Adam’s Note: This is a special exposè on a rarely-acknowledged but vitally important part of Omaha’s history. Written by local historian Ryan Roenfeld, I believe this history of Omaha’s Chinatown is necessary, vibrant and just a beginning, albeit a deep one! Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Category Archives: poverty
A History of Sulphur Springs, Nebraska
Sulphur Springs was a settlement in the Nebraska Territory from 1854 to 1877. This article shares some of its history.
A History of the Salvation Army Hospital in North Omaha
From 1896 to 1978, the Omaha Salvation Army offered prenatal and birthing services for low-income, unwed and “unsuitable” pregnant women. This is a story of their facility.
A History of the Wesley House in North Omaha
This is a history of the Wesley House, a modern-times org that rebuilt a neighborhood by changing lives.
A History of North Omaha’s Provident Hospital
North Omaha’s Provident Hospital was an attempt to challenge the city’s racism. What happened?
A History of Omaha’s Winspear Triangle
The Winspear Triangle was a contested land north of downtown, filled with poor people, planned with poor ideas and barely actualized in the present times.
“FRAMED” Chapter 22 by Michael Richardson
In this chapter, Mondo we Langa is quoted saying “…they simply could not let an African man who called police “pigs” get away with that.”
“FRAMED” Chapter 21 by Michael Richardson
This chapter of FRAMED by Michael Richardson focuses on a lie told on the court stand…
“FRAMED” Chapter 20 by Michael Richardson
The trial testimony of Duane and Donald Peak focuses on them laughing at the death…
A History of the Near North YMCA in North Omaha
The Near North Side YMCA was a staple of the community for more than 50 years. Here’s the story…
A History of Segregated Schools in Omaha, Nebraska
There were and are many segregated schools in Omaha, and this is an account of their history.
A History of North Omaha’s Collier Place Neighborhood
The story of a historic neighborhood in North Omaha.
A History of Grocery Stores in North Omaha
This is a history of how people get food in a North Omaha, Nebraska.
A History of Truck Farms in East Omaha
One part of Omaha has stayed in touch with its agricultural roots for more than a century. This is a history of small family farms and the changing landscape in East Omaha.
A History of the North Omaha Gene Eppley Boys Club
The North Omaha Gene Eppley Boys’ Club was the cradle of youth engagement for a generation of young men. This is a history of the facility.
A History of the Spencer Street Projects
Opened in 1952, the Spencer Projects in North Omaha have a long, complex history of neglect, crime and community building.
A History of the CCC Camp in Omaha
From 1935 to 1940, more than 200 workers lived in a CCC camp at Levi Carter Park. Here is a history of their time.
A History of Zion Baptist Church in North Omaha
A leader among the bedrock institutions of North Omaha is Zion Baptist Church. One of the oldest congregations in Omaha, it was founded in 1884 and became the largest Black church in Omaha by 1900. It’s landmark building at 2215 Grant Street was designed by North Omaha native “Cap” Clarence Wigington, and its mission is still distinctly relevant more than 125 years after it was founded.
A History of Pearl Memorial United Methodist Church in North Omaha
From the 1890s through the 2000s, Pearl Memorial United Methodist Church stood as a beacon in North Omaha. This is it’s history.
A History of North Omaha’s Long School Neighborhood
The Long School neighborhood is located in North Omaha from Hamilton Street on the south to Erskine on the North; North 24th on the east and the North Freeway on the west, and it has a total of 30 blocks. Houses started getting built in the neighborhood as early as the 1860s. However, it wasn’t until Long School was built that things really got underway. This is a history of the neighborhood.
A History of North Omaha’s Kellom Pool
The Near North Side neighborhood was packed with people for more than a century. People need places to hang out and cool off in Omaha’s hot summers, and in the late 1940s the City of Omaha Parks Department decided to build a swimming pool to serve the community. By this point, the Logan Fontenelle Housing […]
A Timeline of Race and Racism in North Omaha
On October 24, 1889, the Omaha Daily World reported that G.S. Kennedy, an African American mechanic who frequented the bar at the Paxton Hotel, was “somewhat indignant” for being charged a higher price than usual because, as the bartender said, he was Black. My review of other articles from early Omaha shows wasn’t Kennedy’s experience wasn’t exception in […]
A History of the Colored Commercial Club in North Omaha
Omaha’s Colored Commercial Club was an business referral, employment agency, and community building org for almost a decade. This is it’s history…
A History of the Near North Side Neighborhood in North Omaha
As far as I’m concerned, the history of Omaha’s Near North Side neighborhood is the richest in all of Omaha. It has been home to working class families, poor people, and the wealthy; northern Europeans, African Americans, and eastern Europeans; Lutherans and Catholics, Jews and Black Muslims; slums, family homes, and mansions; looked like a pioneer town, had country gentleman farms, been a suburb, and had slums; professional offices, warehouses, manufacturing plants, local storefronts, printing presses, training centers, supermarkets and pop-up shops; giant churches and synagogues, and tiny storefront temples and more. So much has happened here, and clearly its story is still being written…
A History of the North Omaha Riots
Because of when the riots happened and what they did, there are scars on North O that that haven’t healed almost 50 years later. Here’s a history of what happened.
