History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska, Part 104

Author: Savage, James Woodruff, 1826-1890; Bell, John T. (John Thomas), b. 1842, joint author; Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: New York, Chicago, Munsell & Company
Number of Pages: 1020

USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska > Part 104

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large cottonwood trees with which the grounds were ornamented and in winter they entered the building, built a fire in the stove and made themselves at home.

" On the evening named, the usual hard crowd were there, when a stock shipper in the employ of Lobman and Rothschild, un- dertook to assist a man named Williams, whom the gang were attempting to hold up and rob. The shipper, who was none other than " Sheeney " Martin, was promptly shot and a few minutes later came limping up to the Exchange, with a bullet through the thigh. The ball entered in front near the groin and was taken out at the point of the hip, having passed clear through the thickest part of the thigh and yet Martin still lives to tell the story. The tramps were not dis- turbed to any great extent.

"Fire bugs too, got in their work occa- sionally. Many will remember the Wishart- Jones tragedy in which a building was burned and Jones was shot though not fatally. Also the burning of the " Sans Souci." The place was fitted up like a palace and opened with an elaborate ban- quet; but it was not allowed to stand very long. Good people get desperate sometimes and do things which they would condemn in others under ordinary circumstances."

From the Globe-Journal, the successor to the Globe, we make the following extracts:

March 19, 1886 .- " South Omaha! Bean- tiful residence lots! for sale. Also business lots. Look on the large map of Omaha and observe that the two-and-one-half mile belt from the Omaha postoffice runs south of sec- tion 33, and through the north end of South Omaha. Take a string and pencil, then get one of J. M. Wolfe & Co.'s maps of Omaha and South Omaha combined, put your finger on the string at Thirteenth and Farnam, Omaha's business center, and your pencil on the string at where Bellevue [Twenty- fourthi] Street enters South Omaha from the north, then draw a circle and note where South Omaha is, and also that many 'Addi- tions,' ' Places' and ' Hills' are far outside this magic circle. Then stop and think a moment what will make outside property increase in value. The growth of Omaha is all that will enhance the value of real estate other than at South Omaha. At the latter point we have three important factors to build up and make valuable the property. (1) The growth of Omaha, which has and

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always will follow the transportation lines; (2) all the great railways center there, thus making it the best manufacturing point of any in or near the city [of Omaha]; (3) the immense stock yards interests.

" Dressed beef business and pork-packing industry will make a town of themselves. Two new packing houses [are] going up this year [1886]. A gigantic beef-canning es- tablishment [is] to be put into operation by that prince of meat producers, Nels Morris, of Chicago. You fool away your day of grace when you do not get an interest in South Omaha before a higher appraisement is made [by the syndicate]. The best loca- tions are being taken. Make your selections now. Lots that sold for three hundred dol- lars in 1884 cannot now be bought for one thousand dollars. The viaducts over the railway track will make safe and splendid thoroughfares between this [Omaha] city and South Omaha. A street car line will run to the stock yards this year. [No street cars entered South Omaha for many months after that was written.] The minute it does, lots will double in value, as this will afford cheap and quick transportation either by dummy, cable or horse cars. * [Signed] M. A. Upton, manager."

April 23, 1886 .- " South Omaha - her present status and future prospects. Two years ago, the land which now comprises the town plat of South Omaha, was a wilder- ness of cornstalks. Not a 'lick ' had been struck at the stock yards, and farm houses were the only buildings in sight. For a year past the fame of the little city [village], which has sprung up as if by magic, and the immense packing, canning and live stock business, which has been so successfully planted here, has acquainted the public with the fact of the wonderful transformation. *

* * *

" As an example of the natural growth of the business at the [stock] yards, we will mention the erection of the Exchange build- ing, the contract for which was let last fall, and which is now nearly ready for occu- pancy. When work began on the founda- tion, we heard the remark, time and again, that the stock yards company were foolish for putting np so large and costly a building, that it was more for show than service, and that it would never be half filled. Now that it is about completed, its magnificent pro- portions and four stories are found to be 41

entirely too small, and the company are contemplating adding a wing. In a few days the company will break ground for another mammoth packing house, and ere the summer wanes still another will be added. Twice they have been obliged to enlarge the [stock] yards for the accommo- dation of the increasing receipts of stock.

" Besides the live stock business, the new town has three general stores, one drug store, and postoffice, four meat markets, three blacksmith shops, five hotels, eight saloons, two lumber yards, two coal yards, one feed and flour store, and boarding-houses without number."

April 30, 1886 .- " South Omaha is to have a resident deputy sheriff from and after May 1, [1886]. Mr. Walker, a former [Omaha ] city policeman, is the man who will run the cowboys in when they get obstrep- erous."

May 7, 1886 .- " Mr. [Thomas] and Mrs. [Anna M. Carroll] Geary will continue in the grocery business; or, rather, Mr. Geary will run the store, while his wife attends to household duties."

In a newspaper published early in May, 1886, under the heading of "South Omaha," a description of what the settlement was at that date and what her "grand future," " without the shadow of doubt," was to be, are clearly set forth:

"Any one would suppose that the above name [South Omaha] would indicate the southern part of the city of Omaha. This, however, is not the case. South Omaha is the name of a thriving town [reference here being to the territory then platted by the syndicate] whose northern boundary is one- half mile south of the city limits of Omaha, and runs from there one and a quarter miles south to the Union Stock Yards.

" Two years ago the 1,400 acres which the South Omaha Company [the syndicate ] own were cornfields and pastures. Since that time over one million dollars have been ex- pended in stock yards, railway tracks, pack- ing houses, water works, and a fifty thousand dollar Exchange building, so that now [May. 1886] there is quite a village built up, and the town has its own post office, rail- way stations and newspaper.

" New buildings are going up every day, and it is only a question of a few years when South Omaha will be to Omaha what Brook- lyn is to New York. At the north end of

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HISTORY OF SOUTH OMAHA.

the town site, [between Twenty-fourth Street on the east and the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way on the west] one mile north of the stock yards, and only two and one-half miles from the business center of the city of Omaha, are four hundred as finely located residence lots as ever gladdened the eye of the lover of the beauties of nature [and, strange as it may seem, many are still (1892) unoccupied], These beautiful lots are on an elevation far above their surroundings, the altitude being 250 feet above the Missouri River. Omaha has some handsome suburbs, but this one hundred acres in South Omaha is without doubt the most lovely spot and will make the finest suburban homes around the city. Beautiful shade trees are planted on each side of the streets, twelve feet from the lot line. Near the center of the north end [of the platted town] is a pretty little park of six acres, in which are evergreens, shrubs and ornamental trees, surrounded at present by a wire fence [which, in July, 1892, is still there]. It is the intention of the company [that is, the syndicate] to put an attractive fence around this park and place in the center of the same a fountain to be fed by their water works-which, by the way, is a fine system, costing over thirty thousand dollars, furnishing pure spring water, clear as crystal [but now (1892) sup- planted by the mains from the Omaha works, supplying an abundance of Missouri River water of a consistency decidedly clouded]. So much for that part of South Omaha, where the finest residences will be located, and where lots ten years from now [May, 1886] will sell for thousands that now sell for hundreds.

"At the south end [of the syndicate's first survey ], as before stated, there has quite a town sprung up and is growing rapidly. One brick block has just been completed and another one is under way. Near here are located the stock yards, which are fast becoming headquarters for stockmen and their herds. Here is also the large dressed beef house operated by Geo. II. Hammond & Co., who own four hundred refrigerator cars and have meat houses in all the princi- pal eastern cities of this country and in Europe. This house cost $156,000. The brick Exchange building, erected by the Stock Yards Company, is a model of beanty and grandeur. This will be used for stock yards, bank, telegraph and commission men's

offices, with a restaurant and bar in the basement. The third and fourth floors will be used as a hotel.

" Beyond a shadow of doubt, South Omaha has a grand future. Backed [as it is] by a syndicate who represent forty millions of dollars, located on the edge of the most prosperous city [that is, one of the most pros- perous cities] on the continent, having the support and presence of all the great rail- ways, having already established a large and rapidly increasing live stock market, having a location unsurpassed in beauty and utility -what other ontcome can there be for this young giant but that which is most favor- able ?

" Manufactories and packing houses will rapidly be erected. To show that Chicago packers are seeing that this is the point for their future business, we quote from the [Omaha] Bee, of April 19 [1886]:

".Another step towards assuring Omaha's future has been taken by the South Omaha syndicate. A contract has been closed with Fowler & Bros., of Chicago, who rank among the fargest pork packers in the world, by which that firm will operate a great packing house at the stock yards, just as soon as the building for that purpose can be erected. When we say that the capacity of this con- cern is to be three times that of Boyd's pack- ing house [in Omaha], and that it will be operated the year around-winter and sum- mer-the magnitude of the enterprise can be best appreciated.'"*

We copy from the files of the South Omaha Daily Stockman, of September 24, 1886, the following pen sketch of South Omaha at that date:

" For the benefit of our readers at a dis- tance who have never visited South Omaha, but have heard a great deal about it and didn't believe it, we will briefly mention the principal business firms and houses of the stock yards town. To begin at a convenient point, we will start on the north side of N Street at its confluence with the Bellevue road, and name the business places on both sides of the street as we go east. First, then, is J. Nielson's blacksmith shop, next Cap- tain Rigby's shoe shop, next Sliter and Gould's wholesale and retail lumber yards and office, which is also headquarters for B. J. Coy, the contractor and builder. Next the city pharmacy, by E. Wert, late of Au-

*From the American Real Estate Criterion, May, 1886.

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PIONEERS AND PIONEER TIMES.

burn, who has opened up a large and very fine drug store. Crossing the street diago- nally we come to T. Geary's dry goods and grocery house, E. K. Well's boarding house, with fourteen boarders, the brick Stock Ex- change hotel, by J. F. Ritchhart, with thirty- eight regular boarders and a large transient patronage. Next, on the same side of the street, comes the postoffice, drug and provis- ion store of Sloane and Saxe, and the retail meat market of McGuire and Curtis, the large two-story frame dry goods house of M. J. Degraff, formerly of Oakland, Iowa; farther on and on the same side of the street, Mrs. W. O. Thayer's boarding house, with eighteen boarders. On the other side of the street is the two-story and basement brick hardware store of Holmes and Smith, with their tin shop next door. The public telephone station, recently established, is also in this store, and Dr. E. L. Ern- hout has his office and consultation rooms on the second floor. The fruit and confec- tionery store of F. Block and the new livery stable of J. Hogate, late of Oakland, Iowa, finishes up the business of N Street. Begin- ning at the north end of business on Twen- ty-sixth Street, we will mention the South Omaha llotel, a large two-story frame build- ing, with a bar attachment and twenty boarders. Mr. Belolevek is the proprietor.

The next business place south of the hotel is the justice office of D. O'Connell. Attorney Grice also offices with the justice, and the

two carry on an extensive real estate busi- ness under the firm name of ' O'Connell and Grice.' Then comes ' Doug's Place' a saloon and ' free and easy.' Nearly opposite is the Wisconsin House, by Bruno Strathman, one of the largest and nicest hotels in the place. This house also has a bar and entertains twenty-two regular boarders. Across the

street, opposite, is the justice office and news

stand of G. Reuther, next to which is Ed

Kaufmann's barber shop. Frank Pivonka's

saloon comes next, one of the oldest and best known bars in the town. Mr. Pivonka is a prominent property owner and proprie- tor of several business houses. Crossing N

Street and continuing south is the Walker

story frame hotel, managed by the wife of House, a large and nicely furnished two-

Deputy Sheriff Walker. The house at pres- ent has fourteen regular boarders and a good transient business. Next is the large, new

merchandise store just completed and occu- pied to-day by the owner, J. Levy.

" Adjoining is the lowa saloon, and next to that McGuire and Driscoll's saloon. Mr. McGuire is also associated with Frank Sliter in the wholesale butcher business under the firm name of McGuire and Sliter. Further on is Pat Rowley's saloon and boarding house, and at the further end of the row is Mrs. Rigby's boarding house, with ten boarders. Across the street is J. Boyles' saloon, which ends the business on that street. On Twenty-seventh, facing the rail- road, is the saloon and lunch counter of Geary and Co., the Central Hotel, with thirty-six boarders, and the new City Hotel, a large, airy structure, nicely furnished, and owned and managed by Daniel Rafferty. Dr. Overton has rooms at the Stock Ex- change Hotel and Dr. Glasgow resides in a new and splendid home he has lately fin- ished. He practices from Sloane and Saxe's drug store. The resident population is in the neighborhood of fifteen hundred and there is enough floating population to swell the number to at least two thousand. While this is a good showing for so young a place,

the real business and wealth of South Omaha has not been mentioned, and it is not the intention to more than touch upon it in this article. The live stock trade and its ad- juncts are the real foundation of South Omaha's business. When we remember that

nearly one million dollars has been invested in the yards and packing houses, and other necessary improvements for carrying on the business, the reader may form some idea of the extent of the business. Oberne, Hosick & Company have a large accommodation slaughtering house, rendering establishment and soap works, all under the same roof. The Union Rendering Company have exten- sive works near them, and farther up is the Hammond house, too well known to need mention. The Fowler Brothers packing

house, a five-story brick of giant propor-

tions, is nearly ready for business, as is also the Lipton packing house near it, which is also built of brick. The two latter houses are located at the western extremity of the

houses for the men, the two employing 450 yards and are surrounded by boarding

hands in their construction. S. H. Pague, of Kansas City; Mr. Bright, of Omaha, and E. E. Palsley, of South Omaha, each have

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HISTORY OF SOUTH OMAHA.

boarding houses near the buildings, for the convenience of the hands. The Stock Yards Hotel, formerly known as the ‘Canfield House,' run by Daniel Walker, boards and lodges a large number of the yard men, while the grand Exchange Hotel, in the Ex- change building, takes care of stock men and visitors to the yards. Now, if the reader will remember that the Daily Stock- man is also a South Omaha production, we will excuse him."

NOTE .- Some of the "First Things" in the settlement, after it received the name of "South Omaha," but before it became an organized vil- lage, are these:

Charles Akofer came to South Omaha August 28, 1886. He was the first permanent butcher.

The first male child born was Henry Worde- man, at the corner of Twenty-fifth and M Streets, in July, 1885.

The first boarding house, May, 1884, was kept by a man named Jones-" Bill Jones," they called him, He had seventy-five boarders in a small frame building on the east side of Twenty-fifth Street, between N and M Streets.

John Howe, called "Jack," for short, had the

first blacksmith shop. It was on Twenty-fifth Street. between N and O.

The first female child born was Catherine Rowley, daughter of Patrick and Annie Rowley. She was born on Railroad Avenue, between N and O Streets, on the third of August, 1886.

The first two lots sold after the list price was set and the town blocked out, were purchased by William Kerr and Martin Spoettle, on June 4. 1884; although George Masson bought lots 5 and 6. in block 12, in April, before any lots had been placed upon the market.

The first marriage was that of John F. Ritch- hart and Mrs. Anna Williams on the 22d of Aug- ust. 1885, by the Rev. Dr. Patterson, rector of St. Marks' Episcopal Church. Omaba.

The first death occurred the 4th of July, 1884. Thomas Kerr. infant son of William and Onie Kerr, died on that day.

The first Catholic service in South Omaha was the celebration of mass the first Sunday of November, 1885, in the Ryan School House, on Twenty-seventh Street, between N and M Streets, by the Rev. John Jeanette, pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Omaha.

L. J. Carpenter came to South Omaha in 1885 and bought out Jesse Hogate, who started the first livery stable in the village. In September, 1891, he erected the building he now occupies, near the corner of Twenty-fourth and N Streets.

CHAPTER VI.

SOUTH OMAHA AS A MUNICIPALITY.

The surveying of South Omaha and the recording of the plat, on the 18th of July, 1884, were not immediately followed by village organization, as it was then, to a great extent, without inhabitants to enjoy or be protected by a municipal government. To lay out a town site was one thing; to secure a population for it of sufficient num- bers to justify the county commissioners in incorporating it-to actually induce that body to form it (with perhaps other terri- tory ) into a municipality-was quite another matter.

For more than two years, the people (few, at first, of course) who had emigrated to South Omaha, were governed by such offi- cers and regulations as were provided by law for ordinary country precincts. How- ever, as will now be seen, there seemed to be a necessity for at least the removing to the settlement of a justice of the peace to have his office there for the accommodation and security of residents who had deter- mined to make South Omaha their perma- nent home; but as yet they lived, not in an organized village, or in any city, but simply in one of those precincts which had before been established in Douglas County. As late as May 7, 1886, we find the following in the South Omaha Globe-Journal:

" Douglas Precinct Without a Constable. -Douglas Precinct has a good, live justice of the peace but no constable. The atten- tion of the county board [County Commis- sioners of Douglas County] was called to this fact last week, by Justice O'Connell, and through his recommendation H. F. Jas- per was appointed to that office but declined to serve. He would have made a good officer, but there are other good men for the place who would accept and the matter should not be dropped. In this connection we will say that Squire O'Connell may be found at South Omaha every forenoon, where complaints may be entered. His office at present is at his residence, on Twen- tieth Street and Bellevue Road [just south

of Omaha], but he intends opening a per- manent office at South Omaha as soon as he can secure a building." * * *

But more than a justice of the peace and an officer to execute his will were demanded. So largely had the population of that part of Douglas precinct then designated as "South Omaha " increased by the middle of the summer of 1886, and there was so much lawlessness, that many residents were desir- ons that a village should be incorporated-a village government established as a public necessity to preserve peace and order; so, on the 8th of July, a petition was drawn up in these words and signed by a large num- ber of residents:

" SOUTH OMAHA, July 8, 1886. " To the Honorable County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, State of Nebraska:

"We, the undersigned citizens of South Omaha, Douglas County, beg to offer you a petition praying that you incorporate the portion of South Omaha hereafter men- tioned and marked with the red line on the map; hoping that you will grant our prayer, knowing as you do, how we are exposed without any protection against tramps and murderers-having no jail, no church, one school house (and that falling to decay) one saloon for every twenty inhabitants, one gambling house, two houses of ill-fame, one justice of the peace, one deputy sheriff (he is paid by three corporations), one post- office, no constable proper here. We ear- nestly pray that you grant us incorporation of the following lines, under the name of the village of Sonth Omaha (proposed lands to be incorporated in the village of South Omaha are illustrated with red lines), viz .: The west half of the west half of section 3, township 14, range 13 east; all of section 4, in township and range just men- tioned; the north half of the north half of section 9, in the same township and range; all that part of the south half of section 33, in township 15, in the same range, lying south of the north line of the South Omaha

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HISTORY OF SOUTH OMAHA.

Syndicate's lands; and all that part of the west half of the southwest quarter of sec- tion 34, in the last named township and range, lying south of the north line of the lands of South Omaha Syndicate." Hoping to receive a favorable reply we remain yours truly-[Signed by]:

"George Clarke, W. G. Sloane, W. O. Thayer, J. D. Jones, G. W. Klingaman, W. A. Dixon, F. J. Persons, E. H. Ilowland, I. A. Brayton, N. Purinton, S. K. Krigbaum, F. J. Sliter, Larue Williams, C. A. Rapp, Gust Ekbam. E. C. Davis, L. R. Davis, Charles Lee, A. N. Shriver, W. Richardson, Thomas Richardson, A. Ilowell, Henry Laufenburg, A. A. Gary, Joseph Odwarker, L. Dey, J. D. Meagher, Fred Wasem, E. D. Wiers, Dudley Sullivan, J. L. Davis, Jolm N. Burke, Ed. Lee, F. Jonnscheit, John A. Nelson, C. Wil- liams, Ed. Kaufmann, Bruno Strathmann, Fred. Kessner, John IIedderman, Daniel O'Connell, Sr., Louis Grundmeier, Thomas Kenny, John Reiper, Oliof Haga."

Added to the foregoing were the following names:

" Moritz Kuptery, Theodore Gehrtre, Paul Dodenhoff, Charles Kohm, Frank Waack, C. Lueed, F. Pivonka, C. Stiliry, Thomas Kozat, V. Pivonka, A. L. Black, W. F. Martin, James Ward, Pat. Lynch, William Long, Thomas Cullen, Albert Bloom, John Day, Edward Corrigan, D. H. Reynolds. J. Cook, B. F. Walker, B. McCaffrey, J. C. Carroll, II. V. Rice, D. Mahoney, L. B. Gorham, C. A. Withrow, F. E. Pearl, Bill Binit, P. F.Ilayes, II. Sullivan, Philip Korn, George Ball, Frank Gillean, F. Stuart, Frank Iona, J. D. Robinson, J. S. Haskins, W. Schmeling, James Ball, P. Baer, George Jones, C'lı. Simmert, D. Eden, Martin W. Kierkendall, Thomas Adams, C. E. Wood, E. E. Palsley, Pat. Scanlan, Frank Martzahn, L. P. C. Larsen, W. G. Larsen, James McVeigh, J. E. Vance, R. Pearl, F. Joneshite, P. Wetzel, J. Peters, C. E. Jones, J. Kiesbina, Jim Heckelman, Daniel Malone, Herman Trenkle, Gideon Hood, Fred. Ribo, Patrick Sullivan, O. F. Johnson."

Additional names signed to the petition were these:

" S. C. Malin, Joe Wardyan, John Borda, Christian Haga, II. B. Mengel, Moses Liv- ingstone, Peter Petersen, Thomas Kaysen, .J. Jacobson, T. B. Whittlesey, T. Long, D. Loescher, D. R, Swett, C. W. Glynn, T. Craw-

ley, M. Ilagen, Charles Segebart, William Mckay, J. A. Doe, Union Rendering Com- pany, B. Lovell, David P. Barber, W. J. Slate, William Horton, J. P. S. Wallwork, William Saunders, Michael Woulf, Thomas O'Connor, Daniel DeLancey, Thomas IIaley, D. F. Donoghue, Thomas Kozak, W. A. Ben- nett, E. A. Stearns, Dan. Williams, William Stewart, E. P. Savage, George E. Heis, Henry Rigby, E. T. Gadd, C. F. Fahs, Anton Belol- avek, Amos Elgner, Frederick Sahlberg, John ()'Connell, Thomas Geary, P. Climtsetus, Patrick Keenan, C. Lewis, J. R. Anderson, Jolin Jacobs, L. T. Fimicim, W. II. Gould, Steve Kaiser, Henry Fingado, Ed. T. Levis, T. B. Bohn, W. Daly."

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History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska, Part 104

Author: Savage, James Woodruff, 1826-1890; Bell, John T. (John Thomas), b. 1842, joint author; Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899 Publication date: 1894 Publisher: New York, Chicago, Munsell & Company Number of Pages: 1020

Author: Savage, James Woodruff, 1826-1890; Bell, John T. (John Thomas), b. 1842, joint author; Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: New York, Chicago, Munsell & Company
Number of Pages: 1020