City of Omaha
An aerial view of Downtown Omaha.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Gateway to the West[1]
Motto: Fortiter in Re  (Latin) "Courageously in every enterprise"
Location in Nebraska and Douglas County.
Coordinates: 41°15'N 96°0'W? / ?41.25, -96
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
County	Douglas
Founded	1854
Incorporated	1857
Government
- Mayor	Michael Fahey (D)
- City Clerk	Buster Brown
- City Council	Members list District 1: Jim Suttle District 2: Frank Brown District 3: Jim Vokal District 4: Garry Gernandt (Council Vice-President) District 5: Dan Welch (Council President) District 6: Franklin Thompson District 7: Chuck Sigerson, Jr.
Area
- City	118.9 sq mi (307.9 km²)
- Land	115.7 sq mi (299.7 km²)
- Water	3.2 sq mi (8.2 km²)
Elevation	1,090 ft (332 m)
Population (2000)
- City	432,921
- Density	3,370.7/sq mi (1,301.5/km²)
- Urban	767,041
- Metro	829,890
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	68022, 68101-68164
Area code(s)	402
FIPS code	31-37000[2]
GNIS feature ID	0835483[3]
Website: www.ci.omaha.ne.us

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County.^[4] It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles (30 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha is the anchor of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, with Council Bluffs, Iowa sitting adjacent to Omaha across the Missouri River. According to the 2008 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, Omaha's population was 432,921. The city is the nation's 42nd-largest, according to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates; along with its suburbs Omaha formed the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2000, with an estimated population of 829,890 residing in eight counties. There are more than 1.2 million residents within a 50 mile (80 km) radius of the city's center.

Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854 when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring Kanesville, 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." During the 19th century Omaha's central location in the United States caused 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 and meatpacking plants gained local and national prominence.

The city is the home to five Fortune 500 companies: ConAgra Foods, Union Pacific Corporation, Peter Kiewit and Sons, Inc., Mutual of Omaha Companies, and Berkshire Hathaway, the company headed by legendary investor and so-called Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, the richest person in the world according to Forbes Magazine in 2008. ^[5] The Gallup Organization, TD Ameritrade, PayPal and LinkedIn all have major operations or headquarters in Omaha. The city also is the home to three of the top 30 architectural and engineering firms in the world: Leo A. Daly Co., HDR, Inc. and DLR Group.

Today the economy of Omaha is diverse and built on skilled knowledge jobs. In 2001 Newsweek identified Omaha as one of the Top 10 high-tech havens in the nation. Six national fiber optic networks converge in Omaha. Tourism in Omaha benefits the city's economy greatly, with the annual College World Series providing important revenue and the city's Henry Doorly Zoo serving as the top attraction in Nebraska.

The historic preservation movement in the city has led to a number of historic structures and districts being designated Omaha Landmarks or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city has a number of ethnic groups represented in its population. Race relations in the city have included a number of riots, lynchings, and recently, gang violence. The diverse culture of Omaha includes a variety of performance venues, museums, and musical heritage, including the historically-significant jazz scene in North Omaha and the modern and influential "Omaha Sound." Sports have been important in Omaha for more than a century, and the city currently hosts four professional sports teams. Omaha also has a number of recreational trails and parks located throughout the city.

Omaha Public Schools is the largest public school district in Nebraska, and the city has a number of Catholic schools. There are eleven colleges and universities among Omaha's higher education institutions, including the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Omaha's Creighton University is ranked the top non-doctoral regional college in the Midwestern United States by U.S. News and World Report.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Omaha, Nebraska

See also: History of North Omaha, Nebraska

Logan Fontenelle, chief of the Omaha Tribe that ceded land to the U.S. government which became the city of Omaha

Since the 1600s a number of Native American tribes have variously occupied the land that became Omaha, including the Omaha, Pawnee, Otoe, the Missouri, the Ponca and Ioway. The word "Omaha" (actually UmoNhoN or UmaNhaN) means "Dwellers on the bluff".^[6] The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed by the riverbanks that would later become the city of Omaha in 1804. 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 the Council Bluff at a point about 20 miles (30 km) north of present-day Omaha.^[7] Immediately south of that area several fur trading outposts were built in succeeding years, including Fort Lisa in 1812;^[8] Fort Atkinson in 1819;^[9] Cabanné's Trading Post, built in 1822, and Fontenelle's Post in 1823, in what became Bellevue.^[10] There was fierce competition among fur traders until John Jacob Astor created the monopoly of the American Fur Company. The Mormons built a town called Cutler's Park in the area in 1846,^[11] and while it was temporary the settlement provided the basis for further development in the future.^[12]

Through 18 separate treaties with the federal government, Native American tribes in Nebraska gradually ceded the lands currently comprising the state. One treaty and cession directly affected the Omaha area. That occurred in 1854 when the Omaha Tribe ceded most of east-central Nebraska.^[13] Logan Fontenelle, chief of the Omaha, played an essential role in those proceedings.

[edit] Pioneer Omaha

Before it was legal to claim land in Indian Country, William D. Brown was operating the Lone Tree Ferry to bring settlers from Council Bluffs to the area that became Omaha. Brown is generally credited as having the first vision for a city where Omaha now sits.^[14] The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 was presaged by the staking out of claims around the area that was to become Omaha by residents from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. On July 4, 1854 the city was informally established at a picnic on Capital Hill, current site of Omaha Central High School.^[15] Soon after the Omaha Claim Club was formed to provide vigilante justice for claim jumpers and others who infringed on the land of many of the city's founding fathers.^[16] Some of this land, which now wraps around Downtown Omaha, was later used to entice Nebraska Territory legislators in an area called Scriptown.^[17] The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled against numerous landowners whose violent actions were condemned in Baker v. Morton.^[18]

Many of Omaha's founding figures stayed at the Douglas House or the Cozzens House Hotel.^[19] Dodge Street was important early in the city's early commercial history; North 24th Street and South 24th Street developed independently as business districts, as well. Most early pioneers were buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, next to soldiers from Fort Omaha, early European immigrants and African Americans.^[20] There are several other historical cemeteries in Omaha, historical Jewish synagogues and historical Christian churches.

[edit] 19th century

The Hotel Fontenelle, formerly located in downtown Omaha

The economy of Omaha boomed and busted through its early years. First the jobbing and wholesaling district brought new jobs, followed by the railroads and the stockyards.^[21] Groundbreaking for the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1863, providing an essential developmental boom for the city.^[22] The Union Pacific Railroad was authorized by the U.S. Congress to begin building westward railways in 1862;^[23][24] in January 1866 it commenced construction out of Omaha.^[25]

Equally as important, the Omaha Stockyards were founded in 1883.^[26] Within twenty years of the founding of the Union Stockyards in South Omaha four of the five major meatpacking companies in the United States were located in Omaha. 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.^[27]

Immigrants soon created ethnic enclaves throughout the city, including Irish in Sheelytown in South Omaha; Germans in the Near North Side, joined by Eastern European Jews and black migrants from the South; and Little Italy and Little Bohemia in South Omaha.^[28] Beginning in the late 1800s, 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.^[29] The Omaha Horse Railway first carried passengers throughout 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.^[30]

Gambling, drinking and prostitution were widespread in the 19th century, first rampant in the city's Burnt District and later in the Sporting District.^[31] 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.^[32][33] Calamities such as the Great Flood of 1881 did not slow down the city's violence.^[34] 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 the event ended there was one man dead and several wounded.^[35] In 1891 a mob hanged an African-American porter named Joe Coe after he was accused of raping a white girl.^[36] There were several other riots and civil unrest events in Omaha during this period, as well.

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 the Midwest.^[37] The Indian Congress, which drew more than 500 American Indians from across the country, was held simultaneously. More than 2,000,000 visitors attended these events, located at Kountze Park and the Omaha Driving Park in the Kountze Place neighborhood.^[38]

[edit] 20th century

The Enola Gay was built in the Omaha metropolitan area.

With dramatically increasing population in the 20th century, there was major civil unrest in Omaha resulting from competition and fierce labor struggles.^[39] In 1900 Omaha was the center of a national uproar over the kidnapping of Edward Cudahy, Jr., the son of a local meatpacking magnate.^[40] The city's labor and management clashed in bitter strikes, racial tension escalated as blacks were hired as strikebreakers, and ethnic strife broke out.^[41] A major riot by ethnic whites in South Omaha destroyed the city's Greek Town in 1909, completely driving out the Greek population.^[42] 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.^[43] The Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913 destroyed much of the city's African American community, in addition to much of Midtown Omaha.^[44] Six years later in 1919 the city was caught up in the Red Summer riots when thousands of ethnic 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 $1,000,000 damage. They hung and shot Will Brown, then burned his body.^[45] Troops were called in from Fort Omaha to quell the riot, prevent more crowds gathering in South Omaha, and to protect the black community in North Omaha.^[46]

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.^[47] Musicians created their own world in Omaha, and also joined national bands and groups that toured and appeared in the city.^[48]

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 bombing of Japan in WWII.^[49] The construction of Interstates 80, 480 and 680, along with the North Omaha Freeway, spurred development. There was also controversy, particularly in North Omaha, where several neighborhoods were bisected by new routes.^[50] Creighton University hosted the DePorres Club, an early civil rights group whose sit-in strategies for integration of public facilities predated the national movement, starting in 1947.^[51] Following the development of the Glenn L. Martin Company bomber manufacturing plant in Bellevue at the beginning of World War II, the relocation of the Strategic Air Command to the Omaha suburb in 1948 provided a major economic boost to the area.^[52]

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 insurance centers of Hartford, Connecticut, New York City and Boston, Massachusetts.^[53] After surpassing Chicago in meat processing by the late 1950s, Omaha suffered the loss of 10,000 jobs as both the railroad and meatpacking industries restructured. The city struggled for decades to shift its economy and workers suffered, losing jobs and hard won gains in wages. 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.^[54] In 1969, Woodmen Tower 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.^[55] In 1975 a major tornado, along with a major blizzard, caused more than $100 million in damages in 1975 dollars.^[56] Downtown Omaha has been rejuvenated in numerous ways, starting with the development of Gene Leahy Mall^[57] and W. Dale Clark Library^[58] 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 the creation of the ConAgra campus.^[59] Several nearby buildings, including the Nash Block, have been converted into condominiums. The stockyards were taken down and the only surviving building is the Livestock Exchange Building, which was converted to multi-use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[60]

[edit] 21st century

The new Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River

Around the turn of the century several new downtown skyscrapers and cultural institutions were built.^[61] One First National Center was completed in 2002, replacing the Woodmen Tower as the tallest building in Omaha at 638 ft (194 m). The creation of the city's new North Downtown, also called "NoDo", included the construction of the Qwest Center and the Slowdown/Film Streams development at North 14th and Webster Streets.^[62] New construction has occurred throughout the city, with important developments throughout West Omaha and on the site of the former Ak-Sar-Ben arena.^[63] Downtown and Midtown Omaha have both seen the development of a significant number of condominiums in recent years.^[64][65] "Midtown Crossing at Turner Park" is a development in Midtown being developed by Mutual of Omaha.^[66][67] A 373 ft (114 m), 32 story tall skyscraper called WallStreet Tower Omaha is being constructed on the site of the second Union Pacific headquarters. The completion of the tower date is slated for late 2011.

There have also been several developments along the Missouri River waterfront. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge was recently completed and opened to foot and bicycle traffic on September 28, 2008.^[68] Started in 2003,^[69] Riverfront Place is planned to have two towers, with tower one recently completed and tower two breaking ground in 2009. The development along Omaha's riverfront is attributed with prompting the City of Council Bluffs to move their own riverfront development time line forward.^[70]

The 2008 United States Olympic Team Trials were in Omaha held from June 29 to July 6. Two people in each individual discipline participated, along with up to six people for the 4x100 freestyle relays and 4x200 freestyle relay swimming events.^[71][72] The event was a highlight in the city's sports community,^[73] as well as a showcase for redevelopment in the downtown area.

[edit] Geography

See also: Geography of Omaha, Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

Omaha is located at 41°15'N 96°0'W? / ?41.25, -96. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 118.9 square miles (307.9 km²). 115.7 square miles (299.7 km²) of it is land and 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²) of it is water. The total area is 2.67% water. Situated in the Midwestern United States on the shore of the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska, much of Omaha is built in the Missouri River Valley. Other significant bodies of water in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area include Lake Manawa, Papillion Creek, 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.^[74] 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 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.^[75] 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 the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area and consisted of only five counties: Pottawattamie in Iowa, and Washington, Douglas, Cass, and Sarpy in Nebraska.^[76] 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 the 42nd-largest city in the United States, and is the core city of its 60th-largest metropolitan area.^[77] There are currently 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."^[78]

Geographically, Omaha is considered as being located 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.^[79]

[edit] Neighborhoods

Main article: Neighborhoods of Omaha, Nebraska

Downtown-lime, Midtown-blue-gray, North-red, South-pink, West-lavender

Omaha is generally divided into five geographic areas: Downtown, Midtown, North Omaha, South Omaha and West Omaha. West Omaha includes the Crossroads, Miracle Hills, Girls and Boys Town, and Gateway areas.^[80] There is also small community in East Omaha. The city has a wide range of historical and new neighborhoods and suburbs that reflect its socioeconomic diversity.^[81] Early neighborhood development happened in ethnic enclaves,^[82] including Little Italy, Little Bohemia and Greek Town.^[83] In 1989 U.S. Census data was used to identify five European ethnic enclaves in 1880 and nine ethnic enclaves in 1900.^[84]

At the turn of the 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 recent and controversial annexation of Elkhorn, Omaha has constantly had an eye towards growth.^[85]

Starting in the 1950s, development of highways and new housing led to movement of middle class to suburbs in West Omaha. Some of the movement was designated as white flight from racial unrest in the 1960s.^[86] Newer and poorer migrants lived in older housing close to downtown; those residents who were more established moved west into newer housing. Some suburbs have evolved to gated communities and edge cities.^[87] Recently, Omahans have made strides to revitalize the downtown area with the redevelopment of the Old Market and the designation of the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District.

[edit] Landmark preservation

Main article: Landmarks in Omaha, Nebraska

Main article: List of Registered Historic Places in Douglas County, Nebraska

The Joslyn Castle is home to a nonprofit environmental organization.

Omaha is home to dozens of nationally, regionally and locally significant landmarks.^[88] The city has more than a dozen historic districts, including Fort Omaha Historic District, Gold Coast Historic District, Omaha Quartermaster Depot Historic District, Field Club Historic District, Bemis Park Historic District, and the South Omaha Main Street Historic District. Omaha is notorious for its 1989 demolition of 24 buildings in the Jobbers Canyon Historic District, which represents to date the largest loss of buildings on the National Register.^[89] The only original building surviving of that complex is the Nash Block.

Omaha has almost one hundred individual properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Bank of Florence, Holy Family Church, the Christian Specht Building and the Joslyn Castle. There are also three properties designated as National Historic Landmarks.^[90]

Locally designated landmarks, including residential, commercial, religious, educational, agricultural and socially significant locations across the city, honor Omaha's cultural legacy and important history. The City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission is the government body that works with the mayor of Omaha and the Omaha City Council to protect historic places. Important history organizations in the community include the Douglas County Historical Society.^[91]

[edit] Climate

Though located at approximately the same latitude as Rome, Omaha, by virtue of its location near the center of North America far from large bodies of water or mountain ranges, has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), with hot summers and cold winters. Average July maximum and minimum temperatures are 88 °F (31 °C) and 66 °F (19 °C) respectively, with moderate humidity and relatively frequent thunderstorms, usually rather violent and capable of spawning severe weather or tornadoes; the January counterparts are 31 °F (-1 °C) and 11 °F (-12 °C). The maximum temperature recorded in the city is 114 °F (46 °C), the minimum -32 °F (-36 °C). Average yearly precipitation is 30 in (76 cm), falling mostly in the warmer months. What precipitation does fall in winter usually takes the form of snow, with average yearly snowfall being around 30 in (76 cm).

Omaha has had its share of natural disasters by water and wind. The city's Carter Lake was formed by a massive flood which altered the course of the Missouri River. The Great Flood of 1881 filled Omaha and Council Bluffs with water for almost a month, causing two fatalities and millions of dollars in damage.^[92] As many as 1,000 people were displaced by a flood in 1943, which sent the Missouri River, Carter Lake, and the old Florence Lake into homes and businesses throughout East Omaha. The flood of April 13, 1952 led to 40,000 people being evacuated from East Omaha and Carter Lake. President Harry S. Truman personally visited the scene of the flooding in Omaha and officially declared it a disaster area.^[93]

Several neighborhoods in central Omaha and North Omaha were severely damaged by the Easter Sunday tornado of 1913, which destroyed many businesses and neighborhoods. More than 200 people died during the event.^[94][95] The Omaha Tornado of 1975 cut through 10 miles of streets and residences, crossing the city's busiest intersection at 72nd and Dodge. Three people were killed and 133 were reported injured.^[96]

Weather averages for Omaha
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	69 (21)	78 (26)	91 (33)	96 (36)	103 (39)	107 (42)	114 (46)	111 (44)	104 (40)	96 (36)	83 (28)	72 (22)	114 (46)
Average high °F (°C)	31.3 (-0)	37.1 (3)	49.4 (10)	63.8 (18)	74.0 (23)	83.7 (29)	87.9 (31)	85.2 (30)	76.5 (25)	65.6 (19)	49.3 (10)	34.6 (1)	63.2 (17)
Average low °F (°C)	10.9 (-12)	16.7 (-9)	27.7 (-2)	39.9 (4)	50.9 (10)	60.4 (16)	65.9 (19)	62.9 (17)	53.6 (12)	41.2 (5)	28.7 (-2)	15.6 (-9)	39.5 (4)
Record low °F (°C)	-32 (-36)	-26 (-32)	-16 (-27)	5 (-15)	25 (-4)	39 (4)	44 (7)	43 (6)	28 (-2)	8 (-13)	-14 (-26)	-25 (-32)	-32 (-36)
Precipitation inches (mm)	0.74 (18.8)	0.77 (19.6)	2.04 (51.8)	2.66 (67.6)	4.52 (114.8)	3.87 (98.3)	3.51 (89.2)	3.24 (82.3)	3.72 (94.5)	2.28 (57.9)	1.49 (37.8)	1.02 (25.9)	29.86 (758.4)
Source: [97] 2008-01-07
Source #2: [98] 2008-01-07

[edit] Demographics