USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > Omaha: the Gate city, and Douglas County, Nebraska, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 50
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George A. Custer Post, No. 7, which now meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month in the memorial hall in the courthouse, was organized on June 7, 1876, with seventeen charter members. Paul Van Dervoort, a charter member of this post was elected commander-in-chief of the national organiza- tion at Baltimore in 1882, being the only private up to that time to gain this distinction.
U. S. Grant Post, No. 110, was organized on August 18, 1882, as Omaha Post, the name being changed to U. S. Grant on January 12, 1886. This post started with eighteen charter members, one of whom was Gen. Charles F. Manderson, who was elected United States senator the next year after the post was estab- lished. Although much reduced in membership, this post still meets regularly on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the memorial hall in the court- house.
Gate City Post, No. 262, was instituted on April 6, 1888, with sixteen charter members. Subsequently the name was changed to Phil H. Sheridan Post, and still later to George Crook Post, by which it is still designated. J. G. Willis was the first commander. The meetings of George Crook Post are held on the second and fourth Fridays of each month in the memorial hall.
Connected with the Grand Army of the Republic is a ladies' auxiliary known as the Woman's Relief Corps. Each of the posts in Omaha has a relief corps attached to it, the meetings of the corps being held at the same time and place as the post meetings. A great deal of charitable work has been done by the Woman's Relief Corps throughout the country inycaring for the sick and needy, finding homes for soldiers' orphans, etc. While the fraternal spirit among the members of the Grand Army has not decreased, the "line of blue" grows thinner on each Memorial Day as the survivors meet to decorate the graves of their deceased comrades. One by one the veterans are answering the last roll call, and it is a matter of only a few more years until the Grand Army of the Republic will be a thing of the past. Many of the posts in the smaller towns have already been discontinued.
MISCELLANEOUS SOCIETIES
In Omaha there are a number of fraternal organizations, the principal feature of which is a form of life insurance or the payment of sick and accident indemnities. Among these may be mentioned the Ancient Order of United Workmen, which has twenty-three lodges, the Modern Woodmen of America, thic Loyal Order of Moose, the Fraternal Aid Union, the Brotherhood of Ameri- can Yeomen, the Danish Brotherhood, the Independent Order of Foresters, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, which has two aeries in Omaha and one at Florence, the Royal Arcanum, the Knights of the Maccabees, the Independent Order of Red Men, the Order of Ben Hur, the Knights and Ladies of Security, the Mystic Workers of the World and the Owls. Several of these orders have ladies' auxiliaries that are well represented.
The leading Catholic societies are the Ancient Order of Hiberians, which has two divisions in the city; the Catholic Order of Foresters, with two lodges; and the Knights of Columbus. The last named was originated in New Haven, Conn., early in the year 1882. Local societies of the order are called councils. Omaha
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Council, No. 652, was instituted on March 16, 1902, and is the oldest in Nebraska. The council owns its own home at No. 2025 Dodge Street and is in a flourishing condition, having over five hundred members.
William McKinley Lodge, No. 521, Independent Order of B'nai B'rith, a Jewish order, was organized on April 10, 1900. On April 10, 1916, the lodge celebrated its sixteenth anniversary by a banquet at the Henshaw Hotel, 300 guests being present. Just before the banquet sixty new members were initiated.
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
This society includes in its membership women whose ancestors served in the Continental army in the War for American Independence. It was introduced into Nebraska on June 7, 1894, when Mrs. Charlotte F. Palmer, of Omaha, was appointed organizing regent for the state. Mrs. Palmer was succeeded in January, 1896, by Mrs. Mary M. A. Stevens of Lincoln. Isaac Sadler Chapter was organized at Omaha on June 29, 1896. The principal work of the society is to encourage patriotism by marking historic places with suitable monuments. Following this plan, the Omaha Chapter has marked the California trail, or the old military road, starting at its initial point in Riverside Park, and it joined with the State Historical Society in the placing of a marker at the site of old Fort Calhoun, where Lewis and Clark held their council with the Otoe and Mis- souri Indians in August, 1804. On Monday, February 21, 1916, the chapter presented a large American flag to the Commercial High School, and a little later unveiled a bronze tablet to the memory of Chief Logan Fontenelle in the Hotel Fontenelle.
Closely allied to the above in character and purpose is the United States Daughters of 1812, the Nebraska Society of which was organized at Omaha on December 24, 1908. On October 20, 1916, the society dedicated a stone bench at the Farnam Street entrance of Curtis Turner Park to the memory of Mrs. Nettie Collins Gates, the founder of the Omaha society and its first president. In the ceremonies of unveiling Dean J. A. Tancock delivered the invocation, the flag was removed by Mrs. W. L. Selby and Mrs. William Archibald Smith, and the dedicatory address was delivered by Judge Arthur C. Wakeley. On the top of the bench are the seal of the order and the words: "In Memoriam, Nettie Collins Gates," and along the front edge is the inscription: "Erected 1916, Nebraska Society United States Daughters of 1812."
TRADES UNIONS
On February 7, 1887, the Omaha Central Labor Union was chartered by the American Federation of Labor. At that time there were twenty-one local unions of different trades in the city, each of which was affiliated with the Federation. The Central Labor Union is comprised of three delegates from each affiliated union in Omaha and Council Bluffs. Since its organization it has taken an active part in securing legislation in matters affecting the working population of the state, such as the free state employment bureau, the child labor law, the fac- tory inspection law, etc. Locally it has shown an interest in all civic and political affairs tending to better conditions for the employees in the numerous shops and
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factories of the city. On September 1, 1916, there were over fifty local unions affiliated with the central body, representing more than seven thousand union men and women. These unions include the bakers, barbers, bricklayers, butchers, carpenters and joiners, cigar makers, electrical workers, garment makers, journey- men tailors, machinists, painters and decorators, plumbers, printers, pressmen, sheet metal workers and a number of other occupations.
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
The Omaha Young Men's Christian Association was first organized in 1865, but was not firmly established until in 1868. A two-story building on Twelfth Street, between Farnam and Douglas, was erected at a cost of $2,600, with a library and reading room on the first floor and an assembly hall on the second. In 1877 the association was reorganized and rooms over the store on the corner of Thirteenth and Douglas streets were leased. Several removals were made dur- ing the next twenty years and in July, 1888, the association took possession of its new building on the corner of Sixteenth and Douglas streets, occupying the four upper floors and renting the ground floor for stores. Some years later these quarters were outgrown and the present Young Men's Christian Association Building on the southwest corner of Seventeenth and Harney was erected at a cost of about three hundred thousand dollars. The officers of the association in 1916 were: George F. Gilmore, president; G. W. Noble, vice president ; E. F. Denison, general secretary; P. W. Kuhns, treasurer. The income for the year 1915 was $66,398.
YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN .ASSOCIATION 5
The Young Women's Christian Association was organized in the early '90s and for several years occupied rented quarters.". It now owns property valued at $150,000 on the corner of Seventeenth Street and St. Mary's Avenue, where it is equipped to provide safe and comfortable rooms for young women sojourning in Omaha. The officers in 1916 were as follows: Mrs. J. M. Aikin, president ; Miss Emma Wheatley, secretary ; Mrs. G. F. Gilmore, treasurer. The association is liberally supported and reported an income of $76,000 in 1915.
SOCIAL CLUBS, ETC.
The oldest social club in the Gate City is the Omaha Club, which was incorpo- rated on January 1, 1884, with R. W. Patrick, president; John E. Wilbur, vice president ; William F. McMillan, secretary; John T. Clarke, treasurer; and the following board of directors: E. W. Peck, John A. Monroe, W. V. Morse, George Paterson, Arthur C. Wakeley, and the executive officers. The club began its career with 245 members and in 1916 the number had been increased to about four hundred and fifty. The first home of the club was on the top floor of the Arcade Hotel, then a popular hostelry on Douglas Street, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth. A few years later it removed to rooms in the Ware Block and from there to the United States National Bank Building on the corner of Twelfth and Farnam streets. There it remained until the completion of the club-house,
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on the northwest corner of Twentieth and Douglas streets, in 1894. This build- ing cost $100,000 (including the ground) and important improvements have been made since the original club-house was erected, such as shower baths, tennis courts, etc. The officers of the club for 1916 were as follows: E. M. Fairfield, president ; A. L. Reed, vice president ; C. L. Deuel, secretary ; John E. Wilbur, treasurer.
In 1901 the first Omaha Country Club was organized, with E. A. Cudahy as president. Among the members were some of the well known business and pro- fessional men of the city. A tract of 100 acres of land was secured in what is now the corporate limits of Benson, though at that time it was considered to be "away out in the jungle," with indifferent street car service to get to it. A club- house was built and early in 1916 the directors were offered $130,000 for the property. The golf links of the Country Club offer one of the finest courses for the enjoyment of that sport in the country. The club now has about three hun- dred and fifty members and the officers for 1916 were: G. W. Wattles, president ; J. B. Rahm, vice president ; A. C. Potter, secretary ; F. W. Clark, treasurer. About twenty thousand dollars were spent in improvements in 1916.
The Field Club, a rival of the Country Club, was organized about the same time as the Omaha Amateur Athletic Association. In 1902 the name of Field Club was adopted and the following officers were elected: John Francis, presi- dent; R. C. Howe, vice president ;- Henry Doorly, secretary ; Philip Potter, treas- urer. During the early years of this club, it was active in promoting athletic sports, having at one time as many as three baseball teams and numerous baseball games and cricket matches were played on its grounds adjoining those of the Douglas County Hospital. In time tennis and golf took the place of base- ball and cricket, and the grounds being located so they are easy of access, they are the scene of many golf and tennis games. The club-house is modern in every respect and the Field Club is one of the popular clubs of Omaha. The following officers were elected for 1916: C. J. Baird, president ; F. W. Hale, vice president ; W. R. W. Wood, secretary; Philip Potter, treasurer.
On April 3, 1907, the Happy Hollow Club was incorporated by A. T. Austin, Euclid Martin, Robert Dempster, A. J. Cooley and H. W. Yates, Jr., with a capi- tal stock of $30,000. Its first meeting place was in the old Commercial Club rooms in the Board of Trade Building. Later the old Patrick homestead, just west of Dundee, was purchased and the residence converted into a club-house. One feature of the Happy Hollow Club is that it has been a "dry" organization from the start, no liquors of any kind being allowed on the premises. Another feature is the outdoor dancing pavilion. This pavilion and the broad verandas that have been added to the old Patrick home form pleasant and convenient resting places during the hot summer months. A fine golf course and tennis courts offer excellent opportunities for lovers of those sports. The officers of the Happy Hollow Club for 1916 were: Charles R. Sherman, president; E. O. Hamilton, vice president ; J. M. Gilchrist, secretary ; Robert Dempster, treasurer.
Seymour Lake Country Club was organized in 1911, with a capital stock of $30,000. Seventy acres of Dr. George L. Miller's country estate, on the shores of Seymour Lake, near Ralston, were purchased and work was commenced on a club-house. The great tornado of Easter Sunday, 1913, swept the club-house away when it was almost completed. Notwithstanding this disaster, the club
CARTER LAKE CLUB
THE OMAHA CLUB
THE OMAHA FIELD CLUB
OMANIA COUNTRY CLUB
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went to work and rebuilt. It now has one of the most comfortable club-houses in the country and its nine-hole golf course is through the grove of magnificent trees planted by Doctor Miller years ago. The officers of the club for 1916 were : John Bekins, president; G. J. MacDonald, vice president; Miss K. F. Worley, secretary ; L. M. Lord, treasurer. The membership is 224.
Another club organized in 1911 is the University Club of Omaha. About the middle of September of that year the rooms in the Barker Block formerly occu- pied by the Railroad Men's Club were leased. In January, 1913, the club removed to the Board of Trade Building, where it remained until the fire of January 15. 1915, which destroyed all the furniture belonging to the organization. At a meeting held in the Commercial Club rooms in March, $30,000 in subscriptions was obtained in a few minutes for the purpose of buying a new home. A little later the old property of the Independent Telephone Company, at Twentieth and Harney streets, was purchased for $75,000 and about fifty thousand dollars more were expended in improvements. In the spring of 1916 this club numbered over five hundred members. C. C. George was then president; Harold Evarts, Dr. C. W. Pollard and George F. Gilmore, vice presidents; Samuel Rees, Jr., secretary ; Frank Woodland, treasurer.
About 1906 the Omaha Rod and Gun Club was organized and secured the grounds along the shore of Carter Lake formerly occupied by the Courtland Beach Amusement Company. In 1912 the club was incorporated under the name of the Carter Lake Club and paid $50,000 for seventy acres of land and the building that had belonged to the Rod and Gim Club. Besides the commodious club-house, there are about thirty cottages on the grounds, a bath house with 1,000 lockers, a canoe, boat and sail house, a skating rink, garages, a dancing pavilion, and a sewer system, all of which have been put in by the members. The present membership of the club is about seven hundred and the following were the officers in 1916: D. H. Christie, president; R. C. Strehlow, vice president ; C. H. T. Riepen, secretary ; A. P. Whitmore, treasurer.
The Prairie Park Club, which owns a club-house at No. 2605 Ames Avenue, was organized in 1910. It now numbers about one hundred members and gives special attention to indoor games and pastimes, some of its members claiming to be the best duplicate whist players in the state. B. C. King was president in 1916; E. C. Conley, vice president; Louis Nelson, secretary and treasurer.
The Omaha Woman's Club is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the Missouri Valley. When the Nebraska State Federation of Women's Clubs was organized on October 3, 1895, the Omaha Woman's Club was one of its com- ponent factors and it has been active in federation work ever since. The work of the club is divided into departments, each one in charge of a leader, the prin- cipal departments being art, music, literature, social science, philosophy and ethics. Among the members are many of the leading women of Omaha and the club takes an active interest for the betterment of social and civic conditions.
CHAPTER XXVII
CHURCH HISTORY
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS IN OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY-THE ADVENTISTS- BAPTISTS-CATHOLICS-THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHI-CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH - CONGREGATIONALISTS - DUNKARDS - EPISCOPAL CHURCH - EVANGELICAL CHURCHI-HEBREW SOCIETIES-LATTER DAY SAINTS-THE LUTHERANS-BRIEF HISTORIES OF THE VARIOUS PARISHES AND CONGREGATIONS.
To write a complete and accurate history of the church organizations of a city or county, giving all the details of each, would probably be the most difficult task that could be assigned to the local historian. In many cases the founders of the church have died or removed to some distant locality, the early records have often been poorly kept and in some instances have been lost, pastors are constantly changing, and few people can be found who are able to give an intelligent account of the congregation. At the beginning of the year 1916 there were 162 religious organizations in the City of Omaha, divided among the different denominations as follows: Adventist, 2; Baptist, 13; Catholic, 20; Christian, 4; Christian Sci- ence, 2; Congregational, 6; Dunkard, 1; Episcopal, 11 ; Evangelical, 6; Hebrew, 5; Latter Day Saints, 2; Lutheran, 19; Methodist Episcopal, 23; Presbyterian, 21; Reformed, 1; Russian, 1; Spiritnalists, 1; United Brethren, 2; Unitarian, I and twenty-one were classed as miscellaneous, mission churches, branches of the older and larger societies, the Salvation Army. etc. Located in the smaller towns of Douglas County were twenty-four other churches of different denomi- nations. In the preparation of this chapter letters of inquiry were sent to the pastors and others, and, while a large number of replies were received, others failed to send in the desired information. The history of the churches was there- fore compiled from such sources as the writer could command-chiefly the files of the Omaha newspapers. Although the Methodists were the first to found a church in the City of Omaha, the denominations are treated in this chapter alpha- betically, as they appear in the above list.
THE ADVENTISTS
The Adventists, or more properly speaking the Seventh Day Adventists, believe that the seventh day of the week (Saturday) should be regarded as the Sabbath, instead of the first day as is observed by all other denominations, because in six days God created the universe and rested on the seventh. The introduction of this sect into the City of Omaha is of comparatively recent date. In 1905 an Adventist Church was organized with a few members in the northern part of
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, OMAHA
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the city. This society now has a house of worship on the southeast corner of Indiana and Twenty-fifth streets. The second church, which holds services at 1815 Cuming Street, was organized in 1907. Rev. W. H. Sherrig is the pastor of both congregations.
THE BAPTISTS
In the summer of 1855 Rev. William Leech came to Omaha as a missionary of the Baptist Church and held services a few times in the old state house. His labors did not result in a permanent organization, however, and it was not until the fall of 1858 that another effort was made to organize a church. Then Rev. G. W. Barnes came from New York and after doing some missionary work at Florence and Bellevue began holding services in Omaha. After a few meetings the First Baptist Church was organized with the following members: Rev. G. W. Barnes and wife, Roswell Smith and wife, Mrs. Charlotte R. Turner, Mrs. I. A. Robertson, Mrs. David Richardson, Mrs. Goley, Mrs. Higley and Mrs. Grant. A frame church building, about 22 by 30 feet and one story high, was erected on Douglas Street, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets, and under Mr. Barnes' charge the congregation increased to about thirty members. Mr. Barnes received a salary of $400 per year from the American Baptist Home Mission Society, but even with this help the little church in Omaha was unable to meet its current expenses and in 1862, overburdened with debt, the congrega- tion grew discouraged, sold its property and disbanded.
Rev. W. J. Kermott reorganized the church Ihr, 1866, having been sent to Omaha by the American Baptist Home Mission Society for that purpose. Among the charter members of the reorganized church were: Rev. W. J. Kermott, Ros- well Smith, William H. Peckham, Thomas Bonner, A. C. Dort, William H. Churchill, Darius Pierce, Henry Hickman and their wives, Mrs. Lytle, Watson B. Smith, Mrs. Clarissa LaFollette and her daughter. Services were at first conducted in the courthouse, but a lot at the corner of Fifteenth and Davenport streets was purchased and a frame building erected thereon, in which the first services were held in December, 1866. This church was replaced in 1870 by a large brick building, with Sunday school rooms in the basement. Services were held in these Sunday school rooms until the upper part of the church was com- pleted in 1881. The total cost of this property was $43,000, of which $10,000 was contributed by the Home Mission Society, which also loaned the congrega- tion an additional $10,000. On December 4, 1894, the church edifice was destroyed by fire and the congregation then held services in the auditorium of the Young Men's Christian Association Building. Two lots at the northeast corner of Thirty-fifth and Farnam streets were then purchased and a temporary frame building erected on them, which was occupied until the consolidation of the First Baptist and Beth-Eden Baptist churches.
The Beth-Eden Baptist Church was organized in the fall of 1886. On Novem- ber 4, 1886, letters were granted to forty-eight members of the First Baptist Church. These forty-eight, with a few others, then purchased two lots on Park Avenue, just south of Leavenworth Street, and erected a large frame church. which was dedicated on March 25, 1888. On October 25, 1899, the two churches held a joint session, at which the following resolutions were adopted :
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"Resolved, First-That this is a union of the First Baptist Church and the Beth-Eden Baptist Church under the corporate organization of the Beth-Eden Baptist Church and under the corporate name of the First Baptist Church.
"Resolved, Second-That such union is not the absorption of either church by the other, but is a voluntary union of the two for the better upbuilding of the Master's cause."
The membership after the consolidation was 443. Services were held in the Beth-Eden edifice until the present church building on the southeast corner of Twenty-ninth and Harney streets was completed in 1904. On February 1, 1902, Rev. J. W. Conley, of Chicago, came to Omaha as pastor of the First Baptist Church. In that year the lots at the southeast corner of Twenty-ninth and Harney streets were purchased, the property at Thirty-fifth and Farnam streets being sold and the proceeds applied to the purchase of the new site. On Easter Sun- day, 1903, a movement was started for the raising of funds for the new building and pledges amounting to $30,000 were received. The cornerstone was laid on January 14, 1904, and the building was dedicated on the 23d of the following October. It is 70 by 112 feet and cost, exclusive of organ and furniture, $44,500. The entire property is valued at over sixty thousand dollars. The pipe organ was the gift of Mrs. T. L. Sunderland.
The First Baptist Church is the parent of practically all the Baptist organiza- tions in the city. Yet, in spite of the numerous withdrawals for the purpose of forming other churches, the membership has constantly increased and on the first of April, 1916, numbered 564. The pastors prior to the consolidation with Beth-Eden Church were: G. W. Barnes from 1858 to 1862, when the church was suspended ; W. J. Kermott, 1866 to 1870; J. W. Daniels, 1870 to 1871; E. H. E. Jameson, 1876 to 1880; J. W. Harris, 1880 to 1886; A. WV. Lamar, 1887 to 1891 ; W. P. Hellings, 1892 to 1896; J. L. Ketman 1896 to 1898.
H. L. House was the first pastor of Beth-Eden Church and served to 1891. From that time to the consolidation the pastors, with the year in which each commenced his labors with the church, were as follows: E. N. Harris, 1891 ; D. D. Odeil, 1893; W. W. Everts, 1895: C. B. Allen, 1898. The pastors since the two congregations were united as the First Baptist Church have been: J. W. Conley, 1902; \V. J. Howell, 1912; H. O. Rowland (acting pastor), 1914; A. A. Delarme, 1916.
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