Creighton University - Bluejay Yearbook (Omaha, NE)

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tinued through 1858. Business was brought to a standstill; despondency prevailing everywhere, and the growth of Omaha was halted. However, with the return of prosperity, in 1859, Omaha became an important outfitting point. On October 6, 1860, Omaha was connected by telegraph with the east by a line built from St. Louis by Edward Creighton, who, in the following year, also constructed the Pacific telegraph to Salt Lake, where it was hooked up with a line from California. On December 2, 1863, a memorable date in the history of Omaha, a dis- patch was received that President Lincoln had fixed the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific railroad at Council Bluffs. It was the turning point in the growth of Omaha, placing it indelibly upon the map of the nation as a great railway center. The people of Council Bluffs and Omaha hurriedly assembled and arranged a celebration on the Omaha side of the river and ground was broken for the inauguration of the great enterprise. The establishment of the Union Stockyards in 1884, and the consequent location of packing houses by leading packers have resulted in making Omaha the second largest live stock market and packing center in the world. The story of the Union Stockyards is the final chapter in the history of Omaha. The city ' s marvelous growth in seventy-five years would be incredi- ble if it were not proven by present conditions. Nor is there any doubt of its future progress provided its citizens follow the example of those who have gone before. They were men of high character, foresight, enterprise and loyalty.

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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!:

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Jdook 1 ADMINISTRATION