Author: Adam F.C. Fletcher

I'm a speaker, writer, trainer, researcher and advocate who researches, writes and shares about education, youth, and history.

Categories
19th century 20th century architecture Demolished buildings ethnic groups Immigrants Lost history Near North Side North Downtown schools

A History of the North Omaha School aka Izard School

North Omaha School, N. 19th and Izard St., Omaha, Nebraska
The North Omaha School was built at North 19th and Izard Streets in 1871. It stood for more than 20 years.

Omaha had a hard time getting its public school system going. Once they got going, it took more than a decade to build a second school. However, when it opened on the outskirts of the city at North 17th and Izard Streets, the new school was the grandest building of its time. This is a history of the North Omaha School, aka the Izard School.

Categories
21st century Activism biography Black politicians Carter Lake Law Officials Politics

A Biography of Amos P. Scruggs

Amos Potter Scruggs (1875-1946) was a popular African American attorney and government official in Omaha from 1908 to 1934.

Categories
19th century 20th century 21st century Activism Americans biography Black athletes Black businesspeople Black leader Black people Black politicians Education historic preservation History of Nebraska Legislators Lost history society

Notable African American Women in Omaha History

Negro Women's Christian Association of Omaha, 933 N. 25th St., North Omaha, Nebraska
The Negro Women's Christian Association of Omaha was founded in the 1890s and existed until the 1950s.

Black women have done all kinds of work as mothers, businesswomen, teachers, ministers, politicians, and in other roles to make the community great. This is a history of some of the notable African American women in North Omaha.

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20th century 21st century crime Florence Boulevard Historic houses Lost history Normal house history

A History of 5833 Florence Boulevard

This is a history of an average house with an exceptional story at 5833 Florence Boulevard.

Categories
19th century 20th century architecture Baptist Demolished buildings Kountze Place Lost history North 24th Street Segregation White flight

A History of Immanuel Baptist Church

Immanuel Baptist Church, North 24th and Pinkney Streets, North Omaha, Nebraska
This is Immanuel Baptist Church at N. 24th and Pinkney Streets as it appeared in 1922.

A giant church building, a large congregation and lots of impact by Immanuel Baptist Church went on for more than 50 years in North Omaha. Today there’s no sign of this once-important place. This is a history of the church.

Categories
20th century architecture Buildings Lost history Near North Side North 24th Street Segregation theaters Theaters Theaters

A History of the Ritz Theater in North Omaha

Ritz Theater, 2041 North 24th Street, North Omaha, Nebraska
This is the Ritz Theater in 1971, its last year of operation. It was a Black theater.

A theater opened to African Americans in a time when Omaha was deeply segregated, the Ritz Theater was an anomaly in the city. Here’s some of its history.

Categories
20th century 21st century 24th and Lake Architects architecture Black spaces and places business civic infrastructure culture Great Plains Black History Museum historic preservation Lake Street Listed on National Register of Historic Places Near North Side Organizations Social services

A History of the Webster Telephone Exchange Building

Original North Side YMCA, 2213 Lake Street, North Omaha, Nebraska
The Webster Telephone Exchange Building at 2213 Lake Street was the home of the Urban North Side YMCA from 1945 to 1951, later becoming the Great Plains Black History Museum.

Some buildings are constructed, serve a purpose and then are demolished. Others seem to live several lifetimes by acting as a base for several enterprises and a hub for the community during different crises. Despite looking like its falling apart right now, one Lake Street building is such an institution, serving as an icon of change, sustainability and transformation in the community. This is is a history of the Webster Telephone Exchange Building.