Nimrod Ross House

Although small and unassuming, the Nimrod Ross House is significant for its association with Lincoln's African American history. It was built in 1903 and occupied by Nimrod Ross and his family until 1917. Ross (b.1863) was born into slavery but became one of the first African Americans to become a police officer in Lincoln around 1900. His son, Clinton, was the first African American to graduate with a degree in law from the University of Nebraska, and one of the few who played on the football team. In terms of architecture, the house is rare example of a one-story, early 20th century dwelling in the city. It remains a private residence today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Nimrod Ross was born into slavery in Tennessee in 1863. It appears he spent his childhood in Missouri and later moved to Kansas. Information about his years growing up is not readily available. What is known is that he, his wife, Ellen, and their two children, Clinton and a daughter, arrived in Lincoln around 1900. In 1902, Ross joined the police force and served until about 1905. He also served as a "turnkey" at the county jail. A group picture of the police force in 1895 includes another African American man, so Ross was perhaps the second African American officer in the city.

After serving as a police officer, Ross worked as a janitor and laborer. Why he left the force is unknown but it likely had to do with the decreasing opportunities for African Americans in Lincoln in the early 1900s. In his later years, Ross stated that the situation for African Americans was better when he first settled here. A local study conducted in 1933 confirmed this development. These trends were common for African Americans in general in the early 20th century.

Clinton Ross was born in 1891 and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1910. He played on the Nebraska football team for three seasons and was apparently a skilled lineman and large (200 pounds) for the time. After earning his law degree in 1915 he opened a practice in Lincoln. In 1918, he joined the U.S. Army, serving as a First Lieutenant. The next year, he moved to Los Angeles and practiced until he died in 1954. In departing form Lincoln, he joined many other African American professionals who left in search of better opportunities because of discrimination and the small size of the African American community in Lincoln.

Nimrod and Ellen moved to another house in 1917. Nimrod became a trustee of his church, Mt. Zion Baptist. He also led a literary club for youth at another church. It is unclear when he died.

Blackwell, Ta'Nesha et al. "Nimrod Ross House." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. June 25, 1999. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/99000747_text.

"Clinton Ross." University of Nebraska Libraries. Accessed April 5, 2022. https://unlhistory.unl.edu/xslt/xslt.php?&_xmlsrc=https://unlhistory.unl.edu/legacy/unl.00020/unl.00020.17.xml&_xslsrc=https://unlhistory.unl.edu/xslt/unlhistory.xsl.

"Ross (Nimrod & Ella) House." City of Lincoln, Nebraska. Accessed April 5, 2022. https://app.lincoln.ne.gov/city/plan/long/hp/sites/sitestemplate_oc.htm?site=ross.