Jesse Lowe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jesse Lowe | |
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Mayor of Omaha
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| In office March 5, 1857 – March 2, 1858 |
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| Succeeded by | Andrew Jackson Poppleton |
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| Born | 11 March 1814 |
| Died | 3 April 1868 (aged 54) Omaha, Nebraska |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Politician, real estate, ferries |
Jesse Lowe (March 11, 1814-April 3, 1868) was the first mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving for one year from March 5, 1857 to March 2, 1858.[1] An important real estate agent in the early city, Lowe is credited with naming the city after the Omaha Tribe.[2]
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[edit] Biography
Lowe was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and soon afterward his parents moved to the Indiana Territory, settling in Monroe County and receiving his education at Bloomington College. After studying law and interning with Tilghman Howard in Indiana, Lowe decided not to become a lawyer, instead serving in the as commissary of a Missouri volunteer regiment under Sterling Price. He was promoted to Paymaster in the U.S. Army served during the entire Mexican-American War. In 1853 he moved to Kanesville, Iowa where his brother was the city's tax collector.
On July 3, 1853, Lowe and two companions crossed the Missouri River into Indian Territory, estimating the land across from Kanesville was going to become a great city. Jesse Lowe staked out a quarter-section and later bought three other quarter-sections, totaling 640 acres (2.6 km²). Within a week he established the "Oak Grove Farm."
Lowe was a founding member of the the Omaha Claim Club in 1854, and assisted Alfred D. Jones in the first survey of the city.[3] In 1855 he built the first bank building in Omaha at 12th and Farnam Streets in present-day Downtown Omaha. Lowe also invested in the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, which was the foremost ferry company in Omaha for more than 25 years.[4]
Lowe was married to Sophia Happin on July 3, 1856, in Burlington, New Jersey. They had four children, including Frederick Brown Lowe, Charlotte Augusta Lowe, Jesse Lowe Jr., and Tilghman Howard Lowe.
Jesse Lowe died in 1868, in Omaha.[5] He is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha.
[edit] Legacy
Lowe's legacy is readily apparent in the city of Omaha. The Jesse Lowe Conference Room, named in his honor, is located on the third floor of the Civic Center.[6]
| Preceded by none |
Mayor of Omaha 1857-1858 |
Succeeded by Andrew Jackson Poppleton |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Mayors of Omaha", Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 2/2/08.
- ^ "Biographical sketches", Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - Douglas County. Retrieved 2/2/08.
- ^ "Jesse Lowe", Omaha Illustrated. Retrieved 2/2/08.
- ^ "Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company and Union Pacific Transfer Album", Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 2/2/08.
- ^ "Biographical sketches", Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - Douglas County. Retrieved 2/2/08.
- ^ Conference rooms, Douglas County. Retrieved 2/2/08.
