1 1880s - 1950
1.1 streets
1.2 bridges
1.3 highways
1.4 airport
1.5 public transportation
1.5.1 traction company strike
1.6 omaha belt line
1880s - 1950
streets
horace william shaler cleveland, designer of omaha s boulevard system.
in 1880 quarter mile of omaha s estimated 118 miles (190 km) of streets paved. in 1883 andrew rosewater, brother of newspaper owner edward rosewater, became city engineer , began ambitious project modernize city streets. 1886 city had 44 miles (71 km) of paved streets, including asphaltum, colorado sandstone, sioux falls granite , wooden blocks.
in 1889 horace w.s. cleveland proposed city of omaha develop series of broad ornamental avenues, known boulevards or parkways designed tasteful arrangement of trees , shrubbery @ sides , in center , similar comprehensive plans of european cities in mid-19th century. plan accepted city s parks commission, resulting in construction of omaha s prettiest mile boulevard in 1892, , dozens of other boulevards in through present. today, fontenelle , lincoln boulevards among many remnants of plan; sorenson parkway modern version of historical plan. saddle creek boulevard, known saddle creek road, westernmost boulevard in system.
bridges
ak-sar-ben bridge toll booth in november, 1938.
while union pacific missouri river bridge first railroad bridge across river, 1,400-foot (430 m) douglas street bridge opened in 1888 first road bridge. east omaha bridge opened in 1893, , rebuilt decade later in 1903. mormon bridge first attempted built across river in 1932, , failed; constructed in 1952. south omaha bridge opened in 1936. knights of ak-sar-ben operated douglas street bridge toll bridge 1938 1947. bridge removed in 1968. traffic carried new girder bridge built in 1966 i-480. saddle creek underpass, on dodge street overpass, completed in 1934 works progress administration. on 1,175 cubic yards (898 m) of dirt excavated lower saddle creek road sufficiently pass under overpass, still in use today. listed on national register of historic places in 1992, part of bridges in nebraska multiple property submission well.
highways
official lincoln highway marker.
in 1889 otto baysdorfer built omaha s first auto, electric car. ottomobile first of dozen car manufacturers started in omaha. ottomobile weighed 265 pounds, had 2 cylinders, , achieve speed of 15 miles per hour. auto row developed along farnam street , featured dealers, garages, , parts stores.
the original lincoln highway in omaha designated through omaha in 1913. crossing missouri river omaha on old douglas street bridge, traveled west on dodge street, meandered across state following section lines. of these sections built exclusively accommodate highway. important buildings on lincoln highway in omaha included hupmobile building, nash building @ 902-912 farnam , 901-911 douglas streets, , blackstone hotel @ farnum street , 36th street. additionally, rose blumkin performance arts center @ 20th , farnum street , farnum street automobile row, 30th 40th streets both important landmarks.
in 1930 49,128 autos registered in omaha; ten years later 65,489 registered drive on local streets.
after trucks became popular in 1910s, omaha stockyards grew exponentially. cattle, hogs , sheep shipped cheaper truck trains. in 1919 27% of livestock @ stockyards shipped truck; 1940 s rose on 75%. in 1955 stockyards became biggest livestock distribution center in united states, , of cattle shipped truck.
airport
the aforementioned baysdorfer provided omaha invention flying airship in city in 1889. in 1929 bond passed construct omaha municipal airport in east omaha. thought embody city s hope future; however, air travel did not become popular in omaha until 1960s. land swampy , had filled in silt taken bottom of carter lake. northwest airlines started service between minneapolis , omaha in 1930.
in late 1940s eppley airfield completed. in 1959 airport named eugene c. eppley, omaha eppley hotel magnate. eppley s estate donated $1 million used convert omaha municipal airport jet port.
public transportation
the omaha , council bluffs railway , bridge company founded in 1886 in order span missouri river. in late 1880s city had 5 franchise companies providing transit services within city limits. included omaha , southwestern street railway company, provided services kountze place, dundee, bemis park , gold coast neighborhoods. short lines ran limited purposes: 1 went baseball field @ end of line, while ran , park.
by 1901 local businessman gurdon w. wattles consolidated several of older horsecar , cable car companies create omaha , council bluffs streetcar company, later became omaha traction company. after receiving 30-year franchise city of omaha, company established mass transit system covered entire city, including commuter trains , interurbans.
the woolworth s store in downtown omaha in 1938.
traction company strike
wattles vehemently opposed unionization, , in 1909 fought strikes in favor of unionization hired policemen , rampant violence. 1934 amalgamated association of street , electric railway employees organized in omaha.
however, april 1935 fragile truce between pro-open shop management , pro-union forces broke. long, violent strike ensued. strikebreakers hired, , within 4 days company rolled out heavily fortified streetcars, complete windows covered heavy wire , armed guards on board. while few cars attracted passengers, cars encountered little resistance. company resisted calls arbitration omaha city council, , continued employing strikebreakers. in may violence broke out, rifle attacks, violent beatings , bombings across city. in june riots broke out throughout city mobs burning streetcars, looting , 2 deaths. city government lost control of violence , called in national guard, sent 1,800 troops while governor robert cochran declared martial law , ordered streetcars stop running. after governor intervened , wattles allowed arbitration, number of agreements made. however, no changes occurred, , strikebreakers stayed on job. violence ended, court cases ensued, , situation faded away. omaha traction company never unionized.
omaha belt line
the omaha belt line formed in 1883 union pacific; shady dealings jay gould brought belt line control of missouri pacific railroad 1885, when constructed union pacific materials under control of mopac. stations along line included florence depot, webster street station , ralston station. operated company until 1960s, today line largely abandoned, section redeveloped recreational mopac trail.
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