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126-713: The Nebraska Territorial Legislature was held from January 16, 1855, until February 18, 1867, in Omaha City , Nebraska Territory . In 1854 the Kansas–Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory, overturning the Missouri Compromise by allowing legislatures of the Nebraska and Kansas territories to determine whether to permit or abolish slavery. Slavery was a contentious issue for the territorial legislature between

252-534: A Greek man for supposedly being involved with a " white " woman. After their efforts were thwarted, the mob grew and swarmed into Greek Town, where they destroyed homes, businesses and a school; beat Greek immigrants; and destroyed the area by burning it. No person was indicted for any aspect of the riot. In 1913 a devastating tornado ripped through Omaha, becoming known as the Easter Sunday tornado. It killed more than 100 people, destroyed hundreds of homes, and cut

378-462: A land grab a group of businessmen formed the Omaha Land Company and platted Scriptown to reward Nebraska Territory legislators for their votes for statehood. After Baker v. Morton in 1857, this type of land baron -like behavior was made illegal; by that time lots had been developed and Scriptown quickly became part of several neighborhoods, including Gifford Park , Prospect Hill and

504-580: A "refugee-friendly" city by the U.S. Department of State in the 1970s, the city was the 12th-largest resettlement site per capita in the country by 2000. Refugee Vietnamese , Karen (Burmese ethnic minority), Sudanese and Yazidi (Iraqi ethnic minority) people, as well as refugees from Iraq , the Middle East and Afghanistan, have resettled in the city. During the 2018–19 school year, Lincoln Public Schools provided support for about 3,000 students from 150 countries, who spoke 125 different languages. Before

630-472: A downtown district of brick warehouses called Jobbers Canyon, listed in the National Register of Historic Places . The delisting and demolition of Jobbers Canyon made way for the campus headquarters of ConAgra Foods and the city's Heartland of America Park. The loss of the buildings also galvanized citizens to pay more attention to the historic fabric of the city. Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln

756-410: A hunting and skirmish ground, but did not have any long-term settlements in the state. An occasional buffalo could still be seen in the plat of Lincoln in the 1860s. Lincoln was founded in 1856 as the village of Lancaster and became the county seat of the newly created Lancaster County in 1859. The village was sited on the east bank of Salt Creek . The first settlers were attracted to the area due to

882-588: A long swathe through the city, including the heart of North Omaha's Jewish and African-American commercial district, which suffered the most damage. Social tensions simmered in the postwar years, as the nation adjusted to returning veterans, competition for jobs, and fears about labor unrest. After a summer of race riots in numerous industrial cities across the country, Omaha was tense, too. The newspaper had inflamed feelings with sensational stories accusing black men of crimes. The black population increased dramatically from 1910-1920 when they were recruited to work by

1008-434: A margin of error of +/- $ 1,248) and the median family income $ 79,395 (+/- $ 1,992). Males had a median income of $ 37,646 (+/- $ 1,251) versus $ 27,411 (+/- $ 805) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $ 31,869 (+/- $ 455). Approximately, 7.5% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.2% of those ages 65 or over. Lincoln's economy

1134-561: A part of what is known as the greater Midwest Silicon Prairie . The city is also a part of a rapidly growing craft brewing industry. In 2013, Lincoln ranked no. 4 on Forbes 's list of the Best Places for Business and Careers, no. 1 on NerdWallet 's Best Cities for Job Seekers in 2015, and no. 2 on SmartAsset's Cities with the Best Work-life Balance in 2019. According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,

1260-639: A rail hub. As automobile travel became more common, so did the need for better roads in Nebraska and throughout the U.S. In 1911, the Omaha-Denver Trans-Continental Route Association, with support from the Good Roads Movement , established the Omaha-Lincoln-Denver Highway (O-L-D) through Lincoln. The goal was to have the most efficient highway for travel throughout Nebraska, from Omaha to Denver. In 1920,

1386-486: A third capitol building in 1922. Bertram G. Goodhue was selected in a national competition as its architect. By 1924, the first phase of construction was completed and state offices moved into the new building. In 1925, the Willcox-designed capitol building was razed. The Goodhue-designed capitol was constructed in four phases, with the completion of the fourth phase in 1932. It is the second-tallest capitol building in

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1512-558: A violent outburst at the State Capitol in Omaha. After repeatedly being dogged out of voting on the removal of the Capitol from Omaha, a skirmish pitted representatives from Nebraska City , Florence, and other communities to convene outside of Omaha. Despite having a majority of members present for the vote to remove the Capitol and all agreeing, the "Florence Legislature" did not succeed in swaying

1638-512: A young white woman from South Omaha. A mob of mostly white ethnic young men marched from South Omaha (rallied and led by a henchman of Dennison's) and converged on the Douglas County Courthouse , where the jail was. In the evening the crowd grew larger and set the courthouse on fire, forcing police to turn Brown over to them. They lynched him, hanging him from a lamppost on the south side of the courthouse, then dragging his body through

1764-849: Is Bryan Health , which consists of two major hospitals and several large outpatient facilities across the city. Healthcare and medical jobs account for a large portion of Lincoln's employment: as of 2009, full-time healthcare employees in the city included 9,010 healthcare practitioners in technical occupations, 4,610 workers in healthcare support positions, 780 licensed and vocational nurses, and 150 medical and clinical laboratory technicians. Several national business were originally established in Lincoln; these include student lender Nelnet , Ameritas , Assurity , Fort Western Stores , CliffsNotes and HobbyTown USA . Several regional restaurant chains began in Lincoln, including Amigos/Kings Classic , Runza Restaurants , and Valentino's . The Lincoln area makes up

1890-518: Is Eppley Airfield today. The expedition stopped at a point about 20 miles (30  km) north of present-day Omaha, at which point they first met with the Otoe. They had a council meeting with members of the tribal leadership on the west side of the Missouri River. The first recorded instance of a black person in the Omaha area was " York ", an enslaved African American who accompanied William Clark on

2016-569: Is October 7 thru April 25, allowing a growing season of 164 days. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 25.0 °F (−3.9 °C) in January to 78.1 °F (25.6 °C) in July. However, the city is subject both to episodes of bitter cold in winter and heat waves during summer, with 10.1 nights of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower lows, 41.8 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs, and 3.5 days of 100 °F (38 °C)+ highs. The city straddles

2142-476: Is concentrated in the warmer months, when thunderstorms frequently roll in, often producing tornadoes. Snow averages 26.0 inches (66 cm) per season but seasonal accumulation has ranged from 7.2 in (18 cm) in 1967–1968 to 55.5 in (141 cm) in 2018–2019. Snow tends to fall in light amounts, though blizzards are possible. There is an average of 38 days with a snow depth of 1 in (2.5 cm) or more. The average window for freezing temperatures

2268-518: Is fairly typical of a mid-sized American city; most economic activity is derived from the service and manufacturing industries. Government and the University of Nebraska are both large contributors to the local economy. Other prominent industries in Lincoln include finance, insurance, publishing, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, railroads, high technology, information technology, medical, education and truck transport. For October 2021,

2394-589: Is home to 363,733 people (2021 estimate) making it the 104th-largest combined statistical area in the United States. Lincoln's neighborhoods include both old and new development. Some neighborhoods in Lincoln were formerly small towns that Lincoln later annexed , including University Place in 1926, Belmont, Bethany (Bethany Heights) in 1922, College View in 1929, Havelock in 1930, and West Lincoln in 1966. A number of Historic Districts are near downtown Lincoln, while newer neighborhoods have appeared primarily in

2520-578: Is one of Lincoln's largest private employers with over 2,400 employees, and it has the largest square footage of manufacturing space. Newer product lines are rail cars and aircraft cargo doors. The Nebraska Air and Army National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters are in Lincoln along with other major units of the Nebraska National Guard. During the early years of the Cold War , the Lincoln Airport

2646-512: Is the capital of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County . The city covers 100.4 square miles (260.035 km ) and had an estimated population of 294,757 in 2023. It is the state's second-most populous city and the 71st-largest in the United States . Lincoln is the economic and cultural anchor of the Lincoln Metropolitan and Lincoln- Beatrice Combined Statistical Areas, home to 361,921 people. Lincoln

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2772-664: Is water, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2020. Lincoln is one of the few large cities of Nebraska not along either the Platte River or the Missouri River . The city was originally laid out near Salt Creek and among the nearly flat saline wetlands of northern Lancaster County. The city's growth has led to development of the surrounding land, much of which is composed of gently rolling hills. In recent years, Lincoln's northward growth has encroached on

2898-522: The American Fur Company in 1822. In 1825 a fur trader named J.B. Royce built a stockade and trading post on a plateau near the present-day block formed by Dodge Street and Capitol Avenue, Ninth and Tenth Streets. That establishment was abandoned and decayed within the next 20 years. In the 1840s the Mormons built a town called Cutler's Park in the area before resuming their westward migration on

3024-561: The Bank of Florence , which failed three years later. On February 11 the territorial legislature gave permission to a group of citizens to found the University of Nebraska at Saratoga, Nebraska . However, when they did not complete the task of meeting in Saratoga and establishing a campus within one year they lost their permission to charter. In January, 1858 a group of representatives illegally moved

3150-458: The Jobber's Canyon playing an important role. Other efforts including the market house and various hotels weren't as successful. Towns founded during this period include Benson , founded 1887; Chalco , founded ?; Dundee , founded 1880; Elkhorn , founded 1865; Papillion , founded 1870; Ralston , founded 1888; South Omaha , founded 1886, and; Millard , which was founded in 1871. In 1856

3276-664: The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed by the riverbanks that would later become the city of Omaha. On July 22 the Corps of Discovery established a camp near present-day Bellevue for five nights, naming it "Camp White Catfish." On the 27th, William Clark and Reuben Fields investigated mysterious earthen mounds close to where 8th and Douglas Streets and the Heartland of America Park are today in Downtown Omaha . That night they camped in an area that

3402-652: The Lone Tree Ferry to shuttle California Gold Rush prospectors and Oregon Trail settlers across the river between Kanesville, Iowa and the Nebraska Territory . The Lone Tree Ferry eventually became the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company. "Omaha City" was organized by the owners of the Council Bluffs & Nebraska Ferry Company to lure the proposed transcontinental railroad to Council Bluffs . Alfred D. Jones , Omaha City's first postmaster , platted

3528-610: The Mormon Trail . In 1854 Logan Fontenelle and the Omaha Tribe sold the majority of their tribal land, four million acres (16,000 km ), to the United States for less than 22 cents an acre. This allowed the settlement of Nebraska Territory and the founding of Omaha City. That year the formation of the Territory in the Kansas–Nebraska Act was based on the condition that it remain slave-free . In 1853 William D. Brown operated

3654-683: The NCAA moved the College World Series (CWS) to Rosenblatt Stadium , (then known as Omaha Municipal Stadium). Started in 1947, the tournament was held at Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1947 and 1948, and Wichita, Kansas in 1949. Since 1950 the series has been held annually at the Rosenblatt, despite bids from several cities to move the CWS to another venue. More than 6,000,000 fans have attended CWS games in Omaha. The City of Omaha has regularly expanded and renovated

3780-539: The Near North Side . The small city suffered greatly in the economic Panic of 1857 ; however, the presence of the capital is credited for keeping the town alive. For several years Omaha enjoyed its status as the capital of the Nebraska Territory , although not without contention. In January 1858 a group of representatives illegally moved the Nebraska Territorial Legislature to Florence following

3906-749: The Nebraska State Capitol to Lincoln in 1867, many business leaders rallied and created the Jobbers Canyon in downtown Omaha to outfit farmers in Nebraska , South Dakota , Wyoming and further west. Their entrepreneurial success allowed them to build mansions in Kountze Place and the Old Gold Coast neighborhoods. With the development of the Omaha Stockyards and neighboring packinghouses in

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4032-406: The Nebraska Territory governor, and the Capitol remained in Omaha until 1867 when Nebraska gained statehood . When Omaha eventually lost the capital to Lincoln in 1867, the city was by then strong enough to maintain economic growth for a period of time. While Council Bluffs was chosen as the eastern terminus of the United States' first transcontinental railroad in 1862 with the passage of

4158-569: The Omaha Claim Club donated two lots for the congregation to build a church, and soon after Baptists , Presbyterians , Congregationalists , Episcopalians and Roman Catholics followed. Catholics dedicated St. Philomena 's Cathedral in 1856, and the entire Creighton family, including Edward , his wife Mary , and his brother John greatly supported the Catholic Church. Pioneer banker Augustus Kountze called for and financially supported

4284-525: The Pacific Railway Act , construction on the railroad began west from Omaha to avoid the difficulties of constructing a bridge across the Missouri River . This ensured that Omaha would become a major transportation center for the entire country in the years to come. The Omaha Cable Tramway Company was the only cable car company that operated in Omaha. Founded in 1884, it operated cars until 1894. The warehousing sector became predominant early on, with

4410-646: The Weather Channel ranked Lincoln the seventh-coldest major U.S. city in a 2014 article. In 2014, the Lincoln- Beatrice area was among the "Cleanest U.S. Cities for Ozone Air Pollution" in the American Lung Association 's "State of the Air 2014" report. On May 5, 2019, an EF2 tornado hit parts of western Lincoln, although no major injuries occurred. Lincoln is Nebraska's second-most-populous city. In

4536-558: The 1850s; and Saratoga , founded 1857. The town of Florence was platted by James C. Mitchell in 1854 and founded in 1855. The first minister in Omaha was Moses F. Shinn , a Methodist Episcopal Church leader from Council Bluffs . Most of Omaha's early pioneers, including Nebraska Territory politicians, soldiers from Fort Omaha and the early African-American community, were buried at Prospect Hill Cemetery in North Omaha. Starting in 1887 Douglas County officials started recording

4662-533: The 1870s, several workers' housing areas, including Sheelytown , developed in South Omaha . Its growth happened so quickly that the town was nicknamed the "Magic City". The latter part of the 19th century also saw the formation of several fraternal organizations , including the formation of Knights of Aksarben . City leaders rallied for the creation of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in 1898. During

4788-543: The 1930s and 1940s, the city became a meatpacking powerhouse. Several regional beer breweries developed, including Metz , Storz and Krug companies. The city's southern suburb became home to the Strategic Air Command in the late 1940s; in 1950 the Rosenblatt Stadium in South Omaha became home to the College World Series . Labor unrest in the 1930s resulted in organizing of the meatpacking plants by

4914-405: The 1950s through the 1970s. The historically ethnically diverse areas of North and South Omaha became more concentrated by economics, race, and class. These workers suffered dramatic job losses during the industrial restructuring that increased rapidly in the 1960s, and poverty became more widespread. Omaha's location near the confluence of the Missouri River and Platte River has long made

5040-518: The 1970s, The U.S. government designated Lincoln a refugee-friendly city due to its stable economy, educational institutions, and size. Since then, refugees from Vietnam settled in Lincoln, and more came from other countries. In 2013, Lincoln was named one of the "Top Ten Most Welcoming Cities in America" by Welcoming America. The 2020 United States census counted 291,082 people, 115,930 households, and 67,277 families in Lincoln. The population density

5166-474: The CIO union in the meatpacking plants. Their successes led to the end of redlining and discriminatory neighborhood covenants , as well as the implementation of a school integration plan. In the late 1960s, the student-led Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity (BANTU) adopted a more militant posture and got into confrontations with police following the shooting of a youth in the housing project. In 1950,

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5292-667: The CIO-FCW, which built an interracial partnership and achieved real gains for the workers for some decades. After World War II, blacks in Omaha as in other parts of the nation began to press harder for civil rights. Veterans believed they deserved full rights after fighting for the nation. Some organizations had already been formed, but they became more active, leading into the city's Civil Rights Movement . Suburbanization and highway expansion led to white flight to newer housing and development of middle and upper-class areas in West Omaha from

5418-461: The Everleigh House. Run by Ada and Minna Everleigh , the house continued operating until 1900, when the two women moved to Chicago . This period also saw the rise of formal crime in Omaha that presaged the arrival of Tom Dennison . The Sporting District was an area in downtown Omaha where many of the city's vice activities happened, including gambling, prostitution, and grafting. Anna Wilson

5544-481: The Expedition. The Astor Expedition came through in 1811. Stephen Long passed through the Omaha area in 1819 on his Platte River Expedition. A decade later, adventurers and fur traders were frequenting the region, trading at Fort Lisa , built by Manuel Lisa in 1806; Fort Atkinson , built in 1819 as a military outpost adjacent to the location of the earlier council meeting; and Cabanne's Trading Post , built by

5670-535: The Expo, famous madames Anna Wilson and Ada Everleigh were making a good living from the crowds. At the same time, Boss Tom Dennison compounded the city's vices in the notorious Sporting District , with the full support of eight-term mayor "Cowboy" James Dahlman . Many of these early pioneers are buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery . City leaders created Omaha University in 1908. With reform administrations in

5796-652: The First National Bank Building and the National Bank of Commerce Building designed by I.M. Pei . In 1971, an expansion of Gateway Mall was completed. 1974 marked a new assembly facility in Lincoln, a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan to produce motorcycles for the North American market. Lincoln's first woman mayor, Helen Boosalis , was elected in 1975. Mayor Boosalis was a strong supporter of

5922-528: The Harris Overpass, commemorating the history of the D-L-D. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese refugees created a large residential and business community along the 27th Street corridor alongside Mexican eateries and African markets. Lincoln was designated as a "Refugee Friendly" city by the U.S. Department of State in the 1970s. In 2000, Lincoln was the twelfth-largest resettlement site per capita in

6048-461: The Lincoln Airport's main passenger terminal. As train, automobile, and air travel increased, business flourished and the city prospered. Lincoln's population increased 38.2% from 1920 to a population of 75,933 in 1930. In 1930, the city's small municipal airfield was dedicated to Charles Lindbergh and named Lindbergh Field for a short period as another airfield was named Lindbergh in California. It

6174-483: The Lincoln Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) preliminary unemployment rate was 1.3% (not seasonally adjusted). With a tight labor market, Lincoln has seen rapid wage growth. From the summer of 2014 to the summer of 2015, the average hourly pay for both public and private employees have increased by 11%. From October 2014 to October 2015, wages were also up by 8.4%. One of the largest employers

6300-612: The Midwest. In 1894 the Ladies Axillary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians , a nationalistic Irish-Catholic fraternal organization , was founded in Omaha. That year the city was also the site of the first African-American fair held in the United States. The following year the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben , a civic and philanthropic organization, was founded. The Trans-Mississippi Exposition

6426-443: The Nebraska National Guard, who continued to own parts of the old Air Force base. In 1966, Lincoln annexed the township of West Lincoln, incorporated in 1887. West Lincoln voters rejected Lincoln's annexation until the state legislature passed a bill in 1965 that allowed cities to annex surrounding areas without a vote. The downtown core retail district from 1959 to 1984 saw profound changes as retail shopping moved from downtown to

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6552-407: The Nebraska Territory governor. The capital remained at Omaha until 1867 when Nebraska gained statehood . In early 1860 the territorial legislature authorized a special election to consider forming a state constitution, which did not pass. The territorial legislature had a variety of powers, including granting every incorporated town or city its charter, which lasted through the 1864 session, when

6678-561: The Omaha Robin Hoods formed in 1936, but moved to Rock Island, Illinois late in the year. The team reformed shortly thereafter as the Omaha Cardinals , remaining as such for several years. New immigrants jostled for position with those who had arrived earlier and competition for jobs and place was intense. Many immigrant ethnic groups were intensely territorial. In 1909 a mob of 1,000 ethnic white men from South Omaha almost lynched

6804-761: The Omaha-Denver Association merged with the Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway Association. As a result, the O-L-D was renamed the Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway (D-L-D) with the goal of having a continuous highway from Detroit to Denver . The goal was eventually realized by the mid-1920s; 1,700 mi (2,700 km) of constantly improved highway through six states. The auto route's success in attracting tourists led entrepreneurs to build businesses and facilities in towns along

6930-723: The Prohibition Era. He was closely allied with James Dahlman , Omaha's only eight-term mayor. Dennison was implicated in agitation of groups related to the Omaha Race Riot of 1919. In 1945 the Enola Gay and Bockscar were two of 536 B-29 Superfortresses manufactured at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Factory (now Offutt Air Force Base ) in suburban Bellevue. That same year a Japanese fire balloon exploded over Dundee . The incident

7056-419: The U.S. government are major employers. The University of Nebraska was founded in Lincoln in 1869. The university is Nebraska's largest, with 26,079 students enrolled, and the city's third-largest employer. Other primary employers fall into the service and manufacturing industries, including a growing high-tech sector. The region makes up a part of what is known as the Midwest Silicon Prairie . Designated as

7182-404: The United States. The worldwide economic depression of 1890 saw Lincoln's population fall from 55,000 to 40,169 by 1900 (per the 1900 census). Volga-German immigrants from Russia settled in the North Bottoms neighborhood and as Lincoln expanded with the growth in population, the city began to annex nearby towns. Normal was the first town annexed in 1919. Bethany Heights, incorporated in 1890,

7308-403: The abundance of salt. Once J. Sterling Morton developed his salt mines in Kansas , salt in the village was no longer a viable commodity. Captain W. T. Donovan, a former steamer captain, and his family settled on Salt Creek in 1856. In 1859, the village settlers met to form a county. A caucus was formed and the committee, which included Donovan, selected Lancaster as the county seat. The county

7434-447: The base in 1945, but the Air Force reactivated it in 1952 during the Korean War. In 1966, after the Air Force closed the base, Lincoln annexed the airfield and the base's housing units. The base became the Lincoln Municipal Airport , and later the Lincoln Airport, under the Lincoln Airport Authority's ownership. The two main airlines that served the airport were United Airlines and Frontier Airlines . The Authority shared facilities with

7560-409: The blacks. Job's Daughters International , a Masonic youth organization for girls, was founded in Omaha in 1920. Aleph Zadik Aleph , the men's Order of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization , began in 1923 as a college fraternity . In 1925 Malcolm X was born (as Malcolm Little) at 3446 Pinkney Street in North Omaha. His minister father moved the family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin when Malcolm

7686-429: The boundary of USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b and 6a. Temperature extremes have ranged from −33 °F (−36.1 °C) on January 12, 1974, up to 115 °F (46.1 °C) on July 25, 1936. Readings as high as 105 °F (41 °C) or as low as −20 °F (−29 °C) occur somewhat rarely; the last occurrence of each was August 24, 2023 and February 16, 2021. The second lowest temperature ever recorded in Lincoln

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7812-434: The burials of poor people and people without a known identity in Potter's Field . Located in far North Omaha , today Potter's Field is maintained by Forest Lawn Cemetery , which is located nearby. There is speculation that Mormon pioneers were buried there in the 1850s, as well. The Nebraska State Capitol was moved from Omaha in 1867. Late in 1854 Omaha was chosen as the territorial capital for Nebraska. In 1855 during

7938-585: The city, older immigrant populations became further assimilated into the city's culture, and growth was accommodated in neighborhoods built to the north and south of Downtown Omaha . The early 1910s saw the growth of the city's Automobile Row along Farnam Street. The city suffered greatly during the Great Depression . Federal intervention throughout the 1930s was critical for many residents. Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) projects employed many men in projects to build infrastructure of parks and community facilities. All of

8064-407: The city. The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad 's first train arrived in Lincoln on June 26, 1870, and the Midland Pacific (1871) and the Atchison and Nebraska (1872) soon followed. The Union Pacific began service in 1877. The Chicago and North Western and Missouri Pacific began service in 1886. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific extended service to Lincoln in 1892. Lincoln became

8190-401: The coming years under the influence of local leaders Whitney Young , George Wells Parker and Harry Haywood . Other organizations formed such as the Citizens Civic Committee for Civil Liberties (4CL) and the DePorres Club at Creighton University in the 1940s. Mainstream organizations including the Omaha Urban League (now the Urban League of Nebraska ) also supported the movement, as did

8316-443: The country. As of 2011, Lincoln had the second largest Karen (Burmese ethnic minority) population in the United States (behind Omaha), with an estimated 1,500 in 2019. As of the same year, Nebraska was one of the largest resettlement sites for the people of Sudan, mostly in Lincoln and Omaha. In 2014, some social service organizations estimated that up to 10,000 Iraqi refugees had resettled in Lincoln. In recent years, Lincoln had

8442-830: The court to recognize American Indians as persons. This was the first time this occurred in a U.S. Federal Court . In the 1880s, Omaha was said to be the fastest-growing city in the United States. After Irish-born James E. Boyd founded the first packing operation in Omaha in the 1870s, thousands of immigrants from central and southern Europe came to Omaha to work in the Union Stockyards and slaughterhouses of South Omaha . They created Omaha's original ethnic neighborhoods, with names such as Sheelytown , Greek Town , Little Italy , Little Bohemia and Little Poland . Other neighborhoods founded during this period included Bemis Park , Country Club , Dog Hollow and Field Club . The Near North Side also developed greatly during this period, with high concentrations of Jews and Germans, and

8568-417: The creation of the Territory in 1854 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. After serving as the territorial capital for ten years, Omaha City wanted to be the capital of the new state. In 1854 land speculators formed the Omaha Claim Club as part of a scheme to persuade territory legislators to keep the capital in Omaha. Their aggressive efforts to secure land to give away to legislators led to

8694-420: The current city core was surrounded by farms by this period, with buildings such as the Ackerhurst Dairy Barn indicative of that phase. Omaha University was founded at the Redick Mansion in the Kountze Place neighborhood in 1908, moving to their present campus in 1929. Their football team played on the Saratoga School field until 1952. The Omaha Omahogs was a baseball team started in 1900 as part of

8820-445: The decades before World War II , Omaha went through a prosperous period marked with rapid development, cultural growth and massive growth of population throughout the city. African Americans were recruited for work by the meatpacking industry and came North in the Great Migration in highest numbers after 1910. This was also the period of highest immigration by Polish workers. A number of new residents established communities throughout

8946-446: The downtown core to decline and deteriorate. In 1969, the Nebraska legislature legislated laws for urban renewal. Soon afterward, Lincoln began a program of revitalization and beautification. Most of the urban renewal projects focused on downtown and the near South areas. Many ideas were considered and not implemented. Successes included Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, designed by Philip Johnson ; new branch libraries, new street lighting,

9072-592: The expansion westward of settlers, the prairie was covered with buffalo grass . Plains Indians , descendants of indigenous peoples who occupied the area for thousands of years, lived in and hunted along Salt Creek. The Pawnee , which included four tribes, lived in villages along the Platte River . The Great Sioux Nation , including the Ihanktowan-Ihanktowana and the Lakota , to the north and west, used Nebraska as

9198-517: The first general incorporation act was passed and signed by the governor. Six years later, on January 9, 1866 the territorial Governor Alvin Saunders urged the Legislature to consider statehood. The territorial legislature had the sole power of incorporating every municipality throughout the territory until 1864. A number of incorporations existed only on paper and were never actually settled. In 1864,

9324-472: The first general incorporation act was passed by the legislature and signed by the governor which allowed county commissioners to incorporate towns. History of Omaha, Nebraska Surrounded by small towns and cities that competed for business from the hinterland 's farmers, the city suffered a major setback in the Panic of 1857 . Despite this, Omaha quickly emerged as the largest city in Nebraska. After losing

9450-623: The first groups of African Americans. Omaha's growth was accelerated in the 1880s by the rapid development of the Union Stockyards and the meat packing industry in South Omaha . The "Big Four" packers during this time were Armour , Wilson , Cudahy , and Swift . There were several breweries established throughout the city during this period. The "Big Four" breweries in Omaha were the Storz , Krug , Willow Springs and Metz breweries . Culture in Omaha grew extensively during this era. With

9576-475: The first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016; rent prices rose 30% from 2007 to 2017 with a 5–8% increase in 2016 alone. Located in the Great Plains far from the moderating influence of mountains or large bodies of water, Lincoln has a highly variable four season humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ): winters are cold and summers are hot. With little precipitation during winter, precipitation

9702-454: The formation of a Capital Commission to site the capital on state-owned land. On July 18, 1867, the Commission, composed of Governor David Butler , Secretary of State Thomas Kennard , and State Auditor John Gillespie , began to tour sites for the new capital. The village of Lancaster was chosen, in part due to its salt flats and marshes. Lancaster had approximately 30 residents. Disregarding

9828-434: The founding of the first Lutheran church west of the Missouri River , which was then called Immanuel Lutheran Church and was located downtown. It was renamed after Kountze's father in the 1880s. In 1871 Omaha's Jewish community bought land to create its first cemetery . In 1879 the trial of Standing Bear v. Crook was held at Fort Omaha . During the trial General Crook testified on behalf of Standing Bear , leading

9954-554: The habitat of the endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle . The Lincoln Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Lancaster County and Seward County . Seward County was added to the metropolitan area in 2003. Lincoln is also in the Lincoln-Beatrice Combined Statistical Area which consists of the Lincoln metropolitan area and the micropolitan area of Beatrice . The city of Beatrice is the county seat of Gage County . The Lincoln-Beatrice combined statistical area

10080-576: The increase in population, many social, fraternal and advocacy organizations formed in Omaha in the late 19th century. The city's premier newspapers, the Omaha Bee and the Omaha World-Herald , were founded in 1874 and 1885, respectively. Omaha was the location of the 1892 convention that formed the Populist Party , with its aptly titled Omaha Platform written by "radical farmers" from throughout

10206-507: The land that became Omaha. The Pawnee and Otoe tribes had inhabited the region for hundreds of years by the time the Siouan -language Omaha tribe had arrived from the lower Ohio valley in the early 18th century. Translated, the word "Omaha" ( Omaha–Ponca : Umoⁿhoⁿ ) means "Dwellers on the Bluff". Usually, the word is translated "against the current," but in those cases no source is quoted. During

10332-690: The largest Yazidi (Iraqi ethnic minority) population in the U.S., with over 2,000–3,000 having settled within the city (as of late 2017). In a three-year period, the immigrant and refugee student population at Lincoln Public Schools increased 52% - from 1,606 students in 2014, to 2,445 in 2017. The decade from 1990 to 2000 saw a significant rise in population from 191,972 to 225,581. North 27th Street and Cornhusker Highway were redeveloped with new housing and businesses built. The boom housing market in south Lincoln created new housing developments including high end housing in areas like Cripple Creek, Willamsburg and The Ridge. The shopping center Southpointe Pavilions

10458-652: The late 18th and early 19th centuries when they were the most powerful Indians along the stretch of the Missouri River north of the Platte, the Omaha nation moved on the western edge of present-day Bellevue, Nebraska . After a smallpox outbreak, cultural degradation, the elimination of the buffalo , and continued property loss, the Omaha sold the last of their claims in 1856 and relocated to their present reservation in Thurston County , in northeastern Nebraska. On July 21, 1804,

10584-586: The late 1950s. Organized labor's hard won gains came undone as the industry restructured in the 1980s and 1990s. Improved truck and boxcar refrigeration capabilities encouraged the slaughtering process to move closer to feedlots. Plants were moved to rural areas and hired non-union labor. All centralized stockyard activity declined and the Omaha Stockyards were closed in 1999. New generations of immigrants are employed in meatpacking; now they are mostly Hispanic from Mexico, and Central and South America. Weather

10710-653: The late 1950s. That team folded in 1959. In 1961-62 the Omaha Dodgers were the farm team for the Los Angeles Dodgers . After the city went six years without a professional team, the Omaha Royals started in 1969. The Omaha Royals become the Omaha Storm Chasers in 2011. By the 1960s, the Omaha Stockyards had become the world's largest livestock processing center. They surpassed Chicago's Union Stock Yards in

10836-515: The location a key point of transfer for both people and goods. Prior to European-American establishment of the city, numerous Indian tribes had inhabited the area, including the Pawnee , Otoe , Sioux , the Missouri and Ioway . They had developed a semi-nomadic lifestyle necessary for survival on the Great Plains . Since the 17th century, the Pawnee , Otoe , Sioux , and Ioway all variously occupied

10962-450: The mall's name from Westfield Gateway to Gateway Mall and has made incremental expansions and renovations. In 2015, ALLO Communications announced it would bring ultra-high speed fiber internet to the city. Speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second were available for business and households by building off of the city's existing fiber network. Construction on the citywide network began in March 2016 and

11088-748: The new Western League . Their name changed to the Omaha Indians in 1902. In 1904 the team was fielded as the Omaha Packers, and in 1906 as the Omaha Rourkes. They kept that name until 1921 when the name changed to the Omaha Buffaloes, which stuck until 1928 when it changed to the Omaha Crickets. In 1930 the team changed its name back to the Omaha Packers and kept that name until 1935 when they moved to Council Bluffs and subsequently folded. A new team called

11214-509: The new city, generally focused on land -related issues. In the 1860s, ten years after the city's formation, early citizens also created the Old Settlers' Association to record the early history of the settlement. Aside from Omaha, other early settlements and towns in the area include Fontenelle's Post founded in 1806; Fort Lisa founded 1806; Culter's Park , founded 1846; Bellevue , settled in 1804 and founded 1853; East Omaha , founded in

11340-410: The original plat of the village of Lancaster, Kennard platted Lincoln on a broader scale. The plat of the village of Lancaster was not dissolved nor abandoned; it became Lincoln when the Lincoln plat files were finished on September 6, 1867. To raise money for the construction of a capital, an auction of lots was held. Newcomers began to arrive and Lincoln's population grew. The Nebraska State Capitol

11466-590: The platting of Scriptown . However, their bid failed, and in 1865 the state capitol moved to Lincoln . The new legislature immediately passed the Free Public School Act of 1855 , which created free public schools for children across the territory. Positions for a territorial superintendent and county school superintendents to be elected by popular vote were also created. County superintendents were supposed to organize school districts and levy property taxes to support schools; however, not every locale levied

11592-415: The population was under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 99.4 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $ 60,063 (with

11718-675: The principal employers of the city are: 1974 saw the establishment of a Kawasaki motorcycles assembly facility named the American Kawasaki Motors Corporation (KMC), to complete Japan-produced components into finished products for the North American market. Incorporated in 1981, Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. (KMM) and assumed control of KMC. As of 2022, their webpresence named tallies "All-Terrain Vehicles, Utility Vehicles, Personal Watercraft, Recreation Utility Vehicles, and Passenger Rail Cars" as their range. Kawasaki

11844-462: The recently concluded Civil War . It was assumed that senators south of the river would not vote to pass the measure if the future capital was named after Lincoln. In the end, the motion to name the future capital Lincoln was ineffective in blocking the measure and the vote to move the capital south of the Platte was successful, with the passage of the Removal Act in 1867. The Removal Act called for

11970-484: The revitalization of Lincoln with the downtown beautification project being completed in 1978. In 1979, the square-block downtown Centrum was opened and connected to buildings with a skywalk. The Centrum was a two-level shopping mall with a garage for 1,038 cars. With the beautification and urban renewal projects, many historic buildings were razed in the city. In 2007 and 2009, the city of Lincoln received beautification grants for improvements on O and West O Streets, west of

12096-483: The route to keep up with the demand. In 1924, the D-L-D was designated as Nebraska State Highway 6 . In 1926, the highway became part of the Federal Highway System and was renumbered U.S. Route 38. In 1931, U.S. 38 was renumbered as a U.S. 6 /U.S. 38 overlap and in 1933, the U.S. 38 route designation was dropped. In the early years of air travel, Lincoln had three airports and one airfield. Union Airport ,

12222-629: The same period Peter was buying other German-language newspapers across the U.S. The NGAA folded in the late 1920s; Peter's business, the Interstate Publishing Company , still operates in Omaha today. The reign of Omaha political boss Tom Dennison ended in 1933. For more than thirty-five years, he controlled gambling, drinking, prostitution and other criminal interests throughout Omaha, particularly in his seedy Sporting District . He controlled bootlegging operations in Little Italy through

12348-416: The skyline of Lincoln as he drove into Lincoln. He also drew inspiration from both art deco, and native artwork inside the Capitol building. The contest was organized by American Marketing Association - Lincoln and Lincoln Young Professionals Group . Lincoln has an area of 99.050 square miles (256.538 km ), of which 97.689 square miles (253.013 km ) is land and 1.361 square miles (3.525 km )

12474-581: The south and east. As of December 2013, Lincoln had 45 registered neighborhood associations within the city limits . One core neighborhood that has seen rapid residential growth in recent years is the downtown Lincoln area. In 2010, there were 1,200 downtown Lincoln residents; in 2016, there were 3,000 (an increase of 140%). Around the middle of the same decade, demand for housing and rent units began outpacing supply. With Lincoln's population expected to grow to more than 311,000 people by 2020, prices for homes and rent costs have risen. Home prices rose 10% from

12600-534: The stadium to accommodate fans, teams, and media covering the event. ESPN televised every game of the event from 1980 through 1987. ESPN started coverage again when the championship series went to a best-of-3 format in 2003. From 1988 through 2002, CBS televised the championship game: a winner-take-all single game. In 1955 the Omaha Cardinals joined the AAA American Association , and thrived until

12726-420: The state with a land grant of about 130,000 acres. Construction of University Hall, the first building, began the same year. Nebraska was granted statehood on March 1, 1867. The capital of the Nebraska Territory had been Omaha since the creation of the territory in 1854. Most of its population lived south of the Platte River. After much of the territory south of the Platte was considered annexation to Kansas,

12852-400: The stockyards. When many black men worked as strikebreakers, resentment by other working-class, ethnic white men rose against them. The "independent political boss" Tom Dennison was later implicated of contributing to racial tensions in an effort to turn out a reform mayor. The spark of the Omaha Race Riot of 1919 occurred when a black man named Will Brown was arrested and accused of raping

12978-536: The streets and burning it. The mob was mostly European-born immigrants and ethnic European Americans . The mayor attempted to intervene and was also hanged; he was saved only by a last-minute rescue by federal agents. The city had to ask for help from Federal troops to quell the disorder, and their arrival was delayed because of a series of communication problems. The commander stationed troops in South Omaha to prevent more mobs from forming, and in North Omaha to protect

13104-491: The suburban Gateway Shopping Mall. In 1956, Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska announced plans to build a $ 6 million shopping center next to their new campus on Lincoln's eastern outskirts. Gateway Shopping Center, now called Gateway Mall , opened at 60th and O streets in 1960. By 1984, 75% of Lincoln's revenue from retail sales tax came from within a one-mile radius of the Mall. The exodus of retail and service businesses led

13230-433: The taxes or built schools. The first incorporated city in Nebraska, Nebraska City , was granted its charter by a special act in 1855. In 1855, the Omaha Claim Club imposed their will on the territorial legislature, forcing the passage of a territorial law granting 320 acres (1.3 km) per settler, they doubled the federally imposed limit of 160 acres (0.6 km). In January 1856, the territorial legislature chartered

13356-450: The territorial legislature to Florence following a violent outburst at the capitol building. After repeatedly being dogged out of voting on the removal of the capital from Omaha, a skirmish pitted representatives from Nebraska City , Florence, and other communities to convene outside of Omaha. Despite having a majority of members present for the vote to remove the capital and all agreeing, the "Florence Legislature" did not succeed in swaying

13482-465: The territorial legislature voted to place the capital south of the river and as far west as possible. Before the vote to remove the capital from Omaha, Omaha Senator J. N. H. Patrick made a last-ditch effort to derail the move by having the future capital named after recently assassinated President Abraham Lincoln . Many of the people south of the Platte had been sympathetic to the Confederate cause in

13608-477: The town site early in 1854, months after the Kansas–Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory . The first black person in Omaha arrived in 1854. While the city was young, there were no formal police or sheriff , or at least one with any significant authority. Compensating for the absence of the law, many early Omaha pioneers formed a claim club to create and enforce a legal system to their advantage. The Omaha Claim Club took authority over many areas of

13734-430: Was 2,937.6 per square mile (1,134.2/km ). There were 122,048 housing units at an average density of 1,231.7 per square mile (475.6/km ). The racial makeup was 78.66% (228,956) white , 4.67% (13,605) black or African-American , 0.89% (2,589) Native American , 4.77% (13,871) Asian , 0.07% (196) Pacific Islander , 3.5% (10,175) from other races , and 7.45% (21,690) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race

13860-401: Was 7.0% (22,321) of the population. Of the 115,930 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18; 43.8% were married couples living together; 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present. 31.0% of households consisted of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0. 21.9% of

13986-658: Was a year old after threats on their lives from the Ku Klux Klan because of his father's activism. The Nebraska chapter of the National German-American Alliance (NGAA) was founded and led by Valentin J. Peter , the publisher and editor of the German language Omaha Tribune in 1907. By the 1920s the organization was working closely with breweries throughout the city to challenge the complete political and social assimilation of German immigrants in Nebraska. During

14112-459: Was an early madam who got her start in Omaha. She eventually opened a 25-room mansion brothel at Ninth and Douglas Streets. She was the longtime romantic partner of Dan Allen , a well-known and successful riverboat gambler in Omaha. The 1900 kidnapping of Edward Cudahy Jr. in the Old Gold Coast neighborhood caused a national uproar. The perpetrator, Pat Crowe , became a nationally renowned author and lecturer on criminal justice reforms. In

14238-537: Was annexed in 1922. In 1926, the town of University Place was annexed. College View, incorporated in 1892, was annexed in 1929. Union College , a Seventh Day Adventist institution, was founded in College View in 1891. In 1930, Lincoln annexed the town of Havelock. Havelock actively opposed annexation to Lincoln and only relented due to a strike by the Burlington railroad shop workers which halted progress and growth for

14364-589: Was completed in competition of Gateway Mall. In 2001, Westfield America Trust purchased the Gateway Mall and named it Westfield Shoppingtown Gateway. In 2005, the company renamed it the Westfield Gateway. Westfield made a $ 45 million makeover of the mall in 2005 including an expanded food court, a new west-side entrance and installation of an Italian carousel. In 2012, Westfield America Trust sold Westfield Gateway to Starwood Capital Group . Starwood reverted

14490-443: Was completed on December 1, 1868, a two-story building constructed with native limestone with a central cupola. The Kennard house , built in 1869, is the oldest remaining building in the original plat of Lincoln. In 1888, a new capitol building was constructed on the site of the first to replace the structurally unsound former capitol. The second building was a classical design by architect William H. Willcox . Construction began on

14616-520: Was established around 1925 as a manufacturing and test facility for Arrow Aircraft and Motors Corporation, primarily the Arrow Sport . The airfield was near Havelock; or to the west of where the North 48th Street Small Vehicle Transfer Station is today. Arrow Aircraft and Motors declared bankruptcy in 1939 and Arrow Airport closed roughly several decades later. An Arrow Sport is on permanent display, hanging in

14742-476: Was established northeast of Lincoln in 1920. The Lincoln Flying School was founded by E.J. Sias in a building he built at 2145 O Street. Charles Lindbergh was a student at the flying school in 1922. The flying school closed in 1947. Some remnants of the Union Airport are still visible between N. 56th and N. 70th Streets, north of Fletcher Avenue; mangled within a slowly developing industrial zone. Arrow Airport

14868-481: Was estimated to be complete by 2019, making it one of the largest infrastructure projects in the United States. Telephone and cable TV service were also included, making it the third company to compete for such services within the same Lincoln footprint. In April 2016, Windstream Communications announced that 2,300 customers in Lincoln had 1 Gigabit per second fiber internet with an expected expansion of services to 25,000 customers by 2017. On November 29, 2017, Lincoln

14994-411: Was founded in 1856 as the village of Lancaster on the wild salt marshes and arroyos of what became Lancaster County. Renamed after President Abraham Lincoln , it became Nebraska's state capital in 1869. The Bertram G. Goodhue –designed state capitol building was completed in 1932, and is the nation's second-tallest capitol. As the city is the seat of government for the state of Nebraska, the state and

15120-453: Was held in North Omaha from June 1 to November 1, 1898. The exposition drew more than 2 million visitors. It required the construction of attractions spanning 100 city blocks, including a ship-worthy lagoon, bridges and magnificent (though temporary) buildings constructed of plaster and horsehair. The Exposition also featured a number of sideshows, including Buffalo Bill 's Wild West Show and

15246-402: Was named Lancaster. After the passage of the 1862 Homestead Act , homesteaders began to inhabit the area. The first plat was dated August 6, 1864. By the end of 1868, Lancaster had a population of approximately 500. The township of Lancaster was renamed Lincoln, with the incorporation of the city of Lincoln on April 1, 1869. In 1869, the University of Nebraska was established in Lincoln by

15372-408: Was named a Smart Gigabit Community by U.S. Ignite Inc. and in early 2018, Spectrum joined the ranks of internet service providers providing 1 gigabit internet within the city. In 2022, the city government of Lincoln adopted a new flag, called "All Roads Lead to Lincoln." The flag was created by Ed Mejia, a local art director and graphic designer, who came from El Salvador. The design was inspired by

15498-606: Was north of Salt Lake, in an area known over the years as Huskerville, Arnold Heights and Air Park; and was approximately within the western half of the West Lincoln Township. The air field was a stop for United Airlines in 1927 and a mail stop in 1928. In 1942, the Lincoln Army Airfield was established at the site. During World War II, the U.S. Army used the facility to train over 25,000 aviation mechanics and process over 40,000 troopers for combat. The Army closed

15624-625: Was part of a large World War II campaign by the Japanese military to cause mass chaos in American cities. The story was suppressed by the American military until after the war was over, as no one was hurt in the explosion. Civil rights activism in Omaha began in 1912 with the formation of a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People . It continued through

15750-499: Was severe in 1975. In January, the city was paralyzed by a devastating blizzard that dumped eleven to nineteen inches of snow on the city. In May the city was hit by a tornado. The Omaha Tornado of 1975 was a F4 tornado that ripped through neighborhoods along 72nd Street on May 6, 1975, killing 3 and injuring 133. In terms of damage, it was the most costly tornado in American history to that date, with damage estimates between $ 250 million and $ 500 million. In 1988 Omaha demolished

15876-472: Was −31 °F (−35.0 °C) on February 16, 2021, which broke the monthly record of −26 °F (−32.2 °C) last set a day earlier. It occurred during the wider February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm , which impacted the Midwestern and Northeastern United States as a whole. Based on 30-year averages obtained from NOAA 's National Climatic Data Center for December, January and February,

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