
My name is Adam Fletcher Sasse. I am a professional writer and speaker who runs a small consulting firm in Olympia, Washington. I am the author of North Omaha History Volumes 1, 2 & 3; the editor of NorthOmahaHistory.com; the host of the North Omaha History Podcast; and an artist focused on North Omaha’s built environment.
I grew up in North Omaha in the Miller Park neighborhood for more than a decade from the mid-1980s through the mid-90s. Growing up in this historical, predominantly African American neighborhood, I was a bit of an anomaly: I was a goofy white Canadian kid in cowboy boots and corduroy pants from a poor family in a crappy house. But I devoured history, especially the stories of the place where I was growing up.
In 1993, I graduated from North High School. While the leadership of the school was mostly African American, I don’t know if any of the teachers to have a specific appreciation or interest in the African American history of Omaha, and I don’t remember being taught anything about it. The history of the people who established the neighborhoods was hard to find, and that is part of what makes this history so alluring to me. I ended up earning my Bachelor’s degree in creative nonfiction and popular education at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and conducting graduate studies in educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The other part of why I write this website is because of my mentors and friends. One of my mentors was Idu Maduli, who taught me the neighborhood’s history when I was young. I also learned glimpses of the city’s history from other mentors, including Rev. Helen Saunders, many of the people at Pearl Memorial United Methodist Church, Von Trimble, and Mr. and Mrs. Hickerson, who I lived next to on Ellison Avenue. I owe all of them a debt of gratitude. My high school girlfriend was the first history sleuth I ever knew, uncovering the Trans-Mississippi Exposition when I had no idea there was a history where I lived.
I only hope to ignite young peoples’ imaginations the ways these people ignited mine when I was young.
As of summer 2020, I have:
- Written more than 475 articles for NorthOmahaHistory.com
- Created more than 75 episodes of the North Omaha History Podcast
- Drawn more than 200 physical places from the history of North Omaha
- Gained more than 7,500 followers on social media for North Omaha History
- Founded and co-founded two very large Omaha-focused history groups on Facebook
- Made more than 20 presentations focused on the history of North Omaha
- Presented for the Douglas County Historical Society, the Gold Coast Neighborhood Association, Kiwanis groups in Omaha, and others
You should go on the Inside Omaha podcast (https://insideomahapodcast.com). I love your podcast and I’d love to hear you talk in more depth about your research.
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I hope you recommend me to them Donald – insideomahapodcast@gmail.com
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This is a wonderful website and I am so glad to have found it! I’m an Omaha resident and an OPS teacher, and I hope to read through this whole site before too long. I think knowing the history of a place is important to knowing how to make things right in the future.
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You might like my books, they’re much more… accessible… for constant reading. https://northomahahistory.com/history-book-sale/
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Hi Adam, thank you so much for documenting North Omaha history!! I have enjoyed reading your published works. Can I have your email address?
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You can email info@northomahahistory.com – I look forward to hearing from you Brittany!
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Your history of Uncle Sam’s breakfast Food is wonderful. My great grandmother was Lafayette Coltrin’s, widow, Lillian (Updike, Gray) Martin. You mention that was a lawsuit over the royalties after his death in 1917. Can you direct me to any sources to find out more about it? I am a genealogist. For any help you can give, many thanks! Mike Graham
michaelhgraham@frontier.com
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Hi Michael. I don’t track the sources of my articles in order to discourage their usage for academic reasons. Unfortunately, I can’t guide you to the exact source for that. However, I encourage you to search books.google.com for his name and the company name, and I’m sure you’ll find a reference to the lawsuit. Good luck.
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Adam, i Really love history and i was wondering if you could make a article about the history of McMillan (for some reason i really want to know the history of the school and i’m also fascinated about the school). Please Do it, i would really be grateful,
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I would do you interested in that too. I finished up at McMillan Junior High in 1966 and lived nearby at 3706 Ernst St. I went on to graduate from North High in 1969.
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