East Omaha is a geographically designated community located in Omaha, Nebraska. Located three miles (5 km) from downtown Omaha, East Omaha is the site of Eppley Airfield, Omaha's main airport, and Carter Lake. This area was Omaha's first annexation, joining the city in 1854.(n.d.) Annexation and Growth. Originally separated from Omaha by the Missouri River, a large section of the area's land was dissected by a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in 1892. Today, 2,500 houses, a school, grocery stores and a church that made up the original town have been demolished and replaced by several government facilities, the Eppley Airfield, and more.
Boundaries East Omaha is roughly bounded by the Missouri River on the east, Carter Lake and Carter Lake, Iowa on the south, and North Omaha to the west and north. There is one cliff that is the finite western boundary of East Omaha, extending from Jaynes Street north to Reed Street. Bordering neighborhoods include Miller Park, Saratoga and Kountze Place.
Due to the ever-changing nature of the Omaha metro area, recognition of the boundaries of East Omaha has fluctuated through the years. Early reports about East Omaha identified it closely with the Union Pacific Railroad yards just north of downtown. The boundary moved north over the years, and today is loosely fixed along Florence Boulevard to the west, the Missouri River to the east, the Omaha Public Power District Plant to the north, and Carter Lake, Iowa to the south. Even these boundaries are in flux. The Omaha Chamber of Commerce has taken to referring to any area east of 72nd street as "east Omaha".(2006) "Let Your Voice Be Heard: Legislative Forum: East Omaha Senators" Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
History In 1853, Edmond Jefferies filed a claim on of land in what was known as East Omaha.(n.d.)City of Carter Lake, Iowa History This area was Omaha's first annexation, joining the city in 1854.
The CB&Q railroad's East Omaha Land Company was first formed in 1887 to develop land for homes and industrial uses. The Company spent a total of $300,000 clear low-lying land of willows and to grade streets before lots were offered for sale.(n.d.) Omaha Timeline 1880-1889 City of Omaha Public Library. The company initially owned , rapidly increasing through further acquisition. In 1903 the East Omaha Land Company advertised East Omaha as "the manufacturing center of Omaha".
Before the creation of Carter Lake, Iowa, the East Omaha community wrapped around a meander on the west bank of the Missouri River. In 1877, flooding caused the river to jump its banks and shortened the main stream. The meander became an oxbow lake, and residents on both sides of the river now found themselves on the right bank, attached to Nebraska. The area was home to "East Omaha Island", the "Florence Lake", and a number of icehouses on Carter Lake, which was then called Cut-Off Lake.1890. "The Rise and Fall of Cut-Off Lake" from the Omaha Bee.
East Omaha once included all of Carter Lake, Iowa. Due to a flood that occurred in March 1877, the course of the Missouri River was redirected 1.25 mi (2 km) to the southeast. The remnants of the old river course became an oxbow-shaped lake, for which the Iowa town is named.
After the river jumped its banks, a lengthy court case ensued. The Supreme Court of the United States held that the sudden change in the river's course did not change the original boundary. They ruled that the community to become known as Carter Lake was still part of Iowa. (Nebraska v. Iowa, 143 U.S. 359 (1892)). The Court delayed a final decree to allow Nebraska and Iowa to reach an agreement consistent with its holding, which they did. (145 U.S. 519 (1892)). Now, all roads into Carter Lake run through East Omaha and downtown Omaha.
The largest single real estate deal in Nebraska up to 1890 is said to have occurred there. That year an unknown property in East Omaha was sold to the Omaha Bridge and Terminal company, a subsidiary of the Illinois Central, for nearly $700,000.Romance of Omaha, Chapter XIV The south end of East Omaha was home to the Union Pacific Rail Yards, with one former hobo reporting that he tricked a railroad cop, also called "railroad dicks",(n.d.) Dictionary of Old Hobo Slang with his clothing,
""I even talked to a known bad dick in the yards in East Omaha, and he treated me like a brother while at the same time he was looking around for a hobo to arrest for trespassing on railroad property. I thought to myself, Good old clothes, a little deception is a wonderful thing."Fox, C. (1989) Tales of an American Hobo. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, p. 118.
East Omaha, east of Carter Lake, was the preferred site for the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of 1897.(1989) Locating the Exposition Omaha Public Library. The area considered was between Carter Lake on the south and Florence Lake on the north, which is now where Beechwood Trailer Courts are now located. Florence Lake Hotel was once on this site.1890 U.P.R.R. Gazetteer A period newspaper account reported that,
"It has about available... offers level ground... is dotted with trees... plentiful water supply. It is less than form the Downtown Post Office. A paved street (16th) already extends almost to the site and a new bridge across the Missouri River makes accessible from Iowa.(2006) Construction of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition 1897-1898 ."
However, the East Omaha site ended up losing out to a site in North Omaha.
At the turn of the 20th century the area was home to numerous businesses important to Omaha's growth, with early examples including a hominy mill and a plaster mill.(1890). Nebraska State Gazetteer, Business Directory and Farmers List for 1890-91. J.M. Wolfe & Co. The Carter White Lead Company built a large scale plant in East Omaha.(1890) Nebraska State Gazetteer Business Directory & Farmer's List
On its north edge, East Omaha was home to the Beechwood community. In 1948 the Beechwood School District joined Omaha Public Schools,Sherman Elementary School official homepage. Retrieved 12/28/07. almost eliminating all traces of the Beechwood community. However, the community is still noted on maps.Beechwood, Nebraska. Google Maps. Retrieved 7/1/07
History timeline The following items have been documented by a local historian.Fletcher Sasse, Adam. (2016) "A History of East Omaha." NorthOmahaHistory.com. Retrieved on Oct 12, 2024 from https://northomahahistory.com/2016/01/06/a-short-history-of-the-original-east-omaha/ Pre-1853— Omaha nation occupied area 1853— First European-American claimed placed on East Omaha 1854— East Omaha first annexed by the City of Omaha 1877— Flood created the oxbow lake to become known as Carter Lake 1887— The East Omaha Land Company was established and the area comprising East Omaha was cleared for sale 1887— The East Omaha Factory District was cleared for development. 1887— Sherman School opened as a two-room schoolhouse 1889— Pershing School opened as a one-room schoolhouse without a name 1890— Most expensive Nebraska land deal to date occurred in East Omaha 1890— The new Levi Carter White Lead Company opened in the East Omaha Factory District 1892— Omaha lost Carter Lake-area to Iowa in U.S. Supreme Court case 1893— Illinois Railroad East Omaha Bridge first opened 1897— East Omaha considered for Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, not selected 1908— Edward and Selena Carter Cornish donated 260-acres to the City of Omaha to form the Levi Carter Park. 1913— Easter Sunday tornado obliterated East Omaha 1921— The Carter White Lead Company factory in East Omaha was permanently closed 1920s— Carter Lake secedes from Council Bluffs and wants to re-join East Omaha; Omaha denies the offer 1925— The Omaha Municipal Airport opened; eventually renamed Eppley Airfield 1926— The new brick eight-room Pershing School opened 1930— Carter Lake, Iowa incorporated 1947— Floods destroy many homes in the area 1947— East Omaha District 61 was absorbed into the Omaha Public School District and in January 1948 the Pershing School became an Omaha school. 1948— The single school of the Beechwood School District 62 merged with Omaha Public Schools, closed permanently and students were sent to Pershing School 1952— East Omaha was evacuated as a major flood brought 16-mile-wide waters to the area. President Harry S. Truman visited 1956— East Omaha was annexed into Omaha again 1967— Major flooding hit East Omaha again 1976— Pershing School was permanently closed and students were sent to Sherman. The building was demolished soon after 1980— Illinois Railroad East Omaha bridge was closed to traffic 1984— Major flooding hit East Omaha 1990— Major flooding hit East Omaha 1993— Major flooding hit East Omaha 2024— All residential houses except one are gone from East Omaha. Today there are incarceration facilities, homeless shelters, rental car facilities, and light industry in the area.
Economy East Omaha is home to Omaha's main airport, Eppley Airfield. It is also a major industrial manufacturing and warehousing area, with the Lozier Corporation located at 6336 John J. Pershing DriveLozier Corporation. Retrieved 8/22/07. and several shipping companies in the area. The Omaha Public Power District North Omaha plant is also in the area.
Education Schools have long played an important role in East Omaha's identity.
The most important school in East Omaha is Sherman School, an Omaha Public Schools building. Sherman's history extends back to 1887 when a two-room building was constructed by a neighborhood developer at N. 16th and Jaynes Street. At its largest, the school had kindergarten through eighth grade had almost 600 students. Today the building is located at N. 14th and Ellison Avenue and has students in kindergarten through fifth grades.Fletcher Sasse, Adam. (2024) "A history of Sherman School," NorthOmahaHistory.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
Other schools in the area were originally located outside the Omaha school district. One was the two-room Beechwood Elementary School, part of the now-defunct Beechwood School District, located at North 12th and Browne Avenue. Originally designed for 50 students, it had grades kindergarten to 8th grade. Under pressure of 125 students over-crowding its building without the funds to continue operating, the district closed in 1947 and was merged into Omaha Public Schools. Students were sent to Sherman School and the building was razed soon after.Fletcher Sasse, Adam. (2024) "A history of Beechwood School", NorthOmahaHistory.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
The other school in East Omaha was called Pershing School, and it was operated by its own independent school district. Located at North 28th Avenue East and Locust Street, the school was opened in the 1880s as a two-room school house, and was replaced in 1926 by a large brick structure. Designed with eight classrooms and an auditorium, the building had a large playground and a basement. After several floods and the expansion of nearby Eppley Airfield, it was demolished in 1975 and students were sent to Sherman and North High.Sherman History , Sherman Elementary School.Fletcher Sasse, Adam (2019) "A history of Pershing School," NorthOMahaHistory.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
St. Therese School was a Catholic school opened by Ursuline Sisters at N. 14th and Fort in 1919. Serving neighborhood students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the original building was replaced with a large parish structure in 1927. Serving as many as 125 students in six classrooms, students used the parish hall in the basement and attended Mass in the sanctuary where regular services were held. The school closed permanently in 2012.Fletcher Sasse, Adam (2023) "A history of St. Therese Catholic Church," NorthOmahaHistory.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.(n.d.) Douglas County Schools
Environment