867 by Founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha pioneers Ezra Millard, Andrew J. Hanscom and Augustus Kountze to provide horsecar ...
first carried passengers throughout the city, as did the later
Omaha Cable Tramway Company The Cable Tramway Company of Omaha, Nebraska started in 1884 and ended in 1895. It was the only cable car line ever built in Omaha, and had only four lines of tracks in operation.
History
The Omaha Cable Tramway Company was originally formed in 188 ...
and several similar companies. In 1888, the
Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company
The Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company, known as O&CB, was incorporated in 1886 in order to connect Omaha, Nebraska with Council Bluffs, Iowa over the Missouri River. With a sanctioned monopoly over streetcar service in the two ci ...
built the
Douglas Street Bridge
The Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge was a Whipple through truss bridge that was the first road bridge to cross the Missouri River connecting Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was replaced in 1966 by the Interstate 480 girder bridge.
History
O ...
, the first pedestrian and wagon bridge between Omaha and Council Bluffs.
Gambling, drinking and prostitution were widespread in the 19th century, first rampant in the city's
Burnt District
The Burnt District was the original red light district in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 19th century. The area was located east of Creighton University from Douglas Street six blocks north to Cass Street and from the Missouri River west to Sixteenth ...
and later in the
Sporting District. Controlled by Omaha's
political boss Tom Dennison by 1890,
criminal elements
Under United States law, an element of a crime (or element of an offense) is one of a set of facts that must all be proven to convict a defendant of a crime. Before a court finds a defendant guilty of a criminal offense, the prosecution must presen ...
enjoyed support from Omaha's "perpetual" mayor,
"Cowboy Jim" Dahlman, nicknamed for his eight terms as mayor.
Calamities such as the
Great Flood of 1881
The Great Flood of 1881 refers to flooding events along the Missouri River during the spring of 1881. The flood began around Pierre, South Dakota and struck areas down river in Yankton, South Dakota, Omaha, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nebraska ...
did not slow down the city's violence. In 1882, the
Camp Dump Strike pitted state militia against unionized strikers, drawing national attention to Omaha's labor troubles. The
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 ...
had to call in
U.S. Army troops from nearby Fort Omaha to protect
strikebreakers
A strikebreaker (sometimes called a scab, blackleg, or knobstick) is a person who works despite a strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who were not employed by the company before the trade union dispute but hired after or during the str ...
for the
Burlington Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...
, bringing along
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon.
The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyc ...
s and a
cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
for defense. When the event ended, one man was dead and several were wounded. In 1891, a mob hanged
Joe Coe, an African-American porter after he was accused of raping a white girl.
There were also several other
riots and civil unrest events in Omaha during this period.
In 1898, Omaha's leaders, under the guidance of
Gurdon Wattles
Gurdon Wallace Wattles (May 12, 1855 - January 31, 1932) was an early businessman, banker, and civic leader in Omaha, Nebraska, who became responsible for bankrolling much of early Hollywood.(2006"Gurdon Wattles", ''Hollywood Heritage''. Septemb ...
, held the
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coa ...
, touted as a celebration of agricultural and industrial growth throughout the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
. The
Indian Congress
The Indian Congress occurred from August 4 to October 31, 1898 in Omaha, Nebraska, in conjunction with the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition. Occurring within a decade of the end of the Indian Wars, the Indian Congress was the largest ...
, which drew more than 500
American Indians from across the country, was held simultaneously. More than 2 million visitors attended these events at
Kountze Park
Kountze Park is an urban public park located at 1920 Pinkney Street in the Kountze Place neighborhood of North Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. The Park is historically significant as the site of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition of 1898.
A ...
and the
Omaha Driving Park
The Omaha Driving Park, later called Sunset Driving Park, was located in North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was an important recreational and sports venue in the history of Omaha.
History
In 1875, the Omaha Driving Park Association purcha ...
in the
Kountze Place The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located betw ...
neighborhood.
20th century
With dramatically increasing population in the 20th century, competition and fierce labor struggles led to major civil unrest. In 1900, Omaha was the center of a national uproar over the
kidnapping of
Edward Cudahy, Jr.
Edward Aloysius Cudahy Jr. (August 22, 1885 - January 8, 1966), also known as Eddie Cudahy, was kidnapped on December 18, 1900 in Omaha, Nebraska. Edward Cudahy Sr. was the wealthy owner of the Cudahy Packing Company, which helped build the Omaha ...
, the son of a local
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 ...
magnate.
The city's labor and management clashed in bitter strikes,
racial tension
An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more contending ethnic groups. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic group's positio ...
escalated as Blacks were hired as strikebreakers, and ethnic strife broke out. A
major riot by earlier immigrants in South Omaha destroyed the city's
Greek Town
Greektown is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Greeks or people of Greek ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.
History
The oldest Greek dominated neighborhood outside of Greece were probably the Fener in Istanb ...
in 1909, completely driving out the Greek population.
The
civil rights movement in Omaha has roots that extend back to 1912, when the first chapter of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
west of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
was founded in the city.
The
Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913 destroyed much of the city's
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
community, in addition to much of Midtown Omaha.
Six years later, in 1919, the city was caught up in the
Red Summer riots when thousands of whites marched from South Omaha to the courthouse to lynch a Black worker, Willy Brown, a suspect in an alleged rape of a white woman. The mob burned the
Douglas County Courthouse to get the prisoner, causing more than $1 million damage. They hanged and shot Will Brown, then burned his body. Troops were called in from Fort Omaha to quell the riot, prevent more crowds gathering in South Omaha, and to protect the Black community in North Omaha.
The
culture of North Omaha thrived throughout the 1920s through 1950s, with several creative figures, including
Tillie Olsen
Tillie may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places in the United States
* Tillie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community
* Tillie, Pennsylvania, a former populated place
* Tillie Creek, California
People
* Tillie (name), a given name and surname
Animal
* Tilli ...
,
Wallace Thurman,
Lloyd Hunter
Lloyd Hunter (May 4, 1910–month and date unknown, 1961) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from North Omaha, Nebraska.(nd"Jammin’ For the Jackpot: Big Bands and Territory Bands of the 30s" New World Records, p. 10. .
Biography
Hunt ...
, and
Anna Mae Winburn
Anna Mae Winburn ''(née'' Darden; August 13, 1913 – September 30, 1999) was an influential American vocalist and jazz bandleader who flourished beginning in the mid-1930s. An African American, she is best known for having directed the Interna ...
emerging from the vibrant Near North Side.
Musicians created their own world in Omaha, and also joined national bands and groups that toured and appeared in the city.
After the tumultuous
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
of the 1930s, Omaha rebounded with the development of
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air ...
just south of the city. The
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company—also known as The Martin Company from 1957-1961—was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company founded by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin, and operated between 1917-1961. The Martin Company produc ...
operated a factory there in the 1940s that produced 521
B-29
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fly ...
''Superfortresses'', including the ''
Enola Gay
The ''Enola Gay'' () is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August 1945, piloted by Tibbets and Robert A. Lewis during the final stages of World War II, it be ...
'' and ''
Bockscar
''Bockscar'', sometimes called Bock's Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped a Fat Man nuclear weapon over the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II in the secondand most recent nuclear attack in ...
'' used in
the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II.
The construction of
Interstates
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
80,
480
__NOTOC__
Year 480 ( CDLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Basilius without colleague (or, less frequently, year 123 ...
and
680
__NOTOC__
Year 680 ( DCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 680 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
, along with the
North Omaha Freeway, spurred development. There was also controversy, particularly in North Omaha, where new routes bisected several neighborhoods.
Creighton University hosted the
DePorres Club
The DePorres Club was an early pioneer organization in the Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska, whose "goals and tactics foreshadowed the efforts of civil rights activists throughout the nation in the 1960s." The club was an affiliate of CORE ...
, an early civil rights group whose use of sit-in strategies for integration of public facilities predated the national movement.
Following the development of the Glenn L. Martin Company bomber manufacturing plant in
Bellevue at the beginning of World War II, the relocation of the
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
to the Omaha suburb in 1948 provided a major economic boost to the area.
From the 1950s through the 1960s, more than 40 insurance companies were headquartered in Omaha, including
Woodmen of the World and
Mutual of Omaha. By the late 1960s, the city rivaled, but never surpassed, the United States insurance centers of
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, New York City and
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
.
After surpassing Chicago in
meat processing by the late 1950s, Omaha suffered the loss of 10,000 jobs as both the railroad and meatpacking industries restructured. The city struggled for decades to shift its economy as workers suffered. Poverty became more entrenched among families who remained in North Omaha.
In the 1960s, three major race riots along
North 24th Street
North 24th Street is a two-way street that runs south–north in the North Omaha area of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. With the street beginning at Dodge Street, the historically significant section of the street runs from Cuming Street to Ames ...
destroyed the Near North Side's economic base, with recovery slow for decades. In 1969,
Woodmen Tower
WoodmenLife Tower, formerly the Woodmen Tower, is a 478-ft (146-m) high-rise building at 1700 Farnam Street in Downtown Omaha, downtown Omaha, Nebraska, and headquarters of WoodmenLife insurance company.
History
Construction began in 1966, with ...
was completed and became Omaha's tallest building and first major skyscraper at , a sign of renewal.
![OmahaKiewitPlaza](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/OmahaKiewitPlaza.jpg)
Since the 1970s, Omaha has continued expanding and growing, mostly to available land to the west.
West Omaha West Omaha is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska, that comprises all points within the Omaha metropolitan area west of 90th Street.
Communities
West Omaha is home to several communities, including the historical Boys Town. Ralston, a city in s ...
has become home to the majority of the city's population. North and South Omaha's populations continue to be centers of new immigrants, with economic and racial diversity. In 1975 a
major tornado, along with a
major blizzard, caused more than
$100 million in damages in 1975 dollars.
Downtown Omaha has since been rejuvenated in numerous ways, starting with the development of
Gene Leahy Mall
Gene Leahy Mall, also known locally as Central Park or The Mall, is a park located at 1302 Farnam on the Mall in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A., and bordered by South 10th Street. There are also two huge slides, a sculpture garden, a remote-cont ...
and
W. Dale Clark Library The Omaha Public Library in Omaha Nebraska currently has 12 locations.
W. Dale Clark Main Library
W. Dale Clark Library in Omaha, Nebraska is the Downtown Omaha, downtown location of the Omaha Public Library. Located at the intersection of 15th a ...
in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, Omaha's fruit warehouses were converted into a shopping area called the
Old Market.
The demolition of
Jobber's Canyon
Jobbers Canyon Historic District was a large industrial and warehouse area comprising 24 buildings located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, US. It was roughly bound by Farnam Street on the north, South Eighth Street on the east, Jackson Street on the ...
in 1989 led to the creation of the
ConAgra Foods
Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
campus. Several nearby buildings, including the
Nash Block
The Nash Block, also known as the McKesson-Robbins Warehouse and currently as The Greenhouse, is located at 902-912 Farnam Street in Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by Thomas R. Kimball and built in 1907, the building is the last remnant of Downtown Omah ...
, have been converted into condominiums. The stockyards were taken down; the only surviving building is the
Livestock Exchange Building, which was converted to multi-use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A
historic preservation
Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...
movement in Omaha has led to a number of historic structures and districts being designated
Omaha Landmark
This article covers Omaha Landmarks designated by the City of Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission. In addition, it includes structures or buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and those few designated as Nation ...
s or listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. Much of the push toward preservation came after Omaha gained the notorious designation of having, in 1989, demolished the largest-ever
National Register historic district in the United States, a record that still stands as of 2013. The
Jobbers Canyon Historic District
Jobbers Canyon Historic District was a large industrial and warehouse area comprising 24 buildings located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, US. It was roughly bound by Farnam Street on the north, South Eighth Street on the east, Jackson Street on the ...
, along the Missouri River, was felled for a new headquarters campus for ConAgra Foods, a company which threatened to relocate if Omaha did not allow them to raze the city's historic district. The Jobber's Canyon warehouses had before then been allowed to deteriorate and were the scene of several fires set by the homeless population that had come to live in the abandoned buildings. At the time, there were no plans in place for revitalizing the buildings.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Omaha also saw major company headquarters leave the city, including
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. ...
, founded in the city in 1930 and taken to Houston in 1987 by the now-notorious
Kenneth Lay.
First Data Corporation, a large credit-card processor, also was founded in Omaha in 1969; as of 2009, its headquarters are in Atlanta.
Inacom, founded in Omaha in 1991, was a technology company that customized computer systems for large businesses, and was on the Fortune 500 list from 1997 until 2000, when it filed for bankruptcy.
Northwestern Bell
Northwestern Bell Telephone Company served the states of the upper Midwest opposite the Southwestern Bell area, including Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.
History
Early beginnings
It has never been definitively estab ...
, the
Bell System
The Bell System was a system of telecommunication companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T), that dominated the telephone services industry in North America for over one hundr ...
affiliate for Northwestern states, had its headquarters in Omaha from its founding in 1896 until it moved to Denver in 1991 as
US West.
Level 3 Communications, a large
Tier 1 network provider, was founded in Omaha in 1985 as Kiewit Diversified Group, a division of
Kiewit Corporation, a Fortune 500 construction and mining company still headquartered in Omaha; Level 3 moved to Denver in 1998.
World Com
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
was founded by a merger with Omaha's MFS Communications, started as
Metropolitan Fiber Systems
MFS Communications Company, Inc. (Metropolitan Fiber Systems) was a competitive local exchange carrier that owned and operated local network access facilities installed in and around major U.S. cities and several major European cities. MFS also po ...
in 1993. MFS, backed by
Kiewit Corporation CEO Walter Scott and
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net w ...
, purchased
UUNET
UUNET, founded in 1987, was one of the largest Internet service providers and one of the early Tier 1 networks. It was based in Northern Virginia and was one of the first commercial Internet service providers. Today, UUNET is an internal brand ...
, one of the largest Internet backbones in the world, for $2 billion in 1996. The now-infamous
Bernie Ebbers
Bernard John Ebbers (August 27, 1941 – February 2, 2020) was a Canadian businessman, the co-founder and CEO of WorldCom and a convicted fraudster. Under his management, WorldCom grew rapidly but collapsed in 2002 amid revelations of accounting ...
purchased the much larger MFS for $14.3 billion in 1997 under his
World Com
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
. He moved headquarters of the merged company from Omaha to Mississippi.
21st century
![Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge (2010)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Bob_Kerrey_Pedestrian_Bridge_%282010%29.jpg)
Around the start of the 21st century, several new downtown skyscrapers and cultural institutions were built.
One First National Center
The First National Bank Tower is a 45-story office skyscraper located at 1601 Dodge Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States, and the official headquarters of First National Bank of Omaha. At it is the tallest building in Omaha and ...
was completed in 2002, surpassing the
Woodmen Tower
WoodmenLife Tower, formerly the Woodmen Tower, is a 478-ft (146-m) high-rise building at 1700 Farnam Street in Downtown Omaha, downtown Omaha, Nebraska, and headquarters of WoodmenLife insurance company.
History
Construction began in 1966, with ...
as the tallest building in Omaha as well as in the state at . The creation of the city's new
North Downtown included the construction of the
CenturyLink Center and the
Slowdown/
Film Streams
Film Streams is a nonprofit arts organization in Omaha, Nebraska which oversees two cinemas: the Ruth Sokolof Theater, in North Downtown Omaha, and the historic Dundee Theater, Omaha's longest surviving neighborhood cinema. It receives funding f ...
development at North 14th and Webster Streets. Construction of the new
TD Ameritrade Park began in 2009 and was completed in 2011, also in the North Downtown area, near the
CenturyLink Center. TD Ameritrade Park is now the home of the College World Series, an event tourists flock to each year.
New construction has occurred throughout the city since the start of the 21st century. Important retail and office developments have occurred in West Omaha such as the Village Pointe shopping center and several business parks including
First National Business Park
First National Business Park is located at 144th & Dodge Streets, just north of Boys Town in West Omaha. CB Richard Ellis regards the park as Omaha's "most prestigious location". It was a significant part of the largest annexation in Omaha's hist ...
and parks for
Bank of the West
Bank of the West is an American financial institution headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. It is a subsidiary of the French international banking group BNP Paribas and has more than 600 branches and offices in the Midwes ...
and C&A Industries, Inc and
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an American multinational financial services corporation specializing in retail brokerage. It is the wealth & asset management division of Morgan Stanley.
On January 13, 2009, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup annou ...
and several others. Downtown and Midtown Omaha have both seen the development of a significant number of
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
s in recent years. In
Midtown Omaha
Midtown is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska that is a culturally, socially and economically important area of the city. It is home to major research centers, national corporations, several historic districts, and a number of historic residenc ...
significant mixed-use projects are underway. The site of the former
Ak-Sar-Ben arena has been redeveloped into a
mixed-use development
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
Aksarben Village
Aksarben Village is a mixed-use development in the central United States, located in Omaha, Nebraska. Measuring over , it is on the land of the former Ak-Sar-Ben coliseum and horse track.
There is over of space for research and business offi ...
. In January 2009
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska announced plans to build a new 10 story, $98 million headquarters, in the
Aksarben Village
Aksarben Village is a mixed-use development in the central United States, located in Omaha, Nebraska. Measuring over , it is on the land of the former Ak-Sar-Ben coliseum and horse track.
There is over of space for research and business offi ...
, completed in Spring 2011.
Gordmans is also building their new corporate headquarters in Aksarben. The other major mixed-use development is
Midtown Crossing at Turner Park. Developed by
Mutual of Omaha, the development includes several condominium towers and retail businesses built around Omaha's Turner Park.
[(200]
Urban Design Element Implementation Measures
OmahaByDesign. p. 6. Retrieved 9/26/08.
The
Holland Performing Arts Center
The Holland Performing Arts Center is a performing arts facility located on 13th and Douglas Streets in downtown Downtown Omaha, Nebraska in the United States; it opened in October 2005. Designed by Omaha architectural firm HDR, Inc. in collabora ...
opened in 2005 near the
Gene Leahy Mall
Gene Leahy Mall, also known locally as Central Park or The Mall, is a park located at 1302 Farnam on the Mall in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A., and bordered by South 10th Street. There are also two huge slides, a sculpture garden, a remote-cont ...
and the
Union Pacific Center
The Union Pacific Center at 1400 Douglas Street is one of downtown Omaha, Nebraska's newest high-rise buildings. It houses the headquarters of the Union Pacific Railroad and its parent company, the Union Pacific Corporation. It officially opened ...
opened in 2004.
There have also been several developments along the Missouri River waterfront in downtown. The
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is a footbridge across the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. It opened on September 28, 2008.
Interest in a landmark bridge across the Missouri River arose after Omaha and Council ...
was opened to foot and bicycle traffic on September 28, 2008. Started in 2003,
RiverFront Place Condos
RiverFront Place Condos is a new condo development located along the riverfront in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east ...
first phase was completed in 2006 and is fully occupied and the second phase was opened in 2011. The development along Omaha's riverfront is attributed with prompting the City of Council Bluffs to move their own riverfront development time line forward.
In the summers of 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2021 the
United States Olympic Team swimming trials were held in Omaha, at the Qwest/Century Link Center.
[2008 United States Olympic Swim Team]
USASwimming.org. Retrieved August 10, 2012. These events were highlights in
the city's sports community, as well as a showcase for redevelopment in the downtown area.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Situated in the Midwestern United States on the bank of the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska, much of Omaha is built in the
Missouri River Valley. Other significant bodies of water in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area include Lake Manawa,
Papillion Creek
Papillion Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 30, 2011 tributary of the Missouri River in Nebraska. Its watershed lies in Washington County, Nebraska, Washing ...
,
Carter Lake, Platte River and the
Glenn Cunningham Lake
Glenn Cunningham Lake is a reservoir located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The lake is located along 96th Street with entrances at State Highway 36, State Street, 96th Street and Rainwood Road. The lake is a part of Little Papillion Creek, w ...
. The city's land has been altered considerably with substantial
land grading
Grading in civil engineering and landscape architectural construction is the work of ensuring a level base, or one with a specified slope, for a construction work such as a foundation, the base course for a road or a railway, or landscape and ga ...
throughout Downtown Omaha and scattered across the city.
East Omaha
East Omaha is a geographically designated community located in Omaha, Nebraska. Located three miles (5 km) from downtown Omaha, East Omaha is the site of Eppley Omaha International Airport, Omaha's main airport, and Carter Lake. This area was ...
sits on a
flood plain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
west of the Missouri River. The area is the location of Carter Lake, an
oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...
. The lake was once the site of East Omaha Island and Florence Lake, which dried up in the 1920s.
The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area consists of eight counties; five in Nebraska and three in Iowa. The metropolitan area now includes
Harrison,
Pottawattamie
The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a me ...
, and
Mills Counties in Iowa and
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, Douglas,
Sarpy,
Cass, and
Saunders Counties in Nebraska. This area was formerly referred to only as the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area and consisted of only five counties: Pottawattamie in Iowa, and Washington, Douglas, Cass, and Sarpy in Nebraska. The Omaha-Council Bluffs
combined statistical area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
comprises the Omaha-Council Bluffs
metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
and the
Fremont Micropolitan statistical area; the CSA has a population of 858,720 (2005 Census Bureau estimate). Omaha ranks as the 42nd-largest city in the United States, and is the core city of its 60th-largest metropolitan area. There are no
consolidated city-counties
In United States local government, a consolidated city-county is formed when one or more cities and their surrounding county ( parish in Louisiana, borough in Alaska) merge into one unified jurisdiction. As such it has the governmental powers ...
in the area; the
City of Omaha studied the possibility extensively through 2003 and concluded, "The City of Omaha and Douglas County should merge into a municipal county, work to commence immediately, and that functional consolidations begin immediately in as many departments as possible, including but not limited to parks,
fleet management, facilities management,
local planning, purchasing and personnel."
Geographically, Omaha is considered as being in the "Heartland" of the United States. Important environmental impacts on the natural habitat in the area include the spread of
invasive plant species, restoring
prairies and
bur oak savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
habitats, and managing the
whitetail deer population.
Omaha is home to several hospitals, mostly along Dodge Street (US6). Being the county seat, it is also the location of the county courthouse.
Neighborhoods
![Above West Omaha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Above_West_Omaha.jpg)
Omaha is generally divided into six geographic areas: Downtown, Midtown, North Omaha, South Omaha, West Omaha, and East Omaha. West Omaha includes the Miracle Hills,
Boys Town, Regency, and Gateway areas.
The city has a wide range of historical and new neighborhoods and suburbs that reflect its
socioeconomic
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local ...
diversity. Early neighborhood development happened in ethnic enclaves, including
Little Italy,
Little Bohemia, Little Mexico and
Greek Town
Greektown is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Greeks or people of Greek ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.
History
The oldest Greek dominated neighborhood outside of Greece were probably the Fener in Istanb ...
. According to U.S. Census data, five European ethnic enclaves existed in Omaha in 1880, expanding to nine in 1900.
Around the start of the 20th century. the City of Omaha annexed several surrounding communities, including
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
,
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
and
Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
. At the same time, the city annexed all of South Omaha, including the
Dahlman and
Burlington Road neighborhood
The Burlington Road neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is bordered by South 42nd Street on the west, L Street on the south, Interstate 80 on the north and Dahlman Avenue on the east. Once incorporated in the City of South Omaha, the area has also bee ...
s. From its first annexation in 1857 (of East Omaha) to its controversial annexation of
Elkhorn in 2007, Omaha has continually had an eye towards growth.
Starting in the 1950s, development of highways and new housing led to the movement of the middle class to
suburbs
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
in West Omaha. Some of the movement was designated as
white flight
White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...
from racial unrest in the 1960s. Newer and poorer migrants lived in older housing close to downtown; those residents who were more established moved west into newer housing. Some suburbs are
gated communities or have become
edge cities
''Edge city'' is a term that originated in the United States for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban residential or ru ...
. Recently, Omahans have made strides to revitalize the downtown and Midtown areas with the redevelopment of the Old Market, Turner Park, Gifford Park, and the designation of the
Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District
The Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District, roughly bounded by Jackson, 15th, and 8th Streets, as well as the Union Pacific main line, is located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Today this historic district includes several buildings listed i ...
.
Climate
Omaha, due to its latitude of 41.26˚ N and location far from moderating bodies of water or mountain ranges, displays a hot-summer
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen: ''Dfa''). July averages , with average relative humidity around 70% which then leads to relatively frequent thunderstorms. Temperatures reach on 29 days and on 1.7 days annually. The January daily average is , with lows reaching on 11 days annually. The lowest temperature recorded in the city was on January 5, 1884,
and the highest on
July 25, 1936.
Average yearly precipitation is , falling mostly in the warmer months. Snow is the most common precipitation in winter, with average seasonal snowfall being .
Based on 30-year averages obtained from
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
's
National Climatic Data Center for the months of December, January and February,
Weather Channel ranked Omaha the 5th coldest major U.S. city as of 2014.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2020, there were 486,051 people and 186,883 households. The population density was 3,361 inhabitants per square mile (1,297/km
2). The city's racial makeup was 77.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 12.3%
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 ...
, 0.6%
Native American, 3.8%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 3.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
people of any race were 13.9% of the population.
Non-Hispanic Whites were 66.6% of the population.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 408,958 people, 162,627 households, and 96,477 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 177,518 housing units at an average density of . The city's racial makeup was 73.1%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 13.7%
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 ...
, 0.8%
Native American, 2.4%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 6.9% from
other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
people of any race were 13.1% of the population.
Non-Hispanic Whites were 68.0% of the population.
There were 162,627 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was at least 65 years old. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.14.
The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 11.4% were 65 years of age or older. The city's gender makeup was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
The median household income (in 2017 dollars) from 2013 to 2017 was $53,789.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 390,007 people, 156,738 households, and 94,983 families residing within city limits. The population density was 3,370.7 people per square mile (1,301.5/km
2). There were 165,731 housing units at an average density of 1,432.4 per square mile (553.1/km
2). The city's racial makeup was 78.4%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 13.3%
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 ...
, 0.7%
Native American, 1.7%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 3.9% from
other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 7.5% of the population.
The city's median household income was $40,006, and the median family income was $50,821. Males had a median income of $34,301 versus $26,652 for females. The city's
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
was $21,756. About 11.3% of the population and 7.8% of families were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 15.6% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older.
Crime
Omaha's
rate of violent crimes per 100,000 residents has been lower than the average rates of three dozen United States cities of similar size. Unlike Omaha, those cities have experienced an increase in violent crime overall since 2003. Rates for property crime have decreased for both Omaha and its peer cities during the same time period. In 2006, Omaha was ranked for homicides as 46th out of the 72 cities in the United States of more than 250,000 in population.
As a major industrial city into the mid-20th century, Omaha shared in social tensions that came with rapid growth and the arrival of large numbers of immigrants and migrants. Persistent poverty resulting from racial discrimination and job losses generated different crimes in the late 20th century, with the drug trade and drug abuse becoming associated with violent crime rates, which climbed after 1986 as Los Angeles gangs made affiliates in the city.
Gambling in Omaha has been an important part of the city's history. From its founding in the 1850s through the 1930s, the city was known as a "wide-open" town where gambling of all sorts was openly accepted. By the 1950s, at the same time large-scale restructuring of the railroads, the meatpacking industry and other sectors caused widespread job losses and unemployment, Omaha reportedly had more illicit gambling than any other city in the nation. From the 1930s through the 1970s, a Mafia-based criminal element controlled gambling in the city.
As most forms of gambling are currently restricted in Nebraska, gambling in Omaha is limited to
keno
Keno is a lottery-like gambling game often played at modern casinos, and also offered as a game in some lotteries.
Players wager by choosing numbers ranging from 1 through (usually) 80. After all players make their wagers, 20 numbers (some va ...
,
lotteries, and
parimutuel betting. This leaves Omahans to drive across the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where casinos are legal and many businesses operate. Recently, the
National Indian Gaming Commission approved a controversial proposal made by the
Ponca
The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...
tribe of Nebraska. It will allow the tribe to build a casino in
Carter Lake, Iowa
Carter Lake is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. A suburb of Omaha, Nebraska, it sits surrounding the south and west sides of the region's major airport, Eppley Airfield. It is separated from the rest of Iowa by the Missouri ...
, which sits on the west side of the Missouri River, adjacent to Omaha, where casinos are illegal.
People
Native Americans were the first residents of the Omaha area. The city of Omaha was established by white settlers from neighboring Council Bluffs who arrived from the
Northeast United States
The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic list of regions of the United States, region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast ...
a few years earlier. While much of the early population was of
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...
stock, over the next 100 years numerous
ethnic groups moved to the city. In 1910, the Census Bureau reported Omaha's population as 96.4% White and 3.6% Black.
Irish immigrants in Omaha originally moved to an area in present-day North Omaha called
Gophertown
Gophertown was a shanty town neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the north side. It was believed to be the first Irish American neighborhood in Omaha. Although the neighborhood's exact boundaries are unknown and there are no historical markers de ...
, as they lived in dug-out
sod house
The sod house or soddy was an often used alternative to the log cabin during frontier settlement of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. Primarily used at first for animal shelters, corrals, and fences, ...
s.
That population was followed by
Polish immigrants in the
Sheelytown Sheelytown was a historic ethnic neighborhood in South Omaha, Nebraska, USA with populations of Irish, Polish and other first generation immigrants. Located north of the Union Stockyards, it was bounded by Edward Creighton Boulevard on the north, ...
neighborhood, and many immigrants were recruited for jobs in South Omaha's
stockyards and meatpacking industry. The
German community in Omaha was largely responsible for founding its once-thriving beer industry, including the
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
,
Krug,
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...
and the
Storz breweries.
Since its founding,
ethnic groups in the city have clustered in
enclaves
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
in
north
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
,
south
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
and
downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and ...
. In its early days, the
sometimes lawless nature of a new frontier city included
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
, such as
illicit gambling and
riots
A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targeted ...
.
In the early 20th century,
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
immigrants set up many businesses along the
North 24th Street
North 24th Street is a two-way street that runs south–north in the North Omaha area of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. With the street beginning at Dodge Street, the historically significant section of the street runs from Cuming Street to Ames ...
commercial area. It suffered with the loss of industrial jobs in the 1960s and later, the shifting of population west of the city. The commercial area is now the center of the
African-American community, concentrated in North Omaha. The African American community has maintained its social and religious base, while it is experiencing an economic revitalization.
The
Little Italy neighborhood grew south of downtown, as many Italian immigrants came to the city to work in the
Union Pacific shops The Union Pacific Railroad Omaha Shops Facility was a shop for the trains of the Union Pacific located at North 9th and Webster in Downtown Omaha. With the first locomotives arriving in 1865, it took until the 1950s for the facility to become the m ...
. Scandinavians first came to Omaha as
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
settlers in the
Florence neighborhood.
Czechs
The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, c ...
had a strong political and cultural voice in Omaha, and were involved in a variety of trades and businesses, including banks, wholesale houses, and funeral homes. The
Notre Dame Academy and Convent and
Czechoslovak Museum
The Czechoslovak Museum is located at 2021 U Street in South Omaha, Nebraska.
History
The original Sokol Hall was established in 1911. It did not contain a Czech museum at that time, but was specifically a social hall for the Sokol organization. ...
are legacies of their residence. Today the legacy of the city's early European immigrant populations is evident in many social and cultural institutions in Downtown and South Omaha.
Mexicans
Mexicans ( es, mexicanos) are the citizens of the United Mexican States.
The most spoken language by Mexicans is Spanish language, Spanish, but some may also speak languages from 68 different Languages of Mexico, Indigenous linguistic groups ...
originally immigrated to Omaha to work in the rail yards. Today they account for most of South Omaha's Hispanic population and many have taken jobs in
meat processing. Other large early ethnic populations in Omaha included
Danes
Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural.
Danes generally regard t ...
,
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
, and
Swedes
Swedes ( sv, svenskar) are a North Germanic ethnic group native to the Nordic region, primarily their nation state of Sweden, who share a common ancestry, culture, history and language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countr ...
.
A growing number of African immigrants have made their homes in Omaha in the last twenty years. There are approximately 8,500
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
ese living in Omaha, including the largest population of
Sudanese refugees in the United States. Most have immigrated since 1995 because of
warfare in Sudan. They represent ten ethnic groups, including the
Nuer Nuer may refer to:
* Nuer people
* Nuer language
The Nuer language (Thok Naath) ("people's language") is a Nilotic language of the Western Nilotic group. It is spoken by the Nuer people of South Sudan and in western Ethiopia (region of Gamb ...
,
Dinka,
Equatoria
Equatoria is a region of southern South Sudan, along the upper reaches of the White Nile. Originally a province of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, it also contained most of northern parts of present-day Uganda, including Lake Albert and West Nile. It ...
ns,
Mauban
Mauban, officially the Municipality of Mauban ( tgl, Bayan ng Mauban), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 71,081 people.
It lies southeast of Manila and some ...
s and
Nubians. Most Sudanese people in Omaha speak the
Nuer language. Other Africans have immigrated to Omaha as well, with one-third from
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, and large populations from
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
,
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
,
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
and
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
.
With the expansion of railroad and industrial jobs in meatpacking, Omaha attracted many immigrants and migrants. As the major city in Nebraska, it has historically been more racially and ethnically diverse than the rest of the state. At times rapid population change, overcrowded housing and job competition have aroused
racial and ethnic tensions. Around the start of the 20th century, violence towards new immigrants in Omaha often erupted out of suspicion and fear.
In 1909, anti-Greek sentiment flared after increased Greek immigration, and worsened their tendency to become
strikebreakers
A strikebreaker (sometimes called a scab, blackleg, or knobstick) is a person who works despite a strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who were not employed by the company before the trade union dispute but hired after or during the str ...
. The killing of a policeman of Irish descent enraged the Irish community; an angry mob violently stormed the Greek neighborhood in Omaha in what would become known as the
Greek Town Riot
The Greek Town riot was a race riot that took place in South Omaha, Nebraska, on February 21, 1909, during which several Greeks were wounded or injured. A mob of 3,000 men displaced some of the population of Greek Town, wrecked 30 buildings there, ...
. That mob violence forced the
Greek immigrant population to flee from the city. By 1910, 53.7% of Omaha's residents and 64.2% of South Omaha's residents were foreign born or had at least one parent born outside of America.
Six years after the Greek Town Riot, in 1915, a mob killed Juan Gonzalez, a Mexican immigrant, near
Scribner Scribner may refer to:
Media
* Charles Scribner's Sons, also known as Scribner or Scribner's, New York City publisher
* ''Scribner's Magazine'', pictorial published from 1887–1939 by Charles Scribner's Sons, then merged with the ''Commentator ...
, a town in the Greater Omaha metropolitan area. The event occurred after an
Omaha Police Department
The Omaha Police Department (OPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The OPD is the largest law enfo ...
officer investigated a criminal operation that sold goods stolen from the nearby railroad yards.
Racial profiling targeted Gonzalez as the culprit. After escaping the city, he was trapped along the
Elkhorn River, where the mob, including several policemen from Omaha, shot him more than twenty times. It was discovered Gonzalez was unarmed, and he had a reliable alibi for the time of the murder. No one was ever indicted for his killing.
In the fall of 1919, following
Red Summer, postwar social and economic tensions, the earlier hiring of African Americans as strikebreakers, and job uncertainty contributed to a mob from South Omaha lynching
Willy Brown
The Omaha Race Riot occurred in Omaha, Nebraska, September 28–29, 1919. The race riot resulted in the lynching of Will Brown, a black civilian; the death of two white rioters; the injuries of many Omaha Police Department officers and civilia ...
and the ensuing
Omaha Race Riot
The Omaha Race Riot occurred in Omaha, Nebraska, September 28–29, 1919. The race riot resulted in the lynching of Will Brown, a black civilian; the death of two white rioters; the injuries of many Omaha Police Department officers and civilia ...
. Trying to defend Brown, the city's mayor,
Edward Parsons Smith
Edward Parsons Smith (September 30, 1860 – May 21, 1930) was the List of mayors of Omaha, Nebraska, mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, from 1918 to 1921.
Biography
Smith was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, on September 30, 1860, and was a son of Edward S ...
, was lynched also, surviving only after a quick rescue.
Like other industrial cities in the U.S., Omaha suffered severe job losses in the 1950s, more than 10,000 in all, as the railroad and meatpacking industries restructured. Stockyards and packing plants were located closer to ranches, and union achievements were lost as wages declined in surviving jobs. Many workers left the area if they could get to other jobs. Poverty deepened in areas of the city whose residents depended on those jobs, specifically North and South Omaha. At the same time, with reduced revenues, the city had less financial ability to respond to longstanding problems.
Despair after the April 1968
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7 ...
contributed to
riots in North Omaha, including one at the
Logan Fontenelle Housing Project The Logan Fontenelle Housing Project was a historic public housing site located from 20th to 24th Streets, and from Paul to Seward Streets in the historic Near North Side neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was built in 1938 by the ...
. For some, the
civil rights movement in Omaha, Nebraska evolved towards
black nationalism, as the
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Califo ...
was involved in tensions in the late 1960s. Organizations such as the
Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity
The Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity, or BANTU, was a youth activism group focused on black power and nationalism in Omaha, Nebraska in the 1960s. Its name is a reference to the Bantu peoples of Southern Africa.
It was reportedly ...
became popular among the city's African-American youth. This tension culminated in the ''
cause célèbre
A cause célèbre (,''Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged'', 12th Edition, 2014. S.v. "cause célèbre". Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause+c%c3%a9l%c3%a8bre ,''Random House Kernerman Webs ...
'' trial of the
Rice/Poindexter Case, in which an
Omaha Police Department
The Omaha Police Department (OPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The OPD is the largest law enfo ...
officer was killed by a bomb while answering an emergency call.
Whites in Omaha have followed the
white flight
White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...
pattern,
suburban
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
izing to West Omaha. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, gang violence and incidents between the
Omaha Police and Black residents undermined relations between groups in North and South Omaha.
Economy
![Omaha, NE Old Market 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Omaha%2C_NE_Old_Market_2010.jpg)
With diversification in several industries, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, architecture/construction, and transportation, Omaha's economy has grown since the early 1990s, and six national fiber optic networks converge in Omaha.
Omaha's most prominent businessman is Warren Buffett, nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha", who is regularly ranked one of the
richest people in the world. Four Omaha-based companies:
Berkshire Hathaway,
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
,
Mutual of Omaha, and
Kiewit Corporation, are among the
''Fortune'' 500.
Omaha is the headquarters of several other major corporations, including
the Gallup Organization
Gallup, Inc. is an American analytics and advisory company based in Washington, D.C. Founded by George Gallup in 1935, the company became known for its public opinion polls conducted worldwide. Starting in the 1980s, Gallup transitioned its bu ...
,
TD Ameritrade,
Werner Enterprises,
First National Bank,
Gavilon
Gavilon is a commodity management firm based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company is organized into two operating segments:
Operating segments
Grain & Ingredients – Gavilon originates, stores, and distributes grains and oilseeds, as well as feed ...
,
Scoular
Scoular (), formally The Scoular Company, is a corporation based in Omaha, Nebraska dedicated to the buying, selling, storage, handling, and processing of grain, feed and food ingredients. The company was founded in 1892 by George Scoular and wa ...
and First Comp Insurance. Many other large national firms have major operations or operational headquarters in Omaha, including
Bank of the West
Bank of the West is an American financial institution headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States. It is a subsidiary of the French international banking group BNP Paribas and has more than 600 branches and offices in the Midwes ...
,
First Data,
Sojern
Sojern provides a digital marketing platform for the travel industry that utilizes programmatic buying and machine learning technology. Sojern partners with travel companies including airlines, OTAs, hotels, and rental car companies to collect ...
,
PayPal,
LinkedIn
LinkedIn () is an American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Launched on May 5, 2003, the platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development, and allows job se ...
,
Pacific Life
Pacific Life Insurance Company is an American insurance company providing life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers a variety of investment products and services to individuals, businesses, and pension plans.
History
Pacif ...
,
MetLife
MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, wi ...
and
Conagra Brands. The city is also home to three of the 30 largest architecture firms in the United States, including
HDR, Inc.
HDR, Inc. is an employee-owned design firm, specializing in engineering, architecture, environmental, and construction services. HDR has worked on projects in all 50 U.S. states and in 60 countries, including notable projects such as the Hoover ...
,
DLR Group, Inc.
DLR Group is an employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design. A self-described advocate for sustainable design, the ...
, and
Leo A Daly
LEO A DALY, established by Leo A. Daly, Sr. in 1915, is an American architecture, planning, engineering, interior design and program management firm. The firm's portfolio includes projects in 91 countries, all 50 U.S. states and the District of C ...
.
Top employers
According to the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, the largest regional employers are:
Tourism
![Office buildings in downtown Omaha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Office_buildings_in_downtown_Omaha.jpg)
Tourist attractions in Omaha include history, sports, outdoors and cultural experiences. Its principal tourist attractions are the
Henry Doorly Zoo
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and educ ...
and the
College World Series.
The
Old Market in
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and ...
is another major attraction and is important to the city's retail economy. The city has been a tourist destination for many years. Famous early visitors included British author
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
and General
George Crook
George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. During the 1880s, the Apache nicknamed Crook ''Nantan ...
. In 1883 Omaha hosted the first official performance of the
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...
's
Wild West Show for 8,000 attendees. In 1898 the city hosted more than 1 million visitors from across the United States at the
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coa ...
, a
world's fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
that lasted for more than half the year.
Research on
leisure
Leisure has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Leisure ...
and
hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, chevalier de J ...
situates Omaha in the same tier for tourists as the neighboring cities of
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
;
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...
;
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
;
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
;
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
; and
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A recent study found investment of $1 million in cultural tourism generated approximately $83,000 in state and local taxes, and provided support for hundreds of jobs for the metropolitan area, which in turn led to additional tax revenue for government.
[Thompson, J. (2007]
"Skeptics of stadium look for return on funding"
'' Omaha World-Herald''. October 15. Retrieved 5/2/08.
Arts and culture
![Joslyn Art Museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Joslyn_Art_Museum.jpg)
Several national newspapers, including the ''
Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' and The ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' have lauded Omaha's
historical
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
and cultural attractions.
The city is home to the
Omaha Community Playhouse, the largest
community theater Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside hel ...
in the United States. The
Omaha Symphony Orchestra
The Omaha Symphony is a professional orchestra performing more than 200 concerts and presentations annually in Omaha, Nebraska and throughout the orchestra's home region. The orchestra was established in 1921. It is considered a major American orc ...
and its modern
Holland Performing Arts Center
The Holland Performing Arts Center is a performing arts facility located on 13th and Douglas Streets in downtown Downtown Omaha, Nebraska in the United States; it opened in October 2005. Designed by Omaha architectural firm HDR, Inc. in collabora ...
, the
Opera Omaha at the
Orpheum theater, the
Blue Barn Theatre
The Bluebarn Theatre, located at 1106 S. 10th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, is a nationally recognized theater.
Begun in 1989, the theater was founded by a group of 1988 graduates from the theater program at Purchase College: Kevin La ...
,
American Midwest Ballet
American Midwest Ballet, is a dance company in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 2019, American Midwest Ballet was moved to downtown Council Bluffs.
Company repertoire includes an annual production of ''The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Ще ...
, and
The Rose Theater form the backbone of Omaha's
performing arts community. Opened in 1931, the
Joslyn Art Museum has large art collections. Since its inception in 1976,
Omaha Children's Museum The Omaha Children's Museum is a nonprofit learning and exploration space for young people located at 500 South 20th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The museum has received a national award from the Association of Science and Technology Muse ...
has been a place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play. The
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is located in the Old Market Historic District of downtown Omaha, Nebraska, at the corner of 12th Street and Leavenworth Street. In addition to an international artist-in-residence program, Bemis Center hosts te ...
, one of the nation's premier urban artist colonies, was founded in Omaha in 1981, and the
Durham Museum
The Durham Museum (formerly known as the Durham Western Heritage Museum) is located at 801 South 10th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of the United States' western region. The m ...
is accredited with the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
for traveling exhibits. The city is also home to the largest singly funded mural in the nation, "Fertile Ground", by
Meg Saligman
Meg Saligman is an internationally recognized American artist. She is best known for large scale murals and has painted more than fifty murals internationally, including several of the largest murals in the United States. The artist is known for m ...
. The annual
Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival
The Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival is an annual event of blues, jazz and gospel music that has been held at Rosenblatt Stadium in South Omaha and Fort Omaha in North Omaha, Nebraska in August.
Founded by Terry O'Halloran, a local blues bar ...
celebrates local music along with the
Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame
The Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame, or the OBMHoF, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to celebrate, document and honour the legacy of the many top vocalists and musicians whose musical careers began in the metropolitan area of Omaha, Nebra ...
.
In 1955, Omaha's
Union Stockyards
The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, was the meatpacking district in Chicago for more than a century, starting in 1865. The district was operated by a group of railroad companies that acquired marshland and turned it into a central ...
overtook Chicago's stockyards as the United States' meat packing center. This legacy is reflected in the
cuisine of Omaha
The cuisine of Omaha reflects the heritage and culture of Omaha, Nebraska.
About
Omaha has many steakhouses, several of which are Sicilian in origin and located in a section of town known as Little Italy or adjacent to the Omaha Stockyards.
...
, with renowned steakhouses such as
Gorat's
Gorat's Steak House is a restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska, at 4917 Center Street.
It is best known as billionaire Warren Buffett's favorite steakhouse, where he annually holds dinners for the largest investors in his company, Berkshire Hathaway, ...
and the recently closed
Mister C's
Mister C's Steak House was a landmark Italian restaurant located at 5319 North 30th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. After operating for almost 55 years, the restaurant closed September 30, 2007. The mayor of Omaha and Omaha City Council declared ...
, as well as the retail chain
Omaha Steaks
Omaha Steaks International, Inc., known as Omaha Steaks, is a food retailer. The company is named after the city it was founded in, and its headquarters location, Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha Steaks manufactures, markets, and distributes a variety of s ...
.
Henry Doorly Zoo
![Desert Dome Omaha Zoo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Desert_Dome_Omaha_Zoo.jpg)
The
Henry Doorly Zoo
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and educ ...
is widely considered one of the premier zoos in the world. The zoo is home to the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the world's largest indoor rainforest, the world's largest indoor desert, and the largest
geodesic dome in the world (13 stories tall). The zoo is Nebraska's number-one paid attendance attraction and has welcomed more than 25 million visitors over the past 40 years.
Old Market
The
Old Market is a major
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
in Downtown Omaha listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Today, its warehouses and other buildings house shops, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and art galleries. Downtown is also the location of the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District, which has several art galleries and restaurants.
Lauritzen Gardens
Lauritzen Gardens are a botanical gardens and arboretum located at 100 Bancroft Street in the South Omaha neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The gardens are open daily during business hours; an admission fee is charged.
History
The gardens began in ...
features with a variety of landscaping, and the new
Kenefick Park recognizes Union Pacific Railroad's long history in Omaha. North Omaha has several historical
cultural
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
attractions including the
Dreamland Historical Project, Love's Jazz and Art Center, and the John Beasley Theater. The annual River City Roundup is celebrated at Fort Omaha, and the neighborhood of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
celebrates its history during "Florence Days".
Native Omaha Days Native Omahan Days is a bi-ennial event in North Omaha, Nebraska celebrating the community's historical and cultural legacies. Held since 1976, the Native Omaha Days include picnics, family reunions, class reunions and a large parade. The event is l ...
is a biennial event celebrating Near North Side heritage.
Religious institutions reflect the city's heritage. The
city's Christian community has several historical churches dating from the founding of the city. There are also all sizes of congregations, including small, medium and
megachurches. Omaha hosts the only Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
temple in Nebraska along with a large
Jewish community. There are 152 parishes in the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha, and several
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
congregations throughout the city.
Music
Omaha's rich history in rhythm and blues, and jazz gave rise to a number of influential bands, including
Anna Mae Winburn
Anna Mae Winburn ''(née'' Darden; August 13, 1913 – September 30, 1999) was an influential American vocalist and jazz bandleader who flourished beginning in the mid-1930s. An African American, she is best known for having directed the Interna ...
's
Cotton Club Boys and
Lloyd Hunter
Lloyd Hunter (May 4, 1910–month and date unknown, 1961) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from North Omaha, Nebraska.(nd"Jammin’ For the Jackpot: Big Bands and Territory Bands of the 30s" New World Records, p. 10. .
Biography
Hunt ...
's Seranaders.
Rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
pioneer
Wynonie Harris
Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter and rhythm-and-blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ma ...
, jazz great
Preston Love
Preston Haynes Love (April 26, 1921 – February 12, 2004) was an American saxophonist, bandleader, and songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska, United States, best known as a sideman for jazz and rhythm and blues artists like Count Basie and Ray Char ...
, drummer
Buddy Miles, and
Luigi Waites
Luigi Waites (born Lewis Waites; July 10, 1927 – April 6, 2010) was a jazz drummer and vibraphonist from Omaha, Nebraska. He performed weekly gigs in the Omaha area both solo and with ensembles such as Luigi, Inc. He served the Omaha music co ...
are among the city's homegrown talent.
Doug Ingle
Douglas Lloyd Ingle (born September 9, 1945) is an American musician, best known as the founder and former organist, primary composer, and lead vocalist for the band Iron Butterfly. Ingle wrote the band's iconic song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", which ...
from the late 1960s band
Iron Butterfly was born in Omaha, as was
indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation.
The genre has its ...
singer-songwriter
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
, though both were raised elsewhere.
Today, the diverse
culture of Omaha includes a variety of performance venues, museums, and musical heritage, including the historically significant jazz scene in North Omaha and the modern and influential "
Omaha Sound
Music in Omaha, Nebraska, has been a diverse and important influence in the culture of the city. Long a home to jazz, blues, funk and rock, today Omaha has dozens of subgenres represented, including Latin, alternative rock and hip hop. Omaha's his ...
".
Contemporary music groups either in or originally from Omaha include
Mannheim Steamroller,
Bright Eyes,
The Faint
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes, with whom T ...
,
Cursive
Cursive (also known as script, among other names) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionalit ...
,
Azure Ray
Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included ...
,
Tilly and the Wall, and
311 311 may refer to:
* 311 (number), a natural number
* AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD
* 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* 311 (band), an American band
** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album
...
. During the late 1990s, Omaha became nationally known as the birthplace of
Saddle Creek Records, and the subsequent "Omaha Sound" was born from their bands' collective style.
Omaha also has a fledgling
hip hop scene. Long-time bastion
Houston Alexander, a one-time graffiti artist and professional
Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
competitor, is a local hip-hop radio show host. Cerone Thompson, known as "Scrybe", has had a number one single on college radio stations across the United States. He has also had several number one hits on the local hip hop station respectively titled, "Lose Control" and "Do What U Do".
[Pugsley, T. (2009)]
"UNO rapper, student hits No. 1 on local radio station with current single."
''The Gateway.'' 10/21/05. Retrieved 6/17/07. Other notable artists include Stylo of Mastered Trax Latino who holds a strong following in South Omaha and Mexico / Latin America.
Many ethnic and cultural bands have come from Omaha. The
Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame
The Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame, or the OBMHoF, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to celebrate, document and honour the legacy of the many top vocalists and musicians whose musical careers began in the metropolitan area of Omaha, Nebra ...
celebrates the city's long history of African-American music and the Strathdon Caledonia Pipe Band carries on a
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
legacy. Internationally renowned composer
Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravian traditional music, Moravia and his native Bohemia, following t ...
wrote his
Ninth ("New World") Symphony in 1893 based on his impressions of the region after visiting Omaha's robust Czechs in Omaha, Nebraska, Czech community. In the period surrounding World War I Valentin J. Peter encouraged Germans in Omaha to celebrate their rich musical heritage, too. Frederick Metz, Gottlieb Storz and Frederick Krug were influential brewers whose beer gardens kept many German bands active.
Landmark preservation
![091407-JoslynCastle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/091407-JoslynCastle.jpg)
Omaha is home to dozens of nationally, regionally and locally significant landmarks. The city has more than a dozen
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
s, including Fort Omaha Historic District, Gold Coast Historic District (Omaha, Nebraska), Gold Coast Historic District, Omaha Quartermaster Depot Historic District, Field Club Historic District, Bemis Park Historic District, and the South Omaha Main Street Historic District. Omaha is notorious for its 1989 demolition of 24 buildings in the Jobbers Canyon Historic District, which represents to date the largest loss of buildings on the National Register. The only original building surviving of that complex is the
Nash Block
The Nash Block, also known as the McKesson-Robbins Warehouse and currently as The Greenhouse, is located at 902-912 Farnam Street in Omaha, Nebraska. Designed by Thomas R. Kimball and built in 1907, the building is the last remnant of Downtown Omah ...
.
Omaha has almost List of Registered Historic Places in Douglas County, Nebraska, one hundred individual properties listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, including the Bank of Florence, Holy Family Catholic Church (Omaha, Nebraska), Holy Family Church, the Christian Specht Building and the Joslyn Castle. There are also three properties designated as National Historic Landmarks.
Omaha Landmarks, Locally designated landmarks, including residential, commercial, religious, educational, agricultural and socially significant locations across the city, honor Omaha's cultural legacy and important history. The
City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission is the government body that works with the mayor of Omaha and the Omaha City Council to protect historic places. Important history organizations in the community include the Douglas County Historical Society.
Sports
![Inside TD Ameritrade Park Omaha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Inside_TD_Ameritrade_Park_Omaha.jpg)
Sports have been important in Omaha for more than a century, and the city plays host to three minor-league professional sports teams.
Omaha has hosted the annual June NCAA
College World Series men's baseball tournament since 1950. It has been played at the downtown TD Ameritrade Park, Charles Schwab Field since 2011.
The Omaha Sports Commission is a quasi-governmental nonprofit organization that coordinates much of the professional and amateur athletic activity in the city, including the 2008, 2012 and 2016 US Olympic Swimming Team Trials and the building of a TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, new stadium in North Downtown. The University of Nebraska and the Commission co-hosted the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship, Division One Women's Volleyball Championship in December of that year. The 2016 Big 10 Baseball Championship was also played at the College World Series Stadium. Another quasi-governmental board, the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA), was created by city voters in 2000, and is responsible for maintaining the CHI Health Center Omaha (formerly CenturyLink Center Omaha).
![CenturyLink Center Omaha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/CenturyLink_Center_Omaha.jpg)
The Omaha Storm Chasers play at Werner Park. They won seven championships (in 1969, 1970, 1978, 1990, 2011, 2013, and 2014).
Omaha is also home to the Omaha Diamond Spirit, a collegiate summer baseball team that plays in the MINK league.
The
Creighton University Creighton Bluejays, Bluejays compete in a number of NCAA Division I sports as members of the Big East Conference. The Bluejays play baseball at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, Charles Schwab Field, College soccer, soccer at Morrison Stadium, and basketball at the 18,000 seat CHI Health Center Omaha. The Jays annually rank in the top 15 in attendance each year, averaging more than 16,000 people per game.
The Omaha Mavericks, representing the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), also play basketball, baseball and soccer in NCAA Division I as members of The Summit League. The UNO Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey, men's ice hockey team plays in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Ice hockey is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. The Omaha Lancers, a United States Hockey League team, play at the Ralston Arena. The Omaha Mavericks play in the on-campus Baxter Arena.
Omaha was home to an UFL Omaha, expansion team, the Nighthawks, in the United Football League (2009), United Football League from 2010 to 2011. The Omaha Beef indoor American football, indoor football team played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium until 2012 when they moved to the new Ralston Arena.
Omaha was the legendary catchword of Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning. In 2021 he launched Omaha Productions.
The Kansas City-Omaha Kings, an National Basketball Association, NBA franchise, played in both cities from 1972 to 1978, before decamping solely to Kansas City until 1985, when the team moved to its current home of Sacramento, California, Sacramento.
The Cox Classic golf tournament was part of the Web.com Tour from 1996 to 2013. The circuit returned to Omaha in 2017 with the Pinnacle Bank Championship.
Parks and recreation
Omaha has a thriving running community and many miles of paved running and biking trails throughout the city and surrounding communities. The Omaha Marathon involves a half-marathon and a race that takes place annually in September. Omaha also has a history of curling, including multiple junior national champions.
The city's historic
boulevards were originally designed by
Horace Cleveland
Horace William Shaler Cleveland (December 16, 1814 – December 5, 1900) was an American landscape architect. His approach to natural landscape design can be seen in projects such as the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Con ...
in 1889 to work with the parks to create a seamless flow of trees, grass and flowers throughout the city. Florence Boulevard and Fontenelle Boulevard are among the remnants of this system. Omaha boasts more than of Trails in Omaha, trails for pedestrians, bicyclists and hikers. They include the American Discovery Trail, which traverses the entire United States, and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail passes through Omaha as it travels westward from Illinois to Oregon. Trails throughout the area are included in comprehensive plans for the city of Omaha, the Omaha metropolitan area, Douglas County, and long-distance coordinated plans between the municipalities of southeast Nebraska. The city also has a park dedicated to pollinating bees and insects called ‘Pacific Preserve’
Government
![Omaha NE city building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Omaha_NE_city_building.jpg)
Omaha has a Mayor-council government, strong mayor form of government, along with a city council elected from seven districts across the city. The Mayor of Omaha, mayor is Jean Stothert, who was elected in May 2013, re-elected May 10, 2017, and re-elected again May 11, 2021. The longest-serving mayor in Omaha's history was James Dahlman, "Cowboy" Jim Dahlman, who served 20 years over eight terms. He was regarded as the "wettest mayor in America" because of the flourishing number of bars in Omaha during his tenure. Dahlman was a close associate of
political boss Tom Dennison. During Dahlman's tenure, the city switched from its original strong-mayor form of government to a city commission government. In 1956, the city switched back.
The city clerk is Elizabeth Butler. The City of Omaha administers twelve departments, including finance, Omaha Police Department, police, human rights, Omaha Public Library, libraries and planning. The Omaha City Council is the legislative branch and has seven members elected from districts across the city. The council enacts local ordinances and approves the city budget. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance approved annually. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions. Nebraska's constitution grants the option of home rule to cities with more than 5,000 residents, meaning they may operate under their own charters. Omaha is one of only three cities in Nebraska to use this option, out of 17 eligible. The City of Omaha is considering Consolidated city-county, consolidating with Douglas County government.
Although registered Republican Party (United States), Republicans outnumbered Democratic Party (United States), Democrats in the Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, 2nd congressional district, which includes Omaha, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama opened three campaign offices in the city with 15 staff members to cover the state in fall 2008. Mike Fahey, the former Democratic mayor of Omaha, said he would do whatever it took to deliver the district's electoral vote to Obama; and the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign, Obama campaign considered the district "in play". Former Nebraska United States Senate, U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey and then-U.S. Senator Ben Nelson campaigned in the city for Obama, and in November 2008 Obama won the district's electoral vote. This was an historical win, as Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win an electoral vote in Nebraska since 1964, only made possible by Congressional District Method, Nebraska's split electoral vote system.
In 2011, Nebraska lawmakers moved Offutt Air Force Base and the town of Bellevue — an area with a large minority population — out of the Omaha-based 2nd District and shifted in the Republican-heavy Omaha suburbs in Sarpy County. The move is expected to dilute the city's urban Democratic vote.
Omaha's 2nd District sent its single electoral vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Biden's victory, by more than 20,000 votes, shows Omaha's and the 2nd Districts’ continuing trend toward Democratic politics in recent years.
Education
Omaha has many public and private educational institutions, including Omaha Public Schools, the largest Public school (government funded), public school district in Nebraska, which serves more than 47,750 students in more than 75 schools. After a contentious period of uncertainty, in 2007 the Nebraska Legislature approved a plan to create a learning community for Omaha-area school districts with a central administrative board.
The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha operates Archdiocese of Omaha#Omaha Catholic schools, numerous private Catholic schools with 21,500 students in 32 elementary schools and nine high schools. They includ
St. Cecilia Grade Schoolat in Midtown Omaha, Holy Cross at in Morton Meadows, St. Robert Bellarmine School at 120th and Pacific Street, St. Stephen the Martyr School in Millard, and Creighton Preparatory School, all of which have received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Blue Ribbon School award.
The Westside Community Schools, also known as District 66, is a district in the heart of Omaha. It serves students in pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade and recorded a district enrollment of 6,123 students K-12 for the 2015–16 school year.
Through annexations Omaha also has the Millard Public Schools and Elkhorn Public Schools. Omaha is also home to Brownell-Talbot School, Nebraska's only preschool through grade 12, independent college preparatory school.
There are eleven List of colleges and universities in Omaha, Nebraska, colleges and universities among Omaha's higher education institutions, including the University of Nebraska Omaha. The University of Nebraska Medical Center in midtown Omaha is home to the Eppley Cancer Center, one of 66 designated Cancer Centers by the National Cancer Institute in the United States. The University of Nebraska College of Medicine, also on the UNMC campus, is ranked 7th in the country by ''U.S. News & World Report'' for primary care medical education.
Omaha's
Creighton University is ranked the top non-doctoral regional university in the
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
by ''U.S. News & World Report''. The Society of Jesus, Jesuit institution's campus just outside Downtown Omaha in the new North Downtown district has a combined 6,700 students in its undergraduate, graduate, medical, and law schools.
There are more than 10 other Colleges and universities of Omaha, Nebraska, colleges and universities in the Omaha metro area.
Media
![NE Corner view of Omaha Star Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/NE_Corner_view_of_Omaha_Star_Building.jpg)
The city is the focus of the Omaha designated market area, and is the 76th largest in the United States.
Magazines
''Omaha Magazine''
Newspapers
The major daily newspaper in Nebraska is the ''
Omaha World-Herald'', which is the largest employee-owned newspaper in the United States. Weeklies in the city include the Midlands Business Journal (weekly business publication); ''American Classifieds'' (formerly ''Thrifty Nickel''), a weekly classified newspaper; ''The Reader (newspaper), The Reader'', as well as ''The Omaha Star''. Founded in 1938 in North Omaha, the ''Star'' is Nebraska's only African-American newspaper.
Television networks and cable TV
Omaha's four television news stations include: KETV 7 (ABC- branded NewsWatch 7), KMTV-TV 3 (CBS- branded 3 News Now), WOWT 6 (NBC Omaha), and KPTM 42 (FOX 42). There is a fifth station, KXVO 15 (branded CW 15), though it does not air any news content. Cox Communications provides cable television services throughout the metropolitan area. Prism TV offered through CenturyLink is a broadband TV option also available throughout the Omaha area. Satellite providers such as DirecTV and Dish Network and the local programming they offer are also available throughout the metropolitan area.
Infrastructure
In 2008 ''Kiplinger's Personal Finance'' magazine ranked Omaha the No. 3 best city in the United States to "live, work and play". Omaha's growth has required the constant development of new urban infrastructure that influence, allow and encourage the constant expansion of the city.
Utilities
Retail natural gas utility, natural gas and water company, water public utility, public utilities in Omaha are provided by the Metropolitan Utilities District. Nebraska is the only public power state in the nation. All electric utilities are non-profit and customer-owned. Electrical power industry, Electricity in the city is provided by the Omaha Public Power District. Public housing is governed by the Omaha Housing Authority governs Public housing and Metro Area Transit provides public transportation. CenturyLink and Cox Communications, Cox provide local telephone and internet services. The City of Omaha maintains two modern sewage treatment plants.
Portions of the
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. ...
corporation began as Northern Natural Gas Company in Omaha. Northern provides three natural gas lines to Omaha. Enron formerly owned UtiliCorp United, Inc., which became Aquila, Inc. Peoples Natural Gas, a division of Aquila, Inc., serves several surrounding communities around the Omaha metropolitan area, including Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Plattsmouth.
Health care
There are Hospitals in Omaha, Nebraska, several hospitals in Omaha. Research hospitals include the Boys Town National Research Hospital, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Creighton University Medical Center. The Boys Town facility is well known for hearing-related research and treatment. The University of Nebraska Medical Center hosts the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, a world-renowned cancer treatment facility named in honor of Omahan Eugene Eppley.
Transportation
![Omaha-eppley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Omaha-eppley.jpg)
Omaha's central role in the history of transportation across America earned it the nickname "Gate City of the West."
Despite Abraham Lincoln, President Lincoln's decree that
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...
, be the starting point for the Union Pacific Railroad, construction began from Omaha on the eastern portion of the first transcontinental railroad. By the middle of the 20th century, nearly every major railroad served Omaha.
Today, the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District celebrates this connection, along with the listing of the Burlington Station (Omaha, Nebraska), Burlington Train Station and the Union Station (Omaha), Union Station on the National Register of Historic Places. First housed in the former Herndon House, the Union Pacific Railroad's corporate headquarters have been in Omaha since the company began. Their new headquarters, the
Union Pacific Center
The Union Pacific Center at 1400 Douglas Street is one of downtown Omaha, Nebraska's newest high-rise buildings. It houses the headquarters of the Union Pacific Railroad and its parent company, the Union Pacific Corporation. It officially opened ...
, opened in Downtown Omaha in 2004.
Omaha (Amtrak station), Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through Omaha. The Greyhound Lines terminal is at 1601 Jackson St. in downtown Omaha. The terminal also provides service to Jefferson Lines, Burlington Trailways, and Express Arrow. Megabus (North America), Megabus has a stop at Crossroads Mall (Omaha), Crossroads Mall – N 72nd St. between Dodge St. and Cass St. – and provides service to Des Moines, Iowa City, and Chicago. Metro Area Transit, Metro Transit, previously known as Metro Area Transit, is the mass transportation, local bus system.
Omaha's position as a transportation center was finalized with the 1872 opening of the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge that linked the transcontinental railroad to the railroads terminating in Council Bluffs. In 1888, the first road bridge, the Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge, Douglas Street Bridge, opened. In the 1890s, the Illinois Central drawbridge opened as the largest bridge of its type in the world. Omaha's Missouri River road bridges are now entering their second generation, including the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
-financed South Omaha Bridge, now called Veteran's Memorial Bridge, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, Omaha and Council Bluffs announced joint plans to build the Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge, which opened in 2008.
Today, the primary mode of transportation in Omaha is by automobile, with Interstate 80 in Nebraska, I-80, Interstate 480 (Iowa-Nebraska), I-480, Interstate 680 (Iowa-Nebraska), I-680, Interstate 29, I-29, and U.S. Route 75 (JFK Freeway and North Freeway) providing freeway service across the metropolitan area. The expressway along West Dodge Road (U.S. Route 6 and Nebraska Link 28B) and U.S. Route 275 has been upgraded to freeway standards from I-680 to
Fremont. City owned Metro Area Transit, Metro Transit, formerly as MAT Metro Area Transit, provides public bus service to hundreds of locations throughout the Metro.
A 2017 study by Walk Score ranked Omaha 26th most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities. Of the top 50 most walkable cities only one, Omaha, Nebraska, saw its Walk Score decline, and it only decreased 0.3 points from last year. There is an extensive Trails in Omaha, Nebraska, trail system throughout the city for walkers, runners, bicyclists, and other pedestrian modes of transportation.
Omaha is laid out on a grid plan, with 12 blocks to the mile with a north-to-south house numbering system. Omaha is the location of a Boulevards in Omaha, historic boulevard system designed by H.W.S. Cleveland who sought to combine the beauty of parks with the pleasure of driving cars. The historic Florence Boulevard, Florence and Fontenelle Boulevards, as well as the modern Sorenson Parkway, are important elements in this system. The City of Omaha has proposed the Omaha Streetcar through the city's urban core, with proposed extensions to
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...
, Eppley Airfield, North Omaha,
West Omaha West Omaha is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska, that comprises all points within the Omaha metropolitan area west of 90th Street.
Communities
West Omaha is home to several communities, including the historical Boys Town. Ralston, a city in s ...
, and Bellevue, Nebraska.
Eppley Airfield, Omaha's airport, serves the region with over 5 million passengers in 2018. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, and Frontier Airlines, serve the airport with direct and connecting service. As of 2018, the airport has non-stop service to 34 destinations. General aviation airports that serve the area include the Millard Municipal Airport, North Omaha Airport and the Council Bluffs Airport. Offutt Air Force Base continues to serve as a military airbase; it is at the southern edge of Bellevue, which in turn lies immediately south of Omaha.
Notable people
In popular culture
In 1939, Omaha hosted the world premiere of the film ''Union Pacific (film), Union Pacific'' and the accompanying three-day celebration drew 250,000 people. A special train from Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood carried director Cecil B. DeMille and stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea. Omaha's Boys Town (organization), Boys Town was made famous by the Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney movie ''Boys Town (film), Boys Town''. Omaha has been featured in recent years by a handful of relatively big budget motion pictures. The city's most extensive exposure can be accredited to Omaha native Alexander Payne, the Academy Award, Oscar-nominated director who shot parts of ''About Schmidt'', ''Citizen Ruth'' and ''Election (1999 film), Election'' in the city and suburbs of Papillion and La Vista.
The Looney Tunes short ''Boobs in the Woods'' featured Porky Pig revealing that he had a license to sell hair tonic to bald eagles in Omaha, Nebraska.
Built in 1962, Omaha's Cinerama was called Indian Hills Theater. Its demolition in 2001 by the Nebraska Methodist Health System was unpopular, with objections from local historical and cultural groups and luminaries from around the world. The Dundee Theatre is the lone surviving single-screen movie theater in Omaha and still shows films. A recent development to the Omaha film scene was the addition of
Film Streams
Film Streams is a nonprofit arts organization in Omaha, Nebraska which oversees two cinemas: the Ruth Sokolof Theater, in North Downtown Omaha, and the historic Dundee Theater, Omaha's longest surviving neighborhood cinema. It receives funding f ...
's Ruth Sokolof Theater in North Downtown. The two-screen theater is part of the
Slowdown facility. It features new American independents, foreign films, documentaries, classics, themed series, and director retrospectives. There are many new theaters opening in Omaha. In addition to the five Douglas Theatre Company, Douglas Theatres venues in Omaha, two more are opening, including Midtown Omaha#Neighborhoods, Midtown Crossing Theatres, on 32nd and Farnam Streets by the Mutual of Omaha Building. Westroads Mall has opened a new multiplex movie theater with 14 screens, operated by Rave Motion Pictures.
[Barbe, A]
"Metro movie theaters to multiply in next two years"
, ''UNO Gateway''. November 30, 2007. Retrieved 9/26/08.
Songs about Omaha include "Omaha" by Moby Grape, "Omaha", by the indie rock band Tapes 'n Tapes, "Omaha" by Counting Crows, "Omaha Celebration" by Pat Metheny, "Omaha" sung by Waylon Jennings, "Greater Omaha" by Desaparecidos, "Omaha Stylee" by
311 311 may refer to:
* 311 (number), a natural number
* AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD
* 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* 311 (band), an American band
** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album
...
, "(Ready Or Not) Omaha Nebraska" by Bowling for Soup, and "Omaha" by Toro y Moi
Popular young adult novel ''Eleanor & Park'' by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Press, 2013) takes place in Omaha.
The 1935 winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing was named Omaha (horse), Omaha, and after traveling the world the horse eventually retired to a farm south of the city. The horse made promotional appearances at Ak-Sar-Ben during the 1950s and following his death in 1959 was buried at the racetrack's Circle of Champions.
In the television show ''The Big Bang Theory'', one of the show's main characters, Penny (The Big Bang Theory), Penny, is from Omaha.
Omaha is also the hometown of the Wizard of Oz (character), Wizard in L. Frank Baum's children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''.
In Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman says in the penultimate episode that "If I'm lucky, a month from now, best case scenario, I'm managing a Cinnabon in Omaha," and in the prequel, spin-off, and sequel, Better Call Saul, he is manager of a Cinnabon in Omaha under the alias Gene Takavic.
Sister cities
Omaha has six sister cities:
[The History of Omaha Sister Cities Association]
." Omaha Sister Cities Association. Retrieved 12/8/08.
* Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany
* Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Japan
* Šiauliai, Lithuania
* Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
* Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
* Yantai, Shandong, China
* Carlentini, Sicily, Italy
See also
*Benson neighborhood (Omaha, Nebraska)
*Dundee-Happy Hollow Historic District
*Florence, Nebraska
*Gold Coast Historic District (Omaha, Nebraska)
*History of Omaha
*
Midtown Omaha
Midtown is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska that is a culturally, socially and economically important area of the city. It is home to major research centers, national corporations, several historic districts, and a number of historic residenc ...
*Millard, Omaha, Nebraska
*North Omaha, Nebraska
*Old Market (Omaha, Nebraska)
*Omaha Coalition of Citizen Patrols
*South Omaha, Nebraska
Notes
References
External links
City of Omaha official websiteOmaha Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{good article
Omaha, Nebraska,
Cities in Nebraska
County seats in Nebraska
Metropolitan areas of Nebraska
Nebraska populated places on the Missouri River
Populated places established in 1854
Cities in Douglas County, Nebraska
Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States
1854 establishments in Nebraska Territory