Local History by
Omaha Exploration

One of Omaha’s most recognizable residences belonged to Colonel Joel Northrup Cornish, a man whose grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War and who was himself commissioned as a colonel by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Born in New York in 1828,...

Adjacent to the emerging Flatiron District, the building now known as the Magnolia Hotel first opened as Aquila Court in 1924. Built by brothers Chester and Raymond Cook, it was envisioned as an elegant multi-use destination that combined offices and apartments with...

In 1962, the City of Omaha began constructing pedestrian bridges in response to the city's continued growth. With streets growing busier, and more children walking to school, safety became an increasing concern. The issue was amplified after World War II, as returning...

The construction of US West’s 1200 Landmark Center in 1988 reflected a balance between preservation and development in Omaha. While one historic building was saved, another—among the city’s oldest—was lost as part of a project that was promoted as the largest office...

Omaha’s early growth was hindered by the large, steep hills just west of downtown along Farnam, Douglas, and Dodge Streets. The problem was so severe that it made it difficult for streetcars—and later automobiles—to reach the top of the hill at 24th Street. While...

Long before the VA Medical Center and the Field Club of Omaha, the area around 42nd & Center Street was home to the Douglas County Poor Farm. On its grounds stood the Douglas County Hospital, a unique medical facility designed to care for patients suffering from...

Well known as the birthplace of the Reuben sandwich, the TV dinner and butter brickle ice cream, Omaha is less known as the birthplace of the ski lift. The inventor, James Curran, worked as an ironworker for Paxton & Vierling Iron Works while taking night classes....

Preston Love once claimed that, “If New York, Chicago, and Kansas City were the major leagues of jazz, Omaha was the Triple-A. If you wanted to make the big leagues, you came and played in Omaha.” Much of the credit for that reputation belongs to the Jewell family....

Omaha doesn’t have an underground rail system, but it does have a subway. The Dodge Street Subway in Dundee—built in 1934 by the Public Works Administration—remains the city’s only pedestrian underpass and was the second tunnel constructed beneath what was once a...

The three-story-tall, hand-painted Baum Iron sign facing 13th Street in the Old Market has been a local fixture for more than a century. Constructed in 1880, the building it adorns has housed only three businesses in its 145 years. Located at 1221 Harney Street, the...

One of Omaha's most unique spaces is located in what was once an alleyway in the Old Market, flanked by the E. Meyer Building on the east and the Poppleton Block on the west. Constructed in 1912 for Ernest Meyer, a wholesale fruit dealer, the E. Meyer Building at 1016...

After it was built, the 22-story Flatiron Building in New York City inspired dozens of similar structures across the country with its distinctive three-sided design. Among them was the 4-story version built at the triangular intersection in downtown Omaha, where 17th...