North Omaha History

Book excerpt: In the third book of the North Omaha History Series, Adam Fletcher Sasse reveals a lot of the hidden, denied and neglected history of one of the oldest areas of Nebraska's largest city. Highlighting the predominantly African American community and other ethnic groups, he introduces some intriguing characters and important businesses that made North Omaha great. He reveals the role of transportation in the area by examining the history of several streets, including the culture and figures in the areas around them. He details the roles of North Omaha's extensive boulevard system that weaves together neighborhoods and connects the community to the rest of the city, as well as looks at the historic Belt Line Railway that used to encircle the area. In the next section, Fletcher Sasse conducts a community-wide exploration of architecture in North Omaha. He reveals the basics about the neighborhood, and then plunges deep into the apartments, homes, neighborhoods and other institutions that make the historic preservation movement so important to the community. He details several important districts and shines a light on the oldest houses in North Omaha, too. Then, he tells the missing history of a dozen mansions and estates that once occupied the area. The final section of the book is a massive timeline of birthdates for the many of the most important people in North Omaha history, including athletes, entertainers, politicians, leaders and others. The book finishes with a bibliography and comprehensive index.