A History of Black Hotels in Omaha

Much the same as today, Omaha was culturally segregated in the early 20th century. Jim Crow was a specter in the city in many ways, including its hospitals, schools, eating establishments and hotels. This article is a history of Black hotels in Omaha.

Jim Crow in Omaha Hotels

The grandiose histories written about Omaha highlight early hotels, but don’t often mention that they discriminated against African Americans. However, places like the Grand Central Hotel, the Cozzens Hotel, the Herndon House were all segregated. Black people were simply not allowed to stay at them.

Later hotels in Omaha like the Fontenelle, the Blackstone, and the Flatiron Hotel were all segregated, too. Only very famous Black people were allowed to stay at them. Other Black travelers couldn’t stay in downtown Omaha, including sports stars and entertainers, as well as the average African American traveler for business or personal reasons. People had to have places to sleep.

Black-Owned or Operated Hotels in Omaha

Jewish Old People’s Home, 2504 Charles Street, North Omaha, Nebraska — This house was at 2504 Charles Street in the Kellom Heights neighborhood. Originally built as the Jewish Old People’s Home, it was the Walker Hotel for more than 20 years. It was demolished in a slum clearance program in 1970.

In a segregated city like Omaha, the only option for Black people was to own their own hotels for Black travelers and others to stay at. Black entrepreneurs opened their homes or bought facilities just to make money off travelers who needed their places to stay.

According to a 1938 interview with Henry W. Black from the U.S. Congress, the first hotel for African Americans in Omaha was opened and run in 1890. It was called the Lewis Hotel, and was located at North 10^th and Capitol Streets. Mr. Lewis ran the hotel, and was active in the music scene.

This is a 1917 ad for the Warden Hotel at North 8th and Cuming Street. It was advertised as “It never closes and is kept clean FOR COLORED PEOPLE WHO CARE” [original emphasis].

From 1936 to 1966, Omaha had several hotels friendly to African Americans listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book. They were presumably Black-owned, too. Black musicians, actors, and performers stayed at these hotels, as well as Black businesspeople and other travelers.

According to an interview conducted by the University of Nebraska History Harvest, after the Civil Rights movement some musicians reminisced about the jam sessions that happen at these hotels, and the “sense of ‘togetherness’ they felt when they stayed there.”

Patton's Hotel, 1014-18 S. 11th Street, Omaha, Nebraska — Patton’s Hotel was a widely-known Black-owned hotel in Omaha and was originally located at 1014-18 S. 11th Street.

The Broadview, located at 2060 Fontenelle Blvd., was listed as “Omaha’s finest” in tourist books for African Americans. The Patton Hotel was a popular institution that was located downtown for 35 years, then moved to North 24th and Erskine. Its operator, Minnie Patton, was a community socialite who lived until she was 99-years-old.

In addition to the Broadview and Patton, there were two other Black-friendly hotels listed in the Green Book. The Walker Hotel, shown above, was a repurposing of the original Jewish Old Folks Home and was located at 2504 Charles Street.

Booker T. Washington Hotel, 1917 Cuming Street, Omaha, Nebraska — This is a 1917 advertisement for the Booker T. Washington Hotel from a Black-owned newspaper in North Omaha called The Monitor.

Over the years before and after the Civil Rights Movement, there were several Black hotels in Omaha. The following list is according to when the hotels opened.

Lewis Hotel (1890-1896), 1048 Capital Avenue
Hotel Cuming (1915-1928), 1916 Cuming Street (also called Hotel Cummings)
Broomfield Hotel (1915-1917), 116-118 South 9th Street
Patton’s Hotel, originally at 1014, 1016, 1018 South 11th Street (1915-1947), then at 2425-2427 Erskine Street (1947-1961)
Warden Hotel (1917-1920), 817 North 16th Street
Booker T. Washington Hotel (1917-1922), 1719 Cuming Street and 523 North 15th Street
Lee Von Hotel (1918-1929), 2212 Seward Street
Dee Gee Apartments (1919-1923), 2020-24 Burt Street
Broadview Hotel (1932-1935), 2060 North 19th Street
Calhoun Hotel (1946-1962), 2423 Lake Street
Walker Hotel (1946-1962), 2405 Charles Street
Willis Hotel (1946-1961), 2423 North 22nd Street
Central House Hotel, Saratoga (North 24th and Grand Avenue)
John Bell Hotel, 1310 Howard Street
New Lamar Hotel (1924-1927), 1803 North 24th Street

According to Love’s Jazz and Art Center, musicians such as Cab Calloway stayed at Myrtle Washington’s boarding house at North 22nd and Willis while others stayed at Charlie Trimble’s at 22nd and Seward.

Black-Owned Tourist Homes in Omaha

1947 The Negro Motorist Green Book: A Classified Motorist's and Tourist's Guide Covering the United States — This is the cover of the 1947 The Negro Motorist Green Book: A Classified Motorist’s and Tourist’s Guide Covering the United States. It includes several listings in Omaha.

Over the twenty years the Green Book was published, there were other options for African American travelers besides hotels. Throughout the years were called boarding rooms, Tourist Homes and rental rooms. Some of the ones listed in Omaha included:

2220 Willis Ave., operated by Mrs. Louis Strawther
2211 Ohio St., operated by Mrs. M. Smith
2207 N. 25th St., operated by Miss Willa Mae Anderson
2228 Willis Ave., operated by G. H. Ashby
2324 N. 22nd St., operated by Myrtle Washington
2619 Caldwell St., operated by Dave Brown
2010 Lake St., Mrs. Mary Overall
2530 Maple St., Mrs. C.H. Hicks
2817 Florence Blvd, The Johnson House
2020 Burt St., Dee Gee Apartment

Having radios and televisions were big innovations for these homes, and the proprietors strove to meet their customers’ needs. Today, there are no historical markers, memorials or other emphases placed on Omaha’s history of Black-owned hotels.

You Might Like…

My Articles About Black Hotels in Omaha: The Calhoun Hotel | The Willis Hotel | The Broadview Hotel | The Warden Hotel | New Lamar Hotel

Elsewhere Online

The Negro Motorist Green Books, 1936 to 1966

BONUS

Martin Hotel, 18th and Webster, Omaha — A Black hotel was proposed for 18th and Webster Street in the original Near North Side neighborhood.

Hutton Hotel, N. 19th and Paul Streets, North Omaha, Nebraska — Another Black hotel was proposed for North 19th and Nicholas Streets in the original Near North Side neighborhood.

Willis Hotel, 2324 N. 22nd St., North Omaha, Nebraska — The Willis Hotel at 2324 N. 22nd St. in North Omaha was open from the 1940s.

3 Comments

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Christopher Burkley says:

July 14 at 7:42 pm

White male here. Non-angry variety. Self educating on a little black history. I just bought an new/old copy of the Green Book. Boy, the stuff I take for granted. I would have never even thought about that. Cool site. I will visit again

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