Creighton University - Bluejay Yearbook (Omaha, NE)

Page 14 text:

(% The Gate City of the West SEVENTY-FIVE years have passed since the first immigrants were fitted out in the small village on the bank of the Missouri for their long trek to the far west, but nevertheless, it, now a great metropolis, still retains its title, for today it is the distributing point for the multitude of products of a vast agricultural region. The first white man to set foot upon the territory which Omaha now serves was the Spanish cavalier, Coronado, who, during the summer of 1540 with an expedition of several hundred men, explored the territory now known as the southwest, coming as far north as the Platte valley. In July, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition stopped to examine the curious collection of graves and mounds on a plateau on the west bank of the Missouri. They, perhaps, were the first white men to set foot on the spot where Omaha is now located. The first bona fide settlers of Douglas county arrived from the east and south in the spring of 1854. Most of them were of the industrial class, and all had but limited means with which to begin pioneer life. There were no habitations and the first houses consisted mostly of log cabins, sod houses and dug-outs. The early settlers were ambitious and proud of their city, which had been surveyed by one of them, A. D. Jones, and which consisted mostly of blue prints. The name they selected for the prospective metropolis was Omaha City. This name was bestowed in honor of the Omaha Indians, OMAHA AND CREIGHTON IN 1878 v ■q 10

Page 13 text:

1857 - Omaha - s Al -1

Page 15 text:

who had ceded their lands in the vicinity of the new town. The word ' ' Omaha means: Above ail others on a stream. In confident expectancy of Omaha becoming the territorial capital, the citizens hastily erected a two-story brick statehouse on the west side of Ninth street, between Famam and Dodge streets. Governor Francis H. Burt of South Carolina arrived at Bellevue on Octo- ber 6, 1854, but died a few days later. Thomas B. Cuming, territorial sec- retary, automatically became acting governor and issued a proclamation for the election of members to the legislature and a delegate to congress. The legislature met in the state house January 16, 1855, and continued until March 17, most of the time being taken up with the fierce fight for the capital prize which was finally awarded to Omaha. The seat of government having been definitely fixed, the next step was the erection of an administration building on Capitol hill — now Central High School — in which sessions of the legislature were held from 1857 to 1867, the year in which Nebraska was admitted as a state. It was in this year that the capital was moved to Lincoln with little or no protest on the part of Omaha. In 1857 the population of Omaha was estimated to be between 1,500 and 1,800. Although the capital of the territory, it was still under a village form of government. The people now regarded this as an incongruity which should be eliminated and petitioned the legislature for a city charter. A bill to that effect was passed and approved on February 2. The financial breakdown in 1857 created a severe depression, which con- :|ll!: