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100-617: The housing projects were named in honor of Logan Fontenelle , an Omaha chief. Built by the Public Works Administration during the Great Depression , Logan Fontenelle was originally built as no-cost or low-cost housing for working-class families, chiefly of European descent, including Germans , Italians and Czechs , many of them 20th century immigrants. Many young people in Logan Fontenelle during this period regarded

200-477: 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 and W. Dale Clark Library 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 in 1989 led to

300-537: A French-American fur trader from New Orleans . Their other children were Albert (1827–1859), Tecumseh (Felix) (1829–1858) (named after the Shawnee chief ), Henry (born 1831), and Susan (1833–1897). The senior Fontenelle sent his sons to St. Louis, Missouri , for European-American schooling. His daughter Susan was educated at home with her mother and family, received extended training in the local mission schools, and married Louis Neals. In 1828, Lucien Fontenelle purchased

400-660: A band of Brulé Sioux killed and scalped Fontenelle and five of his party, who were part of the Omaha summer buffalo hunt, along Beaver Creek in the present-day Olson Nature Preserve in Boone County, Nebraska . John Bigelk, nephew of Big Elk, described the Sioux attack: "They killed the white man, the interpreter, who was with us." As the historian Melvin Randolph Gilmore has noted, Big Elk called Fontenelle "a white man because he had

500-447: 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

600-523: A concentration of poor families with few immediate options. The rate of crime and violence began to increase in the area. In the 1960s there were riots in the Near North Side, related to problems of poverty and unemployment since the decline of the railroads, restructuring of the meatpacking industry, and deindustrialization in Omaha. Loss of tens of thousands of jobs since the 1950s had decreased investment in housing in Omaha, and services declined for

700-474: A dash like I did, but he laid down in the grass and attempted to fight the Sioux alone. His first shot missed, but with the second he killed a Sioux. The Sioux thought that there were two men there, and those in the front halted. Another party of about a dozen made a charge on him from behind. Logan had reloaded his gun, and as they came up he turned and killed two of them. The party that were in front dashed in before he could reload and killed and scalped him." When

800-590: A delegation of seven gente chiefs of the Omaha who traveled overland to Washington, D.C., for further talks. Fontenelle was one of the signatories of the treaty, perhaps because he was the only Omaha speaker at the meeting who was literate in English. Forced to accept changes to the treaty during that trip, the Omaha chiefs agreed to cede 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km ) of their land to the United States. They believed that at least that they were securing US protection from

900-556: A ferry across the Platte River near the present-day site of Columbus, Nebraska , to accommodate the increasing migrant traffic. Later, they started another ferry across the Elkhorn River near Fremont, Nebraska . After making a profit, they sold the ferries to English immigrants. In the summer of 1854 a group of town site promoters from Quincy, Illinois arranged for Fontenelle to select a location for their new colony. He took them to

1000-522: A location overlooking the Elkhorn River about forty miles northwest of Bellevue. The men asked Fontenelle the price for twenty square miles of land for their township and his reply was a hundred dollars; however, he lowered the price when the promoters decided to name the town and a nearby creek in honor of him. This town was incorporated March 14, 1855; unfortunately "the good people of Quincey were innocent of correct French pronunciation [Font-nel, ] uttered

1100-498: A missionary errand, baptized Marie and Susan. Fontenelle allied with the future Omaha chief Joseph La Flesche (1822–1888), a Métis fur trader who had been adopted as a son of the principal Omaha chief Big Elk . About 1848, the Omaha removed to the Bellevue Agency. By that time designated by Big Elk as his successor, LaFlesche brought his family to settle with the tribe. About this time, LaFlesche and Fontenelle established

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1200-521: A monument: City of Omaha Omaha ( / ˈ oʊ m ə h ɑː / OH -mə-hah ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County . It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River , about 10 mi (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River . The nation's 40th-most populous city , Omaha had

1300-405: A population of 486,051 as of the 2020 census . It is the anchor of the eight-county Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area , which extends into Iowa and is the 58th-largest metro area in the United States, with a population of 967,604. Furthermore, the greater Omaha–Council Bluffs–Fremont combined statistical area had 1,004,771 residents in 2020. Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854, when

1400-556: A trader. Several years later, in August 1846 he acted as an interpreter for Big Elk when he signed an illegal treaty with Brigham Young to allow the Mormon pioneers to create a settlement on Omaha territorial lands. (The United States wanted to be a party to all treaties related to Native American territory.) Not having guns, the tribal leaders were seeking aid from the Mormons for protection from

1500-555: A while, resulting in deteriorating conditions in structures already old. African Americans left in the community felt trapped. Riots in 1966 were associated with civil rights protests, and riots in April 1968 were associated with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee . In 1969 riots erupted after an Omaha police officer fatally shot teenager Vivian Strong near

1600-409: A white father. This was a common designation of half-breeds by full-bloods, just as a mulatto might commonly be called a [black] by white people, although as much white as black by race." Because the tribe was patrilineal , it considered children's social identity to be determined by that of the father. Iron Eyes ( Joseph LaFlesche ) account of Fontenelle's death states: "Logan could have made

1700-555: Is 23.5 °F (−4.7 °C), with lows reaching 0 °F (−18 °C) on 11 days annually. The lowest temperature recorded in the city was −32 °F (−35.6 °C) on January 5, 1884, and the highest 114 °F (45.6 °C) on July 25, 1936 . Average yearly precipitation is 30.6 in (777 mm), falling mostly in the warmer months. Snow is the most common precipitation in winter, with average seasonal snowfall being 28.7 in (72.9 cm). Based on 30-year averages obtained from NOAA 's National Climatic Data Center for

1800-401: 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 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

1900-483: The Bell System 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

2000-482: The Council Bluff at a point about 20 mi (32 km) 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 , 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

2100-812: The Douglas House or the Cozzens House Hotel . Dodge Street was important early in the city's early commercial history; North 24th Street 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 and early European immigrants . There are several other historical cemeteries in Omaha , historical Jewish synagogues and historical Christian churches dating from

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2200-628: The First transcontinental railroad in 1863, provided an essential developmental boom for the city. In 1862, the U.S. Congress allowed the Union Pacific Railroad to begin building westward railways; in January 1866 it commenced construction out of Omaha. The Union Stockyards , another important part of the city's development, were founded in South Omaha in 1883. Within 20 years, Omaha had four of

2300-578: The Great Flood of 1881 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 had to call in U.S. Army troops from nearby Fort Omaha to protect strikebreakers for the Burlington Railroad , bringing along Gatling guns and a cannon for defense. When

2400-577: The Midwest . The Indian Congress , 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 and the Omaha Driving Park in the Kountze Place neighborhood. With dramatically increasing population in the 20th century, competition and fierce labor struggles led to major civil unrest. In 1900, Omaha

2500-519: The National Register of Historic Places . 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 , along the Missouri River, was felled for a new headquarters campus for ConAgra Foods,

2600-730: The Near North Side , joined by the European Jews and black migrants from the South ; and 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 Gold Coast neighborhoods, Bemis Park , Kountze Place , Field Club and throughout Midtown Omaha . They traveled the city's sprawling park system on boulevards designed by renowned landscape architect Horace Cleveland . The Omaha Horse Railway first carried passengers throughout

2700-755: 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 , 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

2800-575: The Omaha Tribe ceded most of east-central Nebraska. Logan Fontenelle , an interpreter for the Omaha and signatory to the 1854 treaty, played an essential role in those proceedings. Before it was legal to claim land in Indian Country , William D. Brown operated the Lone Tree Ferry that brought settlers from Council Bluffs, Iowa to the area that became Omaha. Brown is generally credited as having

2900-660: The Reuben sandwich ; cake mix, developed by Duncan Hines ; center-pivot irrigation ; Raisin Bran ; the first ski lift in the U.S.; the Top 40 radio format as first used in the U.S. at Omaha's KOWH Radio ; and the TV dinner . Various Native American tribes had lived in the land that became Omaha since the 17th century, including the Omaha and Ponca , Dhegihan-Siouan language people who had originated in

3000-748: The Sioux , who had been raiding them. They likely thought it a bad deal in the end, as the Mormons consumed many of their local resources and did little to protect them. In the spring of 1843 Logan took Gixpeaha ("New Moon,") a woman of the Omaha, as his wife. He had a house built near his father's for him and Gixpeaha. They had three daughters: Emily, born mid-winter 1845; Marie, born December 21, 1848; and Susan, born February 8, 1850. Sometime in 1846 while staying at Logan's home, Father Christian Hoecken baptized Gixpeaha and baby Emily, then "solemnized their marriage." During Christmas of 1850 Father Hoecken, back in Bellevue on

3100-749: The US Supreme Court determined that the Omaha Housing Authority and the City of Omaha had violated the U.S. Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 as related to the development and administration of Omaha’s public housing, and violated the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and other federal statutes, regulations and guidelines. A 1994 settlement required that former residents displaced by HUD's planned closing of

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3200-604: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 130.58 sq mi (338.20 km ), of which 127.09 sq mi (329.16 km ) is land and 3.49 sq mi (9.04 km ) 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

3300-518: The 1950s, development of highways and new housing led to the movement of the middle class to suburbs in West Omaha. Some of the movement was designated as white flight 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 . Recently, Omahans have made strides to revitalize

3400-403: The 20th-century historian Judith Boughter. It appears that only the whites thought Fontenelle was a chief in his own lifetime and during the decades after his death. As Gilmore noted, the Omaha had a tribal structure that had patrilineal hereditary leadership; because children belonged to their father's gens , there was no place in the tribe for a child fathered by a European or American, unless

3500-633: 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 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

3600-696: 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 west of the Mississippi River was founded in the city. The Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913 destroyed much of the city's African-American community, in addition to much of Midtown Omaha. It was during that same year that future United States President Gerald R. Ford

3700-501: The Kellom Girls Club, which moved there in 1973 after operating at Omaha's Hilltop-Pleasantview Public Homes since 1966. Although the projects had originally been built as transition housing for working-class people, a steep decline in jobs in Omaha during the 1950s and 1960s meant that many residents had to go on welfare. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost as railroads and the meatpacking industry restructured. The projects became

3800-537: The Logan Fontenelle Housing Project would receive counseling and rent assistance, relocation assistance payments, an opportunity for additional assistance through Section 8 vouchers and certificates, and assistance to find housing in areas of Omaha with minority populations of less than 30 percent. The Omaha Housing Authority began demolishing Logan Fontenelle in 1991 and 1992. The demolition was completed in 1995. Omaha's Family Housing Advisory Services

3900-611: The Logan Fontenelle Project. Riots began immediately following the shooting and lasted three days resulting in nearly $ 750,000 in damage. In 1990 a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the African-American residents of Logan Fontenelle alleged that Omaha's public housing discriminated against racial minorities. A class action suit was brought against the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In Hawkins v. HUD ,

4000-754: 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 comprises the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan statistical area and the Fremont Micropolitan statistical area ; the CSA has a population of 858,720 (2005 Census Bureau estimate). Omaha ranks as

4100-532: The Omaha and other regional tribes. In the following decades, the Indian agent had the lead for negotiating with regional tribes for land cessions to the United States in order to allow sale to American settlers. After his father died in 1840, the 15-year-old Logan Fontenelle returned from St. Louis to Nebraska, where he began to work as an interpreter for the US Indian Agent at the Bellevue Agency. He also worked as

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4200-474: The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area include Lake Manawa, Papillion Creek , Carter Lake , Platte River and the Glenn Cunningham Lake . The city's land has been altered considerably with substantial land grading throughout Downtown Omaha and scattered across the city. East Omaha sits on a flood plain west of the Missouri River. The area is the location of Carter Lake, an oxbow lake . The lake

4300-492: The Sioux, but were to be disappointed. Within a couple of years, the Omaha removed to a reservation in northeast Nebraska in the Blackbird Hills, essentially present-day Thurston County . Logan Fontenelle was born at Fort Atkinson , Nebraska Territory on May 6, 1825. He was the oldest son of four born to Me-um-bane, a daughter of the Omaha principal chief Big Elk (1770–1846/1853), and her husband Lucien Fontenelle ,

4400-638: 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 . In the 20th century, the Omaha Stockyards , once the world's largest, and its meatpacking plants gained international prominence. Omaha is the home to the headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies: Berkshire Hathaway , Kiewit Corporation , Mutual of Omaha , and Union Pacific Corporation . Other companies headquartered in

4500-567: The Village Pointe shopping center and several business parks. The site of the former Ak-Sar-Ben arena was redeveloped into a mixed-use development Aksarben Village . In January 2009, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska announced plans to build a 10 story, $ 98 million headquarters in the Aksarben Village which it completed in Spring 2011. Another major mixed-use development to come to Omaha

4600-777: The area's housing will attract a mix of incomes. Seminal rock and roll pioneer Wynonie Harris lived in Logan Fontenelle for a short period in the 1940s. Cathy Hughes , the founder and president of Radio One , grew up in Logan Fontenelle while her father was attending Creighton University . He became the first African American to earn an accounting degree at Creighton. Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson lived in Logan Fontenelle around 1942 according to his autobiography, “Stranger to The Game” co written with Lonnie Wheeler. 41°16′23″N 95°56′43″W  /  41.27306°N 95.94528°W  / 41.27306; -95.94528 Logan Fontenelle Logan Fontenelle (May 6, 1825 – July 16, 1855), also known as Shon-ga-ska (White Horse),

4700-444: The battle with the Sioux was over, the survivors found Fontenelle's remains, and Louis Saunsouci carried the body back to camp. It was wrapped in buffalo robes and placed on a travois pulled by Fontenelle's horse (recovered from the Sioux during battle.) Having sent messengers ahead, they traveled back to Bellevue. An eyewitness account of the funeral reports that "a procession...moved slowly along, led by Louis San-so-see [sic], who

4800-617: The beginning of World War II, the relocation of the Strategic Air Command 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 , New York City and Boston . After surpassing Chicago in meat processing by

4900-425: The chiefs to Washington, D.C., as an interpreter. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) also used Saunsouci as an interpreter. For some reason, the officials included Fontenelle's name as one of the seven chiefs on the treaty, which he signed, but the name of chief Two Grizzly Bears was not included, nor did he sign. Fontenelle was the only one of the group of Omaha speakers who was literate in English and could read what

5000-507: The city include First National Bank of Omaha , Gallup, Inc. , Green Plains , Intrado , Valmont Industries , Werner Enterprises , and three of the nation's ten largest architecture and engineering firms ( DLR Group , HDR, Inc. , and Leo A Daly ). Notable cultural institutions include the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium , Old Market , Durham Museum , Lauritzen Gardens , and annual College World Series . Modern Omaha inventions include

5100-527: The city was founded by speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa . The city was founded along the Missouri River, and a crossing called Lone Tree Ferry 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

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5200-520: The city's sports community , as well as a showcase for redevelopment in the downtown area. In the 2020s, a number of large projects have been either completed or planned in an attempt to revitalize downtown Omaha. These include the redevelopment of the Gene Leahy Mall , a large park near Omaha's Riverfront, and the Omaha Streetcar , a nearly $ 500 million system of public transit. According to

5300-639: The city, as did the later Omaha Cable Tramway Company and several similar companies. In 1888, the Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company built the Douglas Street Bridge , 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 and later in the Sporting District . Controlled by Omaha's political boss Tom Dennison by 1890, criminal elements enjoyed support from Omaha's "perpetual" mayor, "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman, nicknamed for his eight terms as mayor. Calamities such as

5400-481: The city, including Enron , 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 ,

5500-437: The city. After the tumultuous Great Depression of the 1930s, Omaha rebounded with the development of Offutt Air Force Base just south of the city. The Glenn L. Martin Company operated a factory there in the 1940s that produced 521 B-29 Superfortresses , including the Enola Gay and Bockscar used in the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II. The construction of Interstates 80 , 480 and 680 , along with

5600-532: The construction of the CenturyLink Center and the Slowdown / Film Streams development at North 14th and Webster Streets. Construction of the new TD Ameritrade Park , also in the North Downtown area, began in 2009 and was completed in 2011. TD Ameritrade Park is now the home of the College World Series , an event tourists flock to each year. The Union Pacific Center and the Holland Performing Arts Center opened in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Important retail and office developments occurred in West Omaha, such as

5700-612: The county courthouse. 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 diversity. Early neighborhood development happened in ethnic enclaves, including Little Italy , Little Bohemia , Little Mexico and Greek Town . According to U.S. Census data, five European ethnic enclaves existed in Omaha in 1880, expanding to nine in 1900. Around

5800-476: The creation of the ConAgra Foods campus. Several nearby buildings, including the Nash Block , 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 movement in Omaha has led to a number of historic structures and districts being designated Omaha Landmarks or listed on

5900-624: 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 . 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 ( Köppen : Dfa ). July averages 76.7 °F (24.8 °C), with average relative humidity around 70% which then leads to relatively frequent thunderstorms. Temperatures reach 90 °F (32 °C) on 29 days and 100 °F (38 °C) on 1.7 days annually. The January daily average

6000-502: The end. "After the whites, headed by Col. Sarpy, had paid their last respects, the Indians filed around the grave and made a few demonstrations of sorrow." Another account states that after the white mourners had left, the Indians had their own oratory and chanted funeral songs into the night. After Logan died, his widow Gixpeaha went to live on the Omaha reservation, where she lived to old age. Their daughters Marie and Susan married Omaha men and raised families. His eldest daughter Emily

6100-457: 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 , held the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition , touted as a celebration of agricultural and industrial growth throughout

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6200-472: The first vision for a city where Omaha now sits. The passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act 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 . Soon after, the Omaha Claim Club was formed to provide vigilante justice for claim jumpers and others who infringed on

6300-432: The five major meatpacking 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 soon created ethnic enclaves throughout the city, including Irish in Sheelytown in South Omaha; Germans in

6400-483: The former Pilcher's Post, becoming the agent at what became known as Fontenelle's Post . He represented the American Fur Company on the Missouri River in what developed as Bellevue , Sarpy County, Nebraska . In 1832, with the fur trade declining sharply, Fontenelle sold the post to the US government. It used the complex for the headquarters of the regional Indian agency, called the Upper Missouri Indian Agency or Bellevue Agency. This agency administered relations with

6500-432: The grave when his body was lowered. While Decatur was reading the...funeral service of the Episcopal church, he was interrupted by Mrs. Sloan, who stood by his side and in a loud voice told him 'that a man of his character ought to be ashamed of himself to make a mockery of the Christian religion by reading the solemn service of the church." Decatur had read the funeral service due to the absence of clergy. He proceeded until

6600-538: The land of many of the city's founding fathers . Some of this land, which now wraps around Downtown Omaha, was later used to entice Nebraska Territorial legislators to an area called Scriptown . The Territorial capitol was in Omaha, but when Nebraska became a state in 1867, the capital was relocated to Lincoln , 53 mi (85 km) southwest of Omaha. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled against numerous landowners whose violent actions were condemned in Baker v. Morton . Many of Omaha's founding figures stayed at

6700-433: 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 destroyed the Near North Side's economic base, with recovery slow for decades. In 1969, Woodmen Tower

6800-503: The lower Ohio River valley and migrated west by the early 17th century; Pawnee , Otoe , Missouri , and Ioway . 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 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 and William Clark , met with Oto and Missouria tribal leaders at

6900-423: The merged company from Omaha to Mississippi. Around the start of the 21st century, several downtown skyscrapers and cultural institutions were built. The First National Bank Tower on Dodge Street was completed in 2002 and is the tallest building in Omaha and the state , surpassing the Woodmen Tower as the tallest in both at 634 ft (193 m). The creation of the city's new North Downtown included

7000-434: The monopoly of the American Fur Company . The Mormons 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 gradually ceded the lands that now make up the state. The treaty and cession involving the Omaha area occurred in 1854 when

7100-445: The name as a three-syllable word, and came down heavily on the second syllable." The creek was called Logan. The US Indian Agent James M. Gatewood had been under pressure by the government to gain a land cession from the Omaha. In turn, they wanted protection by the US government against the Sioux , who made frequent raids on them, and economic means to ensure their future. In January 1854, 60 Omaha leaders met in council to discuss

7200-539: The negotiations, but authorized little room for changes. Fontenelle and Saunsouci went with the chiefs as interpreters. Joseph LaFlesche had been designated by Big Elk as his successor and in 1853 had become chief of the Wezhinshte gens. Both he and Fontenelle signed the Treaty of 1854, together with five gente chiefs, whereby the tribe sold nearly all its land to the government. Fontenelle may have signed in place of one of

7300-473: The next succeeding ten years; $ 20,000 per annum for the next succeeding fifteen years; and $ 10,000 per annum for the next succeeding twelve years," to 1895. The President of the United States, based on recommendations by the US Indian Office (and the agent in the field, who had the most authority in the matter), was to determine the proportions of the annuity to be received in money and in goods. In 1855

7400-503: The other chiefs because he was literate in English. The reservation was established on land in the Blackbird Hills, comprising present-day Thurston County . The terms were changed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be less favorable than those negotiated by Gatewood and the 60 Omaha in Nebraska. Among the changes: Omaha were to receive considerably less money for their land, and the President

7500-412: The person was officially adopted by a male of the tribe. Dr. Charles Charvat reports in his work a passage from The Omaha Tribe that "on account of business and governmental interferences, two classes of chiefs developed in Indian tribes : one class was called regular chiefs, because they had attained their position through inheritance or through adoption by a former chief ; and a second class

7600-580: 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. The economy of Omaha 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

7700-429: The projects as a haven as they were a considerable improvement over previous housing they had. After supporting limited public housing in Omaha in 1936, the city's business community became adamantly opposed to Logan Fontenelle by the time it was completed in 1938. In 1947, the maximum income allowed for a family of four at Logan Fontenelle was $ 2,200 per year, and they would pay a maximum rent $ 34.50 per month. The family

7800-500: The reservation and died young at the age of 30, killed with five Omaha on the tribal summer buffalo hunting trip when they were attacked by an enemy band of Sioux warriors. Fontenelle acted as an interpreter in Omaha negotiations with the United States during 1853–1854 for land cessions, first in Nebraska, with 60 Omaha leaders and the US Indian agent Gatewood; they came to agreement in January 1854. Later that year, Fontenelle accompanied

7900-457: 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 , Wallace Thurman , Lloyd Hunter , and Anna Mae Winburn 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

8000-467: The start of the 20th century. the City of Omaha annexed several surrounding communities, including Florence , Dundee and Benson . At the same time, the city annexed all of South Omaha, including the Dahlman and Burlington Road neighborhoods . 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

8100-634: The treaty; they were reluctant to delegate so important a matter even to their gente chiefs. Together, the large group of men negotiated a treaty with the US Indian Agent Gatewood. Fontenelle acted as the interpreter. The treaty included provision for payments of tribal debts to the traders Fontenelle, Louis Saunsouci, and Peter Sarpy. The Omaha finally designated seven chiefs: Joseph LaFlesche (Iron Eye), Two Grizzly Bears, Standing Hawk, Little Chief, Village Maker, Noise, and Yellow Smoke to represent them and accompany Gatewood to Washington to conclude

8200-429: Was 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. There have also been several developments along the Missouri River waterfront near downtown. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge was opened to foot and bicycle traffic on September 28, 2008. Started in 2003, RiverFront Place Condos first phase

8300-419: Was a disagreeable task. After putting him in the coffin his [squaws] who witnessed the scene, uttered the most piteous cries, cutting their ankles until the blood ran in streams. An old Indian woman...standing between the house and the grave, lifted her arms to heaven and shrieked her maledictions upon the heads of the murderers. Col. Sarpy, Stephen Decatur, Mrs. Sloan, and an Otoe half-breed, and others stood over

8400-415: Was a respected French-American fur trader . European Americans thought Fontenelle was a chief but, because of his white father, he was not considered part of the tribe. As the Omaha had a patrilineal system, only if he had been formally adopted by a man of the tribe could he have advanced to be a chief. The Omaha considered him a half-breed and, because of his father, a "white man." Fontenelle lived on

8500-414: Was a stopping point for settlers and prospectors heading west, either overland or by the Missouri River. The steamboat Bertrand 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

8600-456: 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 especially important during the United States negotiations with Omaha leaders in 1853–1854 about ceding land to the United States prior to settlement on a reservation . His mother was a daughter of Big Elk , the principal chief, and his father

8700-467: Was adopted as a son by Big Elk, which was the way he fully entered the tribe. Although A. T. Andreas called Fontenelle the "last great chief" of the Omaha in his 1882 history of Nebraska, the assertion of chieftainship is not supported by the evidence of tribal structure and contemporary views provided in 1919 by Melvin R. Gilmore, curator of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and by

8800-569: Was asked to find other housing if they exceeded those limits. The projects were segregated through the 1950s, with restrictions against African Americans living there. Later, when the projects were opened to African Americans, the Logan Fontenelle Housing Projects were used together with race- restrictive covenants and redlining to keep African Americans living in North Omaha . Community programs at Logan Fontenelle included

8900-633: Was born in Omaha. Today, there is a museum dedicated to his birthplace. 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

9000-417: Was completed and became Omaha's tallest building and first major skyscraper at 478 ft (146 m), a sign of renewal. Since the 1970s, Omaha has continued expanding and growing, mostly to available land to the west. West Omaha 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

9100-540: Was completed in 2006 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. These events were highlights in

9200-400: Was driving a team with a wagon, in which, wrapped in blankets and buffalo robes was [Logan Fontenelle.] On either side the Indian chiefs and braves, mounted on ponies, with the squaws and relatives of the deceased, expressed their grief in mournful outcries. His remains were taken to [his] house...a coffin was made which proved to small without unfolding the blankets...he had been dead so long it

9300-418: Was founded by a merger with Omaha's MFS Communications, started as Metropolitan Fiber Systems in 1993. MFS, backed by Kiewit Corporation CEO Walter Scott Jr. and Warren Buffett , purchased UUNET , one of the largest Internet backbones in the world, for $ 2 billion in 1996. The now-infamous Bernie Ebbers purchased the much larger MFS for $ 14.3 billion in 1997 under his World Com . He moved headquarters of

9400-586: Was involved in helping 785 of the Logan Fontenelle residents find other homes across the city. Today, the North Omaha Business Park, "a joint effort of the Omaha Chamber and the City of Omaha ... [is] a 15-acre (61,000 m) development" on the Logan Fontenelle site. In addition, the site has an assisted-living facility, a park, single-family houses similar to those found in suburbs, and an organized neighborhood association, Concord Square. Altogether

9500-400: Was known as 'paper chiefs,' because they usually had some document assuring them official and extra-tribal favor...it is likely that [Logan Fontenelle] had acquired titular and other influence as the United States interpreter, and then through personal effort and natural ability attained prestige which made him a de facto chief." Fontenelle is honored in the names of several places, and with

9600-481: Was not married when she died in 1869. Some historians contend that Fontenelle was made a chief of the Omaha in 1853 after the death of Big Elk. This assertion is contradicted by Big Elk having designated Joseph LaFlesche as his successor. In addition, contemporary accounts say that Fontenelle was respected, but only the whites thought he was a chief. They were the only ones to commemorate him with honors after his death. It appears confusion arose because he accompanied

9700-515: Was on the treaty. Boughter suggests that Gatewood may have represented him to the BIA officials as a chief, or the Omaha did to increase his stature. He may also have been recognized as an honorable chief because of "charitable acts" and gifts to the tribe. An 1889 sketch of Joseph LaFlesche in the Bancroft Journal said he was the only chief of the Omaha to have had any European blood; as noted, he

9800-413: 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 , and Mills Counties in Iowa and Washington , Douglas, Sarpy , Cass , and Saunders Counties in Nebraska. This area was formerly referred to only as

9900-401: Was the center of a national uproar over the kidnapping of Edward Cudahy, Jr. , the son of a local meatpacking magnate. The city's labor and management clashed in bitter strikes, racial tension 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 in 1909, completely driving out

10000-403: Was to have the discretion to distribute the annuities in cash or goods, rather than all in cash as the Omaha wanted. Payments were to be made until 1895. About 800 Omaha removed to the reservation, and their number increased over the following decades to 1100 in 1881. Under the treaty terms, the Omaha tribe received "$ 40,000 per annum for three years from January 1, 1855; $ 30,000 per annum for

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