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The Orpheum Theater is a large 2,600 seat venue in downtown Omaha, Nebraska that presents local and national acts. The theater was founded in 1895 as the Creighton Theater and featured traveling vaudeville acts. In 1927, it was incorporated into the City National Bank building, which was constructed in 1910 and is now an apartment building, and given its current name. As the interest in vaudeville shows decreased, the theater became a movie theater between 1940 and 1975. It was remodeled in the mid 1970s and reopened once again as a performing arts theater. The Omaha Performing Arts organization took over management in 2002.

Orpheum Theater

This walking tour includes historic buildings and other landmarks near Douglas and Dodge Streets in downtown Omaha. The tour concludes at the Joslyn Art Museum.

Downtown Omaha Walking Tour

The congregation was established in 1871 by eleven early Jewish settlers of Omaha. These founders first established a cemetery at 42nd and Redick as well as a burial society to observe Jewish customs and practices. The first congregants were led by their own members as they raised funds to construct a sanctuary and hire a&nbsp;rabbi.&nbsp;George Harfield was hired as rabbi in 1883 and the following year he dedicated the first synagogue in Nebraska at this location.&nbsp;<span>N. I. Benson replaced Harfield and led the congregation from 1885 to 1889.<br><br>During the early years, tension between those who hoped to follow conservative Orthodox practices and those who supported the Reform view of Judaism that allows for individual interpretation of beliefs and practices&nbsp;threatened to divide the fledgling congregation. However, being the only members of the Jewish faith in an era of anti-Semitism united members who looked to find compromises on matters of ritual. One of the successes of this era was the establishment of a Sunday School that was free to all- including the children of many non-members.&nbsp;</span>

Near the location of this historical marker was the first permanent Jewish synagogue in Nebraska. Built in 1884 and known as Temple Israel, this small synagogue served a growing Jewish community that started to form in the mid-19th century. In 1908, the congregation moved to a new location at Park Avenue and Jackson Street and built a new temple with large dome. The community worshiped at that location for several decades before selling their sanctuary to St. John's Greek Orthodox Church in 1951. Temple Israel is currently located at 7023 Cass Street.

Historical Marker: Congregation of Israel - 1884

<p>The Rose Theater is a well-known historic structure in Omaha. It has entertained thousands of people since 1927. The theater has not always been named The Rose Theater, nor has it been consistently used as a venue for performing arts. Originally, it was known as The Riviera, which was owned by A.H. Blank.[<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">1]</a>&nbsp;The building was stunning, with elaborately detailed ornamentation. Fountains, rugs, and balconies were among many decorative furnishings that made the theater so luxurious.[<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">2]</a></p><p>The stock market crash took a toll on Blank’s theatrical dreams, leading The Riviera to close its doors. When it was sold to new owners in 1929, it became the Paramount Theater. The Paramount stayed open until the 1950s. Creighton University purchased the building in 1960 and turned it into an auditorium for the Omaha Packers, a professional bowling team.[<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">3]</a></p><p>After its use as an auditorium, Creighton University leased it in 1962 to the Dubinsky Brothers Theaters, who remodeled the building, and discarded or covered the theater’s original décor. They renamed it Astro and presented movies to the public. The Astro closed in 1979, and soon thereafter plans were made to demolish the building.[<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">4]</a>&nbsp;However, in 1981, Rose Blumkin, founder of Nebraska Furniture Mart,&nbsp;saved the theater and transformed it into the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center. Additionally, she commissioned the restoration of the old décor to return the appearance to Blank’s original vision of the theater.[<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="Link: null">5]</a>&nbsp;She felt a personal connection to the theater, which is why she took the initiative to rescue this piece of Omaha's history. Her daughter, at the age of 7,&nbsp;danced and sang on stage at the theater when it was known as The Riviera and won $5.&nbsp;In an interview in 1981 Blumkin said, "They must have had golden hands and wonderful brains to build that building."[6] In 2012,&nbsp;several restorations took place because of the toll taken on the building by harsh weather over the years.[7] Renovations&nbsp;continued during its use, and were finally completed in 2014, when the ceiling was repainted to appear as it had in 1927.[<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">8]&nbsp;</a></p><p>The Rose Theater, as it is referred to now, is not only an awe-inspiring physical structure, but one which evokes in its visitors and patrons the feeling of glamour of “theaters past,” while they experience today’s arts in many of its forms.</p><div><br><div><p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>&nbsp;"History of The Rose," The Rose, August 2016, Accessed March 3, 2017,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rosetheater.org/">www.rosetheater.org</a>,&nbsp;Web article.&nbsp; (Hereafter cited as “History of The Rose,” 2016.)</p></div><div><p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>&nbsp;“History of The Rose,” 2016.</p></div><div><p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>&nbsp;“History of The Rose,” 2016.</p></div><div><p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[4]</a>&nbsp;“History of The Rose,” 2016.</p></div><div><p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[5]</a>&nbsp;Thomas, Fred, "Shops, Plaza Among Ideas For Restored Astro Building,"&nbsp;<i>Omaha World-Herald</i>, June 12, 1981, Metropolitan News sec, Accessed March 5, 2017.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://infoweb.newsbank.com.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/resources/doc/nb/image/v2%3A1106B5BBD4B623A8%40EANX-13A618145806F7C1%402444768-1392AFBF62B2ECB1%403-13A780976EFFF798%40?p=WORLDNEWS" title="Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/resources/doc/nb/image/v2%3A1106B5BBD4B623A8%40EANX-13A618145806F7C1%402444768-1392AFBF62B2ECB1%403-13A780976EFFF798%40?p=WORLDNEWS">http://infoweb.newsbank.com.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/resources/doc/nb/image/v2%3A1106B5BBD4B623A8%40EANX-...</a>.</p><p>[6]&nbsp;Jordon, Steve, "Furniture Mart Owner Buying Astro Theater,"&nbsp;<i>Omaha World-Herald,</i><span>&nbsp;June 9, 1981, Accessed April 16, 2017. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://infoweb.newsbank.com.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/resources/search/nb?p=WORLDNEWS&amp;t=favorite%3AOMAHA%21Omaha%2BWorld%2BHerald%2Fpubname%3A1106B5BBD4B623A8%21Omaha%2BWorld-Herald%2Fyear%3A1981%211981%2Fmody%3A0609%21June%2B09" title="Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/resources/search/nb?p=WORLDNEWS&amp;t=favorite%3AOMAHA%21Omaha%2BWorld%2BHerald%2Fpubname%3A1106B5BBD4B623A8%21Omaha%2BWorld-Herald%2Fyear%3A1981%211981%2Fmody%3A0609%21June%2B09">http://infoweb.newsbank.com.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/resources/search/nb?p=WORLDNEWS&amp;t=favorite%3AOMAHA%2...</a>.</span></p><p>[7]&nbsp;Fischbach, Bob, "ONLY IN THE WORLD-HERALD - THEATER RESTORATION - Weather takes toll on landmark - Three phases of work are needed to repair the 1927 building," Omaha World-Herald (NE), April 14, 2012: 01A, accessed March 04, 2017,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/13E320DFCF157EF8?p=WORLDNEWS" title="Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/13E320DFCF157EF8?p=WORLDNEWS">http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/13E320DFCF157EF8?p=WORLDNEWS</a>.</p><p></p></div><div><p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[8]</a>&nbsp;“History of The Rose,” 2016.</p></div></div><div><div>

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The Rose Theater has brought entertainment to the Omaha area since 1927. It has served as a venue for a variety of forms of entertainment, including a performing arts theater, a movie theater, and even an auditorium for the Omaha Packers, a professional bowling team in the 1960s. The Rose Theater is stunning with lavish decorations that enhance the experience making the audience feel as though they have stepped into another place in time. It is truly a spectacular piece of Omaha's history.

The Rose Theater

<div>Omaha newspaper, "the Omaha Bee", published an article highlighting African-American men's rage against defenseless white women. One of the women featured was&nbsp;19-year-old white woman, Agnes Loebeck. Who claimed that she had been assaulted by a Black man. She and her boyfriend identified Will Brown, a 40-year-old meatpacking worker with a muscle deformity as the assailant.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Brown was taken into custody, but not before a small angry mob caught word and approached the house demanding that he be brought over to them. The police were able to transport Brown safely to the courthouse, but only for a moment. On September 28, 1919, the small mob grew into thousands who marched downtown Omaha in attempts to seize Brown. The crowd's rowdiness escalated out of control as they fired upon the courthouse as well as set it on fire. Mayor Smith attempted to ease the crowd, yet only to his demise as he was tortured at the hands of the crowd. Mayor Smith, who was beaten over the head and hung by a lamppost, was soon rescued.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Like Smith, Brown ended up in the hands of the angry mob. Yet there was no cavalry for his pleas. He was beaten unconscious, dragged to a nearby lamppost and hung by his neck. While hung, Brown was shot at several times. Brown was then taken down, tied to the back of a car and dragged to the intersection of 17th and Dodge (the address posted). Finally, Brown's body was burned severely.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Brown maintained his innocence through the last few moments of his life.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Will Brown's death is considered one of the "largest spectacles of violence directed towards an individual" in the United States. After enduring brutal torture, Brown died at this location and observers posed for pictures next to his burning corpse.&nbsp;</div>

On September 28, 1919, a mob of several thousand men, women, and children surrounded and stormed the Douglas County Courthouse in order to lynch Will Brown, an African American man who had been accused but not convicted of raping a white woman. The incident was the culmination of a summer filled with economic tension that often led to attacks against African American families who had arrived in the city during World War I. After months of investigation, the only arrests were related to the destruction of the courthouse even though thousands witnessed the slow and tortuous murder of Will Brown at the hands of dozens of the city's white residents.  

Omaha Race Riot and Lynching of Will Brown, 1919

<p>The
building was designed by famed Omaha architect John Latenser, Sr. Latenser was
responsible for the designs of some of Omaha’s and Lincoln’s most prominent
buildings such as Central High School, J. L. Brandeis and Sons Store, and
perhaps most importantly to some, Memorial Stadium. </p><p>Eight
murals hang upon the dome of the courthouse, each one commemorates moments from
the history of Omaha; from its Native American past to its modern growth as a
city. The murals were originally painted by an artist named Will Rau, who worked for a New York decorating firm. They were installed, along with everything else in the brand-new courthouse, in 1912. And almost right away, they sparked controversy. County commissioners ordered the installation stopped after the decorating firm shared images of the murals with the press before the commissioners had a chance to see them.&nbsp;The murals have undergone immense amounts of restoration work, needing to
be repainted more than once due to being heavily damaged during an infamous
fire<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">.[3]</a></p><p><span>The
courthouse was the site of one of the darkest events in the city’s history, the
lynching of Will Brown and the race riot of 1919. In September of 1919 a mob of
angry white citizens gathered at the courthouse demanding police to hand over
Will Brown, an inmate accused (never convicted) of raping a white woman. When
they were denied, the mob stormed the courthouse, set fire to the roof, and
seized Brown who was promptly lynched. The mayor Ed Smith, who tried to stop
the mob, was hanged as well but was cut down at the last minute.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="Link: null">[4]</a></span></p><p><span>The courthouse’s civil rights history isn’t all
negative though. In February of 1948 Father John Markoe led members of the
DePorres Club in staging Omaha’s first sit-in, at a restaurant inside the
courthouse. When asked what their purpose was Markoe said the group’s goal was
simple, “to kick Jim Crow’s ass out of Omaha.”<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="Link: null">[5]</a>
The success of the sit in was the start of many early civil rights protests in the Omaha metro led by the Deporres club<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="Link: null">.[6]</a> <br></span></p><p>The
courthouse has remained the site of all the city’s major legal proceedings. On
October 11, 1979 the Douglas County Courthouse was listed among the National
Register of Historic Places. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>











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The Douglas County Courthouse has been one of Omaha’s most significant locations since its construction in 1909. The building was constructed in the French Renaissance Revival style with a granite foundation and walls of Bedford limestone. An abundance of classical details are noticeable on the building’s symmetrical exterior including an arcaded front entrance, engaged Corinthian columnns and piers on the upper floors, and ornamental pediments in the projecting wings flanking the primary entry. The top story, which originally housed a jail facility, is of a simpler design than the floors below.[1] The courthouse was the centerpiece in Omaha’s expansion and development into a modern city.[2]

Douglas County Courthouse 

<div>After a slight population decline during the late nineteenth century, nearly 80,000 new residents arrived in Omaha from 1900-1920, many of whom were immigrants to the United States. In fact, by the 1920s, Omaha saw its peak of ethnic diversity (after World War I, and the resultant immigration laws, U.S. immigration growth slowed considerably). The Aquila Court Building represents that influx of people. Constructed in 1923 by two Chicago capitalists, Chester and Raymond Cook,&nbsp; the structure's design sought to mimic the Bargello, a palace found in Florence, Italy as an homage to Chester’s grandfather Aquila.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The U-Shaped building includes an inner courtyard filled with Italian-style features, as well as amenities intended to provide an escape from the urban life, which Raymond had seen in Chicago. For instance, a gold-fish pool, small moving waterways and stone paths, as well as numerous plants and flowers filled the courtyard. In 1927, modernized fountains and an ornate waterwheel replaced the tiny pools and streams.&nbsp;</div><div><br>The building also enjoys ties to&nbsp;a rich architectural history as it was designed by the Holabird and Roach architectural firm. The Chicago firm helped forge the "Chicago School" movement by developing many of the world’s first skyscrapers, beginning with their time apprenticing for the seminal architect William Le Baron Jenney. The two of them built numerous skyscrapers and modern buildings in Chicago and throughout the U.S.. The primary attribute of the new towers (of that era) involved the reliance on steel skeletons and fireproof terra cotta exteriors, features somewhat inspired by the Great Chicago Fire.&nbsp;<br></div><div><br></div><div>The building initially contained apartments and businesses, but it has undergone several major renovations since the 1920s. In 1972, marble slabs and fountains replaced many of the gardens. In 1996, the building enjoyed a transformation into a hotel, owned by Sheraton. In 2006, the Magnolia Hotel purchased the building, and it continues to operate the facility.</div>

Built in 1923, the Aquila Court Building (Magnolia Hotel) resembled early twentieth-century U.S. urban life. Omaha's population had expanded substantially from 1900-1920, both from immigrants and domestic migrants. The U-Shaped building and its Italian-style courtyard plays on both its European and Chicago influence, and it functionally served to provide respite from the urban ills found outside the building's walls. The building was designed by the Chicago architectural team of Holabird and Roach, who were significant in the entire Chicago-school movement that dominated the early part of the 20th century. 

Aquila Court Building (Magnolia Hotel)

<p>The Hill Hotel is a prime example of the importance and elegance hotels had in the early 20th century, and the building continues to be a great example of Neo-Classical Revival-style architecture from the 1920s. This structure replaced the Iler Grand Hotel and bathhouses, and the Hill Hotel cost approximately $800,000 to construct. The building features a brick and stone exterior that set it apart from the surrounding buildings. When it was constructed it quickly became one of Omaha's premier landmarks and an attraction that drew people from all across the Midwest. Its extravagant rooms featuring such amenities as a ceiling fan in every room to keep the rooms cool during the hot summers drew people in from across town and all across the state to come and relax in the Hotel. From the beginning, the hotel had many attractions within the building, including a Bar called the Marine bar that served drinks during the day and into the afternoon. It featured a Turkish Bathhouse, and if guests wanted to dance and have drinks later in the evening they could go to the basement of the hotel to the Cave Under the Hill Club which was one of the most popular clubs in Omaha. There was also a coffee shop located on the bottom floor of the hotel called the Jack and Jill Coffee Shop.</p><p><br /></p><p>Throughout the years the Hill hotel would continue expanding and offering more amenities. At its height in 1954, these included a Package Liquor Store, Cigar Stand, and Barber Shop to continue to try and best serve their clients' needs. The Hill Hotel, like many Hotels in this era, was a gathering point for the residents of Omaha and was used in a very different way than hotels are used today. The Hill Hotel was a meeting place for people to catch up with one another. It was a daytime entertainment destination with food, drinking, and dancing happening almost every afternoon on the main floor and a nighttime destination with the Cave Under the Hill located in the basement. This underground nightclub was the premiere night club in Omaha and attracted some of the largest names in music to play there like, The Four Dons, The Three Giants of Swing, The Drifters, and The Fabulous Eccentrics.</p><p><br /></p><p>Acting as a sort of mall with everything an everyday consumer would need, the Hill was more than a hotel. In the late 1980s the building was completely remodeled and is now being used as an apartment building with a new coffee shop and nutritional outlet store located on the lower ground level. After changing its name to the Peppermint Cave in the late sixties, the underground nightclub eventually closed in the mid to late seventies, and the space converted to storage space. After decades of being one of Omaha's most popular attractions, the Hill Hotel officially closed after nearly seventy years of being in business. </p>

The Hill Hotel was built in 1919 and first opened for business on Sept. 2nd, 1920. With fourteen stories and around 140 rooms, the Hill Hotel was one of the tallest buildings in Omaha at the time and was built where the former Iler Grand used to stand. This hotel is one of the last remaining examples of Neo-Classical Revival architecture in Omaha, and it was considered one of John and Alan McDonald’s greatest designs of their career.  The original hotel also had one of the most popular nightclubs in Omaha named “The Cave Under the Hill” located under the hotel. It remained open until the early 1980s. In the late 1980s, the building was remodeled and is currently being used as an apartment building under the name of Kensington Tower Apartments and has a coffee shop, art studio, and nutritional store on the first floor of the building. 

The Hill Hotel (Kensington Tower Apartments) 

<div>The current Barker Building is the third building owned by the Barker family to stand on the site -- a fire destroyed the first two buildings. The family initially purchased the site in 1856 but left Omaha for England soon after purchase to settle a family estate. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1871, brothers George and Joseph Barker hired the local firm of Mendelsohn and Fisher to design a six-story structure here (the final building rose seven stories). Many felt the location existed too far from the downtown region. However, by the time the third building was constructed, Omaha's downtown area had extended to near the Barker site.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The first building burned to the ground on November 6, 1886. A vagrant had crept into the building to sleep for the night. A smoker, his attempt to light a match ended in disaster for the building.&nbsp; The second building, completed in 1889, also suffered from a smoker's carelessness. A cigar that had dropped down an elevator shaft made contact with greased elevator guides, which led to a fire that destroyed the building.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>During the time of the first two attempts to build the Barker building, George Barker accumulated substantial wealth through real estate and financial deals. He used that wealth to aid in the founding of the local gas works, banks, residential neighborhoods, and the Omaha Stockyards (which had slowly moved from Chicago as refrigerated cars and box-cutting beef changed how beef could be shipped on railways). However, he passed away one year before the fire took the second building. Before he died, he founded a corporation for his wife and children to inherit his fortune and business holdings.&nbsp;His estate was still being settled when the fire took place.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>By the time a third building had been proposed, Omaha had grown significantly. Thus, the Barker location existed close to downtown and also a short distance from the city hall. Led by George's son-in-law, Frank T.B. Martin, the corporation selected architects</div><div>James Allan and Noel Wallace, and Kiewit Construction as the contractor and the National Building Owner's and Manager's Association to guide its modern office planning standards.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In August of 1929, only months before the stock market crash and subsequent Great Depression, the third version of the Barker Building finally opened its doors. Ownership changed hands several times over the course of the following seventy years, finally closing in 1999. However, in 2012, an $8.8 million remodeling project funded its transformation into an apartment complex, which now sits in an area of Omaha filled with restaurants, shops, and cultural activities.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

Completed in 1929, mere months before the stock market crash and beginning of the Great Depression, it was the third building on the site -- the first two burnt to the ground. The Barkers grew to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th century, mirroring Omaha's growth.  The first two buildings -- 1886 and 1889 -- arose far from downtown Omaha. By the 1920s, the town had grown; the third Barker Building emerged withing the heart of Omaha's business and political center.

Barker Building

<div>Austrian-born Jonas L. Brandeis opened his first Omaha store in 1888 at 506 South 13th Street. Though he did not live to see the construction of this building, his success allowed his sons to arrange for the development of what would become the Brandeis flagship store.</div><div>This building&nbsp;served as the flagship and the center of operations for the family's chain of department stores, one of the largest chains of department stores west of Chicago. For nearly three-quarters of a century, this store was the focal point of Omaha's commercial activity.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>By the turn of the century, Jonas's three sons, Arthur, Hugo, and Emil, assumed control of the the day-to-day operations, with Arthur (the eldest son) serving as the business' president. Arthur Brandeis&nbsp;ascended to the presidency when his father, Jonas, died in 1903 and the store and retail chain remained in the family until 1948.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The store itself occupied three of the eight floors (later ten stories) initially, but by the 1950s, the store filled the entire building.&nbsp; By the late 1950s, the business branched out into investments including construction of shopping malls. Brandeis also acquired Gold and Company in 1964, among many other investments. By the early 1970s, Brandeis managed fifteen department stores, had 3,000 employees and exceeded $100 million in sales.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1980, the flagship store closed, signaling the beginning of the end for an operation that began as nothing more than a small Omaha store in 1888. Brandeis sold its retail chain to Younkers in 1987. That company did not maintain the Brandeis name but instead turned them into Younkers stores. However, the era of large downtown department stores had come to an end by the 1980s and suburban malls and outlets became the center of the retail world for the next three decades.</div>

The J. L. Brandeis and Sons Store Building was completed in 1906 and served as the flagship department store for the of Brandeis retail chain, founded by Jonas L. Brandeis. Brandeis came to Omaha in 1881 and opened his first retail store in 1888. Though he died in 1903, the business he built grew substantially, eventually becoming one of the largest department store operations in the region. Built in 1906 as an eight story building (eventually ten in 1921), this department store was as grand as the flagship stores of Macy's, Marshall Field's, and other leading department stores. 

.J.L. Brandeis and Sons Store Building

Jackson's career began in 1858 when he started to work as photograph retouch artist. From there he traveled to Nebraska via the Oregon Trail, working for a freight company as an oxen driver. Along the way he made sketches of what he saw. In addition to&nbsp;working on&nbsp;the geological survey, Jackson explored Colorado (basing himself in Denver), traveled to various places in Asia and the Pacific, and lived and worked in Detroit. He made is way to New York City during his "retirement years" where he continued to take pictures.&nbsp;His work went beyond landscapes. He also&nbsp;photographed people and cultural remains, such as the cliff dwellings of the Mesa Verde.

Between 1867-1869, renowned American photographer William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) operated his first studio at this location. His photographs of Western landscapes, along with paintings by Thomas Moran, helped convince the federal government to establish Yellowstone National Park, the first national park created in the country (he and Moran were part of an expedition of an 1870 U.S. Geological Survey to the West which explored Wyoming's portion of the park). His career took him to Mexico, Asia and the Pacific. He continued to photograph until the very end of his life in 1942.

Historical Marker: William Henry Jackson

<p>Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness is the work of sculptor Kent Ullber, N.A., F.N.S.S., of Corpus Christi, Texas. Consisting of 67 bronze and stainless steel works, Ullberg's creation occupies First National Bank's property on all four corners of the 16th and Dodge intersection, in addition to more works on 15th Street.</p><p>Among the features of Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness are three buffalo bulls, each standing eight feet tall and weighing more than 1,400 pounds. They stand alongside several yearling bulls and two cows with their calves, in addition to a large water feature with eight-foot-long bronze Canadian Geese taking flight. These geese are attached to a variety of structures - including 18-foot bronze trees, a traffic signal, a building corner, a light post and two other poles. The geese display culminates with several stainless steel geese suspended within the glass atrium of the First National Bank headquarters, simulating their flight from past into the modern-day world.</p>

These two urban parks feature several bronze sculptures, most notably, a wagon train heading west and statues of bison and geese. The wagon appears to have caused a number of environmental changes to the area, as bison flee from the wagon. The stampeded also leads a flock of geese to take flight. The park includes more than 100 individual bronze pieces throughout several city blocks. The ingenious feature of the statues are the way they actually connect several city park spaces from 14th and Capitol to 16th and Dodge together with one another. 

Pioneer Courage and Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness Park

<p>Civil Rights Demonstration at the Auditorium&nbsp;Against George Wallace, 1968.&nbsp;</p><p>In 1968, a coalition of civil rights activists and local people protested the appearance of segregationist Alabama Governor, George Wallace, at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Clashes between demonstrators, Wallace supporters and police inside and outside the auditorium, prompted several days of civil unrest in the city. &nbsp;</p><p>Wallace was running for President that year as a member of the American Independent Party. George Corley Wallace was the Democratic governor of Alabama who spent 16 years in that position spanning three decades. He also ran for President of the United States four times (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976), losing in each of his four attempts.&nbsp;</p><p>Wallace supporters attacked the protesters and spoke in favor of his segregationist views. This led to high tensions and some violence throughout the city, culminating in a&nbsp;dozen serious injuries and one death.&nbsp;</p><p>Wallace is perhaps most famous for his
segregationist views in the face of ever progressing civil rights legislation.
The governor was quoted as saying, “segregation now, segregation tomorrow,
segregation forever” during the inauguration of his first term as Governor of
Alabama. This along with his planned boycott of integrated schools within his
own state garnered Wallace a reputation throughout the South as a staunch
segregationist.</p><p>On Monday March 4, 1968, Wallace was scheduled to make a
speech in Omaha as part of his effort to get his name on the state’s presidential
ballot. The speech was arranged at the Civic Auditorium, with enough folding
metal chairs for 1,000 of his supporters. About an hour before Wallace was to
come onstage, a group of about 50 protesters marched into the auditorium and up
to the front of the crowd. The simple presence of protesters was enough to
agitate the Wallace supporters, many of whose ideals directly clashed with
these protesters. As Wallace made his way to the stage and spoke for a bit,
antagonizing the protesters at points, the unrest rose among those in the
crowd, supporters and protesters alike.</p><p>As the
speech wore on, some protesters began to tear up their signs and the sticks
holding them and began to hurl these pieces at Wallace. Several protesters
tried to step in in order to stop this behavior, but as they did so many were
either pepper sprayed of assaulted by undercover police hidden in the crowd. As
the protesters that were able to escape did so, the floor of the auditorium
transformed into a full melee. Not only were the white supports fighting with
the Black protesters, but some whites who detested Wallace came to the aid of
the protesters. As the fighting spilled out of the auditorium and into the
community, a series of riots erupted throughout North Omaha that lasted several
days. Windows many local businesses and schools were broken, leading to the
arrest of dozens of local youths. All in all, there were 13 people injured by
police, as well as a 16 year old boy was shot by an undercover policeman while
trying to break into a local pawn shop.<br></p><p>The protest
and ensuing riots underscored more than a decade of civil rights protests and
struggles around the country, including in North Omaha. Legislative progress
had been made, but tangible changes were sparsely put into effect at the local
level until the 1970s. Fed up with the lack of political voice and excess of
discrimination in their own city, the citizens of North Omaha took the
initiative to exercise their rights to assembly and free speech by protesting
Wallace’s appearance. The riot in the spring of 1968, the third of five such
riots in a five-year span, ensued as a result of these basic rights being
oppressed once again, as well as a continued resolve to be treated equally.</p><p>
































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Constructed in 1954, Omaha Civic Auditorium was the largest in the city prior to the completion of CenturyLink Center Omaha in 2003. After the completion of a second large auditorium, Ralston Arena, in 2012, the auditorium no longer had any regular tenants and the city began demolition in the spring of 2016. The auditorium was the home of several college and minor league teams, and also hosted one of Elvis's final concerts. The auditorium was also the part-time home of the Omaha-Kansas City Kings, a NBA franchise that split its games between the two Midwestern cities for a few yeas in the early 1970s before its move to Sacramento in 1985. The auditorium was also the scene of a small riot in 1968, when supporters of the segregationist governor George Wallace attacked white and Black protesters who supported integration. 

Omaha Civic Auditorium, 1954-2016 

In 1968, the state high school basketball championship in Nebraska became ensnared in the broader politics of civil rights and protest politics of the era when Omaha Central's star player, Dwaine Dillard, was arrested and suspended during the state playoffs for his role in a turbulent demonstration outside a George Wallace rally at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. &nbsp;Dillard's team, dubbed "The Rhythm Boys of Omaha Central," are still considered by many to be one of the greatest high school basketball teams in state history. &nbsp;<br><br>In March 1968, Omaha Central and Lincoln Northeast met in the final game of the Nebraska state basketball championship. Days prior, George C. Wallace came to Omaha to campaign for president. His rhetoric of "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" clashed with many different people, both Black and white. The “Rhythm Boys,” as they were called, were the one of the first high school basketball teams in Nebraska whose starting line-up were all Black. This is about their story of racial tension in 1968 and the events leading up to the 1968 basketball championship.&nbsp;<br>_____<br><br>In December of 1967, J. Arthur Nelson announced his retirement in the school newspaper. Nelson, the long principle of Omaha Central and supporter of institutional racism, couldn’t handle the change that the 1960s were bringing, specifically the counterculture and hippie culture. A young African American student by the name of Dwaine Rufus Dillard started to embrace the counterculture, rather than run away from it like Nelson. Dillard, a 6 foot 7 inch athletic machine, was a key peace to Omaha Central’s basketball team. Dillard enrolled at Omaha Central in 1965 and his presence on the basketball team was immediately felt. He helped Central reach the quarterfinals that year, only to be beaten by Boys Town on a last second shot. In the summer of 1967, the “Black power” movement took root in sports and greatly affected many African American athletes, such as Muhammad Ali and Bill Russel. Many writers, including Jack Olson, saw that Black high school athletes “came from broken homes and poverty, and were encouraged to compete despite academic needs that went unaddressed” <sub>(Marantz, pg. 44)</sub>. Other people, including Central’s head basketball coach Warren Marquiss, believed that these stereotypes were unacceptable and wrong. After the summer in 1967, the school year started as usual with Coach Marquiss, deciding to come back to coach for his 19th year. In December, during a holiday tournament, Marquiss decided, after much deliberation,&nbsp;to make all five of his Black athletes into the starting lineup. The starting five were Willie Frazier, Phil Griffin, Dwaine Dillard, Roy Hunter, and John Biddle.&nbsp;
<p>	Omaha Central ran a 12 game win streak to start the season, usually blowing out their opponents by double-digits. One particular game, against Archbishop Rummel, was fuel by racial slurs hurled at the Central players. Dillard and his teammates were all too smart to see that Omaha was no different than the presidential candidate George Wallace’s segregated state of Alabama. Many of the schools in Omaha they played were predominantly white and segregated. Even Omaha itself was segregated with African Americans usually setting in the Northern part of the city. In February 1968, Omaha Central (13-1) played Creighton Prep (14-1) in a match that many were eager to watch. Though both teams struggled early, it was Central that came on top of the match 61-48 largely due to several fast break points and all of Central’s five starers played the entire thirty-two minutes. It was because of this name that Don Lee gave the starting five the title of “The Rhythm Boys.”The nickname easily reflected the close-relationship the players so much that the nickname was used by Willie Frazier, though some people saw the nickname as demeaning and stereotypical.<small>&nbsp;</small>"The Rhythm Boys" reflected the players' smooth-transition buckets and their overall style within the game.&nbsp;</p>
<p>	In March, Central easy won the district playoffs, blowing out Omaha Bryan in the first round and Omaha Benson in the district final. By this time, the taboo of interracial dating was hitting Central. The parents of students who were in interracial relationships told their kids that they should stop because “society wouldn’t forgive them.” When George Wallace game to Omaha, he was the symbol of the evil-system of suppression the Black community saw. Protestors, Dillard and other Central students, had gone to Wallace’s speech at Creighton University to protest. It was during his speech that someone called the police to escort the protestors out due to them being “too noisy.” This led to a chain reaction as many were maced and beaten by the police. Even a riot broke out as a reaction to what happened at the auditorium and a sixteen year old Black boy was shot and killed by a white officer when he found the boy looting. The next day, many Central students protested going to school when they heard of the murder. While some did relent and go to school, many didn’t. Inside the school, Dillard was a huge factor in leading the protest. He would walk into a library, put his fist in the air, and say “Black power.” Many other Black students would then follow him. By the end of the day, many Black and white students had collided with each other in small skirmishes and many others decided to leave earlier that day due to the rising situation. Though it seemed that the basketball championship was irrelevant, that would soon change in the upcoming days. Sports in the 1960s were a flashpoint of politics because there are Black players, who are fighting for equal rights&nbsp;and white players, some of which are trying to stop the Civil Rights Movement, being put together on a court in a physical game.&nbsp;Dwaine Dillard was arrested on March 5 for suspicion of possession of Molotov cocktails. Dillard provided an explanation saying that he was playing basketball with a friend when another friend drove by and offered them a ride home. Little did Dillard know was that that car was under suspicion of being in a vicinity of a fire earlier that night. Principle Nelson let Coach Marquiss have the decision to keep Dillard no the team or not. Marquiss decided to keep Dillard on the team but didn't decide to play him or not. While this is going on, news of Dillard’s arrest had spread nationally, making the news and headlining evening newspapers. School officials decided to move the tournament to Lincoln due to all of the threats to safety. In their first game against North Platte, Marquiss decided to not let Dillard play due to his violation of staying out too late. This decision angered Frazier, who tried to boycott not playing in the game with the other players on the team. This boycott was short-lived and they did play in the first-round game and easily won in a 70-51 blowout. Their second game against Boys Town was much closer, with Central winning 51-47 in overtime. In the finals, it was Central up against Lincoln Northeast.&nbsp; Both offenses had a tough time starting while defense ruled the court. At halftime, Central led Northeast 19-18, only three points came from Dillard. At the start of the second half, it was Northeast’s offense that out played Central’s. Northeast eventually upset the number one seeded Central 54-50. After the eventful week, life (to some degree) when back to normal. Some relationships were straight to some degree, especially some interracial relationships. Charges against Dillard for possession of explosives were dropped due to insufficient evidence, though he was expelled from Central in April due to intolerable behavior. Dillard eventually grew up to be a somewhat bitter drunk, who resented playing basketball because he knew he could’ve gone farther in his career. He died at the age of 59 in 2008.&nbsp;</p>

The oldest high school in the city, Omaha Central began in 1859, operating courses as Omaha High School within the capitol building in the era when Nebraska was a territory and Omaha was its capitol. This building was constructed in 1900. Several additions were planned and completed in the school's first twelve years, mirroring the rapid growth of the city and the trend towards high school completion that began in the late 19th century. Like many high schools, Omaha High added a gymnasium to its building in 1930 to support its growing athletic program. In 1968, a controversy related to the school's basketball program became a source of racial tension that reflected the state of the nation in the latter years of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Omaha Central High School

After Nebraska was granted statehood and Lincoln became the capital city, there was an attempt to use the building as a high school but it was deemed unsafe. So a new school was built in 1872. This was eventually torn down to make room for the current high school building which was constructed in 1912. Lincoln was chosen as the capital city since the population south of the Platte River was larger than that of&nbsp;the north's.

This marker commemorates the ten year period during which Omaha was the Nebraska territory's capital. At this location stood the second capitol building, which was built in 1857 (the first one was located on 9th street between Douglas and Farnam and was used between 1855-1857). On the first floor of the capitol was the Supreme Court, library, government offices, and on the second was the legislature and governor's office. Central High School now occupies the property.

Historical Marker: Capitol Hill

<p>What would become the Scoular Building in Downtown Omaha was designed by architect Leo A Daly in 1924. The building was completed in 1927 for the Knights of Columbus. The Scoular Company bought this building in 1987 to house the corporate offices of its Omaha operation officials. Construction began in the late 1920s to serve as a clubhouse for the membership of the Knights of Columbus. The building was used as a base for its charitable giving and a large community center to help support the families in Omaha. The building was constructed for $400,000.[1]</p><p>&nbsp;The Knights of Columbus is the largest fraternal organization of the Catholic Church. Founded by Michael J McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut in 1882. Initially, it was their goal to serve working-class Irish Catholics in the United States. The Knights of Columbus grew into a fraternal organization.Their mission is to aid in the missionary work of the Catholic&nbsp; Church. The Knights of Columbus helped spread Christianity by promoting Catholic education, doing charity work, war and disaster relief and running donations centers. This building was the largest such center in the 1930’s. Their main focus was on training men in the Christian faith. The Knights also used this building as a clubhouse for the local community. The Knights would take in homeless men and provide them food and shelter on the upper floors.[2]</p><p>&nbsp;The second floor served as the clubhouse for the Catholic Daughters of Americas. The Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded in Utica, New York on July 18th, 1903 as a female auxiliary chapter of the Knights of Columbus. They donate to charities, administer scholarship programs and strive “to be helping hands where there is pain, poverty, sorrow or sickness.”[3]</p><p>&nbsp;At the end of World War Two, the building became the new home of American Legion Post number one. The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veteran's organization. The American Legion was founded by war-weary soldiers from World War One. The Legion's focus is on service to veterans, current service members, and the community. The building was re-purposed to provide for the needs of 25,000 men returning from the war. The Legion used this building to help soldiers returning from the war readjust to civilian life. While not much was understood about combat stress reaction (CSR) Today we call this Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).During this time, The American Legion provided for a place for soldiers to talk about and cope with the physiological&nbsp;and psychological effects of war.&nbsp; As well as care for other mental health issues that were plaguing the soldiers.&nbsp; Interesting enough building was paid for by the posts slot machines.[4]</p><p>&nbsp;Northern Natural Gas purchased the building in 1956 to serve as office space and recreational center for its 2,500 employees. In 1987 it was bought by the Scoular Company. Scoular has its own history department dedicated to historic preservation. A lot of work was put into restoring the nearly 100-year-old building and preserving its history through the work of Alley Poyner Architecture.&nbsp; A lot of care went into the full restoration of the wrought iron and rails throughout the building with special care given to the Knights of Columbus seals around the grand ballroom.</p><p></p>

The Scoular Building was originally built in the late 1920s to function as a headquarters for the Knights of Columbus. For almost a century this building has served the Omaha community in many ways. The Knight of Columbus used it to perform charity work for the homeless and needy families. During World War II the building was drafted into service by the American Legion to assist returning veterans. The Scoular Company bought the building in 1987 to use for its Omaha headquarters. They have restored and improved the old architecture and still use it for community functions to this day. 

Scoular Building

<span><span><div><div>New Englanders George and Sarah Joslyn came to Omaha in 1880. Married in 1874, the couple first moved to Montreal and later to Des Moines, Iowa, where George took a job unloading freight cars for the Iowa Paper Company. The company’s main business was providing small-town Iowa newspapers with “ready-print,” a news sheet pre-printed with special features and advertisements, which was then printed on the outside with local news. George Joslyn quickly attained an office position in the firm, and when a branch office opened in Omaha, he was offered the position of manager. The expanded company was reorganized in 1881 as the Western Newspaper Union.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br></div></div><div></div></span><div><div></div><div>By 1890, Joslyn had acquired controlling interest in the company’s stock and began a vigorous expansion campaign. At the time of his death, the Western Newspaper Union, with George Joslyn as its president and general manager, was nationally recognized as the largest newspaper service organization in the world. It operated printing plants and publication offices in 32 prominent cities, six exclusive plate foundries, the largest publication plant in the city of Chicago, 17 wholesale paper houses, and pulp and paper mills in northern Wisconsin. George Joslyn was the richest man in Nebraska.&nbsp;<br><br>When associates suggested he move his business headquarters East, George answered that his money had been “made in Omaha and it would be spent in Omaha.” The Joslyns loved their adopted city and actively supported community projects, toward which it is estimated they gave more than $7 million. They gave generously to the University of Omaha, and among their many charities were the Humane Society, the Old People’s Home, and the Child Saving Institute. They often opened their home, Lynhurst (dubbed “Joslyn Castle” by Omahans because of its grand, baronial style), to parties of underprivileged and orphaned children. Their only child died in infancy, so they raised a foster daughter, Violet, as their own.&nbsp;<br><br>After her husband’s death, Mrs. Joslyn devoted herself to creating a memorial that would perpetuate their shared interests in music and art, as well as benefit the greatest number of people possible. She decided to build a concert hall surrounded with art galleries. When it opened on November 29, 1931, the new museum received several private collections as gifts, as well as collections from the Art Institute of Omaha and the Friends of Art.&nbsp;</div></div></span>

The Joslyn Art Museum is the leading fine arts museum in Nebraska. It was opened in 1931 at the initiative of Sarah H. Joslyn in memory of her husband, businessman George A. Joslyn

Downtown Omaha Walking Tour

Orpheum Theater

Introduction

Images

Sources

Additional Information