South 10th Street is a two-way street that runs south-north from

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

into

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 ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. Beginning at

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 ...

, South 10th Street passes

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 borders the

ConAgra 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 and the Old Market. Its southern reaches are widely regarded as the heart of

Little Italy Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are s ...

, and further south it was the center of the

Old Gold Coast Old Gold Coast is the name of a historic district in south Omaha, Nebraska. With South 10th Street as the central artery, the area was home to neighborhoods such as Little Italy and Forest Hill. The area is referred to as "old" because it was repla ...

neighborhood. There were several other historically ethnic communities, as well.

Background

Italian immigrants settled in the neighborhood in the late 1800s, quickly earning the nickname "

". Today it is home to Latinos, Europeans and other people. However, there are still several Italian restaurants and bakeries along the strip, including the notable Cascio's Steak House and Angie's Restaurant. Angie's Restaurant closed in 2007, and was replaced by Lucky's Lounge, which promptly closed also. South 10th Street and the area around it have been a business corridor for many years. Located within downtown, the eastern border of the Old Market is South 10th. Further south,

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 ...

is bordered by the street, as well. The Sons of Italy Hall at 1238 South 10th Street is a longstanding cultural institution, and the

Durham Western Heritage 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 ...

and 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 ...

are equally significant. The Bancroft Street

Farmers Market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...

is also located along South 10th."Farmers Market Brings New Life to South 10th Street"
, Omaha By Design. Retrieved 10/12/08.

Historical places

As the home of

, South 10th has many sites and a few buildings that were central to the early growth of Omaha in the pioneer era and immediately afterwards. As the neighborhood developed, it lost its luster but gained working-class roots. Omaha's pioneer elite and first generation of successful businessmen built many large homes along South 10th Street. The first was

Herman Kountze Herman Kountze (August 21, 1833 – November 20, 1906) was a powerful and influential pioneer banker in Omaha, Nebraska, during the late 19th century. After organizing the Kountze Brothers Bank in 1857 as the second bank in Omaha, Herman and ...

, who built a fortune in banking in Omaha and Denver. Building a mansion at his estate called Forest Hill, Kountze established the area as Omaha's first Gold Coast and many other wealthy people followed suit. His brother

Charles Kountze Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

also had a large mansion in the neighborhood, and another brother,

Augustus Kountze Augustus Kountze (November 19, 1826–April 30, 1892) was an American businessman based in Omaha, Nebraska, Kountze, Texas and New York City. He founded a late 19th-century national banking dynasty along with his brothers Charles, Herman and ...

, lived there, too. All were wealthy bankers, and built grand mansions fitting their owners' largess. None of the Kountze Brothers' mansions remain standing. After the Kountzes moved away, the St. Catherine's Hospital moved into the former estate. Much of the area was influenced by Bishop George Worthington, an Episcopal-era leader in Omaha. The Episcopalian

Brownell-Talbot School Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory day school located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It serves students from preschool through grade 12. History In the mid-19th century, Omaha ...

was located in the Old Gold Coast, and Dietz Memorial United Methodist Church, which was originally St. Matthias Episcopal church. Worthington Street in the neighborhood was named for him, as was the former Worthington Hospital. His personal mansion, the

Bishop Worthington Residence The Bishop Worthington Residence was built at 1240 South 10th Street in Omaha, Nebraska in 1885. The personal home of Bishop George Worthington of the Episcopal Church, the Worthington Mansion was a place of high social and religious importance ...

at 1240 South 10th, is currently under consideration for historically accurate restoration and preservation. One fine home in the Old Gold Coast that still stands is the Joel N. Cornish House. Colonel Cornish was a wealthy retired military officer who brought his wealth to Omaha. Today, the home is designated as an

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 ...

and is 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 ...

. It is located at 1404 South 10th Street. Other NRHP listings along South 10th include Burlington Station,

Hospe Music Warehouse The Anton Hospe Music Warehouse is a building located at 101 S. 10th Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It was designed by commercial architect George Fisher and built in 1919 for Anton Hospe, who began business as a picture framer in 1874 and u ...

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

Dietz Memorial United Methodist Church Dietz is a surname, and may refer to: * Albrecht Dietz (1926–2012), German entrepreneur and scientist * August Dietz (1869–1963), a philatelist, editor and publisher * Bernard Dietz (born 1948), German football player and manager * Cyrus E ...

, the

Neble House The Angeline Hanson Neble House is located at 2752 South 10th Street in South Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1894 in the French Second Empire style, the house was designated an Omaha Landmark This article covers Omaha Landmarks designated by the ...

, St. Matthias' Episcopal Church and St. Philomena's Cathedral and Rectory. The Parlin, Orendorff and Martin Plow Company Building, part 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 ...

, is on South 10th, as well.

Background

Historical places

References

External links