Founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following people were founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska. Their period of influence ranges from 1853 through 1900. Many in this group were members of the Old Settlers' Association and/or the Omaha Claim Club. Many of these individuals were buried at the Prospect Hill Cemetery in North Omaha.
[edit] Founding figures
Name | Birth | Death | Occupation | Notable contribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dan Allen | 1832 | 1884 | Riverboat gambler | Influential; longtime partner of Anna Wilson |
George Robert Armstrong | 1 August 1819 | April 20, 1896 | Mayor | Served as mayor twice |
Erastus Benson | 1854 | February 10, 1932 (Omaha) | Real estate, investor | Founded Benson; candidate, 1906 Omaha mayor; philanthropist |
William D. Brown | 1813 | February 3, 1868 | Businessman | Operated Lone Tree Ferry |
William Byers | February 22, 1831 | March 25, 1903 | Surveyor and politician | Created first map of Omaha; Member, first Omaha City Council, Nebraska Territorial Legislature |
Edward Creighton | 1820 | 1874 | Banker, First National Bank of Omaha | Namesake of Creighton University |
John A. Creighton | 1831 | 1907 | Freighter | Philanthropist brother of Edward; helped endow Creighton University |
Mary Creighton | 1834 | 1876 | Wife of Edward | Bestowed money for Creighton University in his memory |
"Cowboy" James Dahlman | 1856 | 1930 | Mayor | Tolerant of the Sporting District; elected eight times |
Tom Dennison | 1858 | 1934 | Political boss for 30+ years | Likely started Omaha Race Riot of 1919; ran criminal enterprise and the Sporting District |
Harry Porter Deuel | 11 December 1836 | 23 November 1914 | Early railroad pioneer | The oldest railroad man in Omaha when he died, Deuel ran a successful steamboat agency in the early years of Omaha, and later worked for the Union Pacific and Burlington Railroads. |
Ada Everleigh | February 15, 1866 Greene County, Virginia | January 5, 1960 New York City | Madam | Ran brothel at Trans-Mississippi Exposition |
Minna Everleigh | July 13, 1864 Greene County, Virginia | September 16, 1948 New York City | Madam | Ran brothel at Trans-Mississippi Exposition |
Logan Fontenelle | 1825 | July 16, 1855 | Chief of Omaha (tribe) | Responsible for signing over the city's land |
Reuben Gaylord | Early minister | |||
Augustus Hall | First Chief Justice of the Nebraska Territory | |||
Andrew J. Hanscom | Territorial lawyer | Platted Hanscom Park neighborhood | ||
Gilbert Hitchcock | Owner of Omaha World-Herald | |||
Alfred D. Jones | 1814 | 1902 | Lawyer, surveyor | First settler in Omaha; platted city in 1854 |
Thomas Kennard | Lawyer | First Nebraska Secretary of State | ||
Augustus Kountze | 1826 | 1892 | Banker | Founded First National Bank of Omaha with brother Herman |
Herman Kountze | August 21, 1833, Osnaburg, Ohio | 1906 | Banker, real estate speculator | Co-founded First National Bank of Omaha; platted Kountze Place; Treasurer of Trans-Mississippi Exposition; Investor in Omaha Stockyards; namesake of Kountze Park |
Frederick Krug | 1855 | November 18, 1930 | Founder of Krug Brewing Company and Krug Park | |
George B. Lake | One of the first justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court | |||
Jesse Lowe | March 11, 1814 | April 3, 1868 | Mayor | First mayor of Omaha |
John L. McCague | Real estate agent | Early land speculator in Omaha | ||
James G. Megeath | ||||
Frederick Metz | 1832 in Hessel-Cassel, Germany | 1901 in Omaha | Owner of Metz Brewery | Two time state legislator |
Ezra Millard | February 2, 1833 | August 20, 1886 | Banker, Omaha National Bank | Namesake of Millard |
George L. Miller | First doctor in Omaha; landowner | |||
James C. Mitchell | 1810 | 1860 | Real estate salesman, ferry operator | Founded the town of Florence |
William A. Paxton | Businessman | Created Omaha Stockyards and many other companies | ||
A. J. Poppleton | 24 July 1830 | 9 September 1896 | Lawyer, politician | Founded first law firm in the Nebraska territory; second mayor of Omaha |
John I. Redick | Businessman | Operated city's first opera house; early donor to Omaha University | ||
Byron Reed | 1821 | 1891 | Real estate agent | The first real estate agent in Nebraska; held public offices |
Elizabeth Reeves | Doctor | First woman physician in Omaha | ||
Matthew Ricketts | 1858 | 1917 | Physician | First African American to graduate from University of Nebraska College of Medicine, and first to join Nebraska Legislature. |
Edward Rosewater | January 21, 1841 | August 30]], 1906 | Newspaper editor | Founder and editor of the Omaha Bee |
Moses F. Shinn | January 3, 1809 | Settler and farmer | Founded Prospect Hill Cemetery | |
John A. Smiley | Opened first Omaha Stockyards and sold it to William A. Paxton | |||
Josie Washburn | ||||
Gottlieb Storz | 1939 (Wurttemberg, Germany) | Founder/owner of Storz Brewery | Built Prague Hotel; highly respected among immigrant community | |
Josie Washburn | ||||
Gurdon Wattles | May 12, 1855- | 1932 | Organizer of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition | |
Anna Wilson | May 27, 1835 | October 27, 1911 | Brothel owner | Philanthropist; left estate to city on death |