150-Year Companies, Early Families To Receive Honors At “Early ...

150-Year Companies, Early Families To Receive
Honors At “Early Sett lers Aft ernoon at the Fort”
Families, businesses,
neighborhoods
and organizations
founded prior to 1905 will
display and reminisce about
their histories during the
Douglas County Historical
Society’s “Early Sett lers
Aft ernoon at the Fort” on
Sunday, July 10 from 1 to 4
p.m. Th e day marks the fi rst
a ivity for the Historical
Society’s newly formed
“Early Sett lers Club.”
Th e Historical Society
will honor three businesses
that are celebrating their
150th anniversaries this year.
Descendants of early families
and all Omahans are invited
to enjoy the entertainment,
conversation and a ivities
that might have occurred
one Sunday aft ernoon long
ago.
•Historical exhibits
showcasing Johnson
Hardware, N.P. Dodge Co.
and the Weitz Company,
Inc., which were founded
in 1855, and featuring
exhibits and narration
of another dozen early
families, neighborhoods
and organizations,
• Garden Walk, in the
only Victorian Heirloom
Th ese photographs of early Omaha are among nearly 100 glas
negatives recently acquired by the Historical Society to ill ustrate
the second olume of Th eir Man in Omaha, a coll ection of lett ers
describing Omaha in the 1860s, writt en by emigrant Joseph Barke
to his family in England. Acquisition of the glas negatives as made
posile by a grant from the Mill ad Foundation. Th e second olume is
expected to be pulished in late 2005.
Th e fi rst olume of Th eir Man in Omaha as pulished by the
Historical Society earlie this yea, a project made posile by the
Charles W. Martin family, descendants of the Barke family, and the
Pete Kiewit Foundation. It is availale fo $49.95 ($53.45 includes
tax) from the Historical Society and from selected local bookstores. Th e
book and an accompanying exhibit on this early family will be featured
on July 10 during “Early Sett lers Aft ernoon at the Fort.” Editors of
Th eir Man in Omaha are Del Webe, Barr y Combs, Don Snoddy and
Bob Marks, asisted by Pat Kennedy.
Newly-acquired glas
negatives portray
Omaha at 14th &
Farnam Streets.
Garden of its kind in the
region, with commentary
provided by Kinghorn
Gardens and such picturesque
scenes as a costumed
Victorian lady sketching and
another serving lemonade and
homemade sugar cookies,
• Costumed historic
chara ers, plus the historic
First Nebraska Volunteer
Infantry re-enactors
encamped on the green,
•Band, harmonica,
hurdy-gurdy and keyboard
entertainment, made possile
in part by the Omaha
Musicians Association, and
the Mormon Trail Center,
both members of the Early
Sett lers Club.
•Scrapbook and period
craft s,
•Video interviews
and photos which we
will preserve for future
research,
•Viewing of the NET
production of “Omaha’s
First Families,”
•Root beer fl oats, sugar
cookies and lemonade, in
tribute to the approaching
100th anniversary of
Roberts Dairy Co.,
continued on page 2

THE BANNER
Quarterly Newslett e
Pulished by the
Douglas County
Historical Society
Bett y J. Davis, APR, Editor
Helene Quigley, Graphic Design
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITT EE
President
Mary M. Maxwell
Secretary
Jim Murphy
Treasurer
John A. Jeter
Immediate Past President
Joe McCartney
BOARD MEMBERS
Mary Applegate
Joseph Barker III
Mary Macchiett o Bernier
Ted E. Bolamperti, D.D.S.
Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh
Barry Combs
Donald H. Erickson
Roger K. Fitch
Warren Francke, Ph.D.
David Harding
Carole Woods Harris
Janyce Falcon Hunt
Ronald W. Hunter
Gary Kerr
Orville Menard, Ph.D.
Brian Nicol
William Pratt , Ph.D.
Susan C. Shipley
Brian R. Zimmer
Douglas County
Historical Society
Historic Fort Omaha
5730 North 30th Street, 11B
Omaha, Nebraska
68111-1657
T: (402) 455-9990
F: (402) 453-9448
Library Archives Center
and Indian Wars Library
T: (402) 451-1013
Photos and illustrations from the
Collections of the Douglas County
Historical Society Library Archives
Center and National Indian Wars
Library, Janyce Hunt, Roger Rea and
Gary Rosenberg
www.omahahistory.org
SUMMER 2005
Secretary of State Gale Addresses
“Colonels” At Offi cers Mess
Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale, who grew up near Fort Omaha, spoke at the
Historical Society’s traditional “Offi cers Open Mess” on May 20 for members of the
General’s Council. He briefed the audience on the process of selecting images for the Nebraska
quarter and on other current studies and issues.
Gale and Stephanie O’Keefe were inducted
as members of the General’s Council, and
each received a commemorative plaque
and a commission as Colonel, the rank of
the commanding
offi cer of the Fort
Omaha World War
I Balloon School,
the organizational
model for the
General’s Council.
Jean “Duddie” Day,
who recently became
a member of the
General’s Council,
will be inducted at a
later date.
Th e Douglas County Historical Society
endorsed the image of Standing Bear for
the Nebraska quarter, one of four images that Gale’s committ ee chose to be approved and then
submitt ed to Governor Dave Heineman for fi nal selection. Earlier this year the Historical
Society produced a billboard saluting “O! History” for the community, acknowledging the
signifi cance of Standing Bear’s trial victory in 1879, a project made possile by Richard and
Janyce Hunt and Lamar Outdoor Advertising. Downtown Omaha, Inc. joined the Historical
Society and others who supported Standing Bear, including the Omaha World-Herald, the
Lincoln Journal Sta, Harold W. Andersen and numerous individuals.
Th e Governor’s choice for the quarter, made in early June, featured Chimney Rock and a
covered wagon. It was indicated that Standing Bear was the second choice.
Th e Historical Society’s billboard was designed for educational purposes and will appear
throughout the year on availale large billboards at various locations in Omaha.
150-year Companies continued from page 1
2
At left : John Gale with "Colonel" Janyce
Hunt. At right: "Colonel" O'Keefe with Jim
Murphy, General USA Ret.
• Informal talks and tours of the General Crook House Museum and its current exhibit,
“Tenth Floor: Toys,” reminiscent of the former Brandeis Store and featuring over 200 toys
produced between 1840 and 1950,
Th is picture-taking aft ernoon is made possile, in part, by the Weitz Company, Inc., the Dr.
C.C. Criss and Mabel Criss Foundation and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.
Entertainment and outdoor a ivities are free and open to the pulic; the usual donation/
admission will apply for the Garden Walk and tours of the General Crook House ($5 adults, $4
students, $3 ages 6 through 11).

Mary Maxwell Elected
Board of Directors President
Mary M. Maxwell, acknowledged as one of the community’s
most entertaining eakers, was elected president of the
Douglas County Historical Society’s Board of Directors at its
Annual Meeting April 3. Some 116 members and friends came
for the occasion and to hear Peyton “Bud” Clark, the great-greatgreat
grandson of William Clark, eak and exhibit his heritage
during this re-enactment anniversary period of the Lewis and
Clark Expedition of 1804.
Mrs. Maxwell succeeds Joe McCartney, who remains in an
advisory capacity on the Executive Committ ee. Other offi cers elected are Jim Murphy,
secretary and John A. Jeter, treasurer.
Six were elected to three-year terms on the Board of Directors: Joe Barker, Roger Fitch
and William Pratt , Ph.D., all incumbents, and new members Donald Erickson, Carole
Woods Harris and Gary Kerr.
Th ree were elected to one-year terms: Dr. Ted Bolamperti, Susan Shipley and Bryan
Zimmer. Appointed to a one-year term as incoming president of the Crook House Guild
was Mary Applegate. She succeeds Janet Robinson.
Retiring aft er two three-year terms were Rob Hansen and William Kratville. Jack
Savage also completed his fi nal term as the immediate past president.
Th e Board meets the third Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. at the General Crook
House Museum.
Exhibit Showcases Times
Of Writer Joseph Barker
The Historical Society has opened a new exhibit
on Omaha history that features a panoramic
view of downtown Omaha in the 1870s, att ributed to
photographer William Henry Jackson, and which is
superimposed with images of selected buildings from
Omaha’s fi rst quarter century. Th e exhibit is located at
Heartland of America Park, in a 60-linear foot display
case on the north shore of the lake, which is accessed
from Eighth and Douglas Streets in downtown
Omaha. Th is site, and the adjacent Lewis and Clark
Th eir Man in Omaha edito, Barr y Combs
fi nds treasures in Pitt sburgh, KS.
Landing, are heavily traffi cked by visitors and riverfront concert-goers during the summer.
Th e exhibit showcases the Historical Society’s Barker Lett ers Collection. Th e selected
images in the exhibit include the H.C. Nutt ferry transferring a train from the Iowa to
the Nebraska shore, Herndon House at Ninth and Farnam Streets, Boyd’s Opera House
at Fift eenth and Farnam Streets, the Omaha Steam Bakery and stores at Twelft h and
Douglas and Farnam Street’s famed Central Block and Pioneer Block.
Th e exhibit was produced from the Historical Society’s collections and is made possile
by the Dr. C.C. Criss and Mabel Criss Foundation and the Douglas County Board of
Commissioners.
3
Library/Archives Center Donors
Diane Batt iano, Registe Registe of Deeds Offi ce
Louise Baumann
Patricia Cody
Leah Coiteux
Sall y Donovan
Lonnie Dunbie Dunbie
John Gale
Monica Geie Geie
David Gill
Ethel Griffi n
Curtis Greubel, Wyoming State Archives
Eugene Jorgensen
Mary Gwyn Knoll
Louis Krupp
Th eresa Norman, Siouxland Heritage Museums
Roge Roge O’Conno, O’Conno, Mostly Books
Richad Richad Orr
Steve Peterson, Omaha World-Herald
Nancy Rogers
Karen Stefero, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Germaine Timmerman
Chuck Vest al
LoisWine
General’s Council Members
Charles Bresman Bresman
Jack Chain, Gen USAF Ret (Honorary)
John Davis, M.D.
Jean (Duddie) Day
John Gale (Honorary)
Jean Given
Jerome Given
Chris Haugen USN (Honorary)
George F. (Geof) Heiden
Janyce Hunt
Richad Richad Hunt
Susan Jacques
Harr y Koch, J. J.
Bruce Lauritzen
Jack Lewis, M.D.
All an Ma Ma ie ie
Michael Mahlendorf
Carl Mammel, J. J.
Will iam March
Joe McCartney
Stephanie O’Keefe
Dolores (Dee) Owen
Ray and Ann Pape
John E. Peterson
Jack Savage
Poll y Savage
James Scott -Mill e, e, M.D.
Lee D. Seemann, S. S.
Fred Simon
Tim Slatt ery
John W. Webste Webste

Gutzon Borglum’s Granddaughter Researches Family
By Gary Rosenberg, Research Specialist
Robin Borglum Carter visited the Douglas County
Historical Society’s Library/Archives Center on June
13 to research the family of Mount Rushmore’s sculptor,
J. Gutzon Borglum. She is wearing a medal given to her
grandfather in 1890 by the West ern Art Association of
Omaha in recognition of his oil paintings.
Mrs. Carter is the daughter of Lincoln Borglum, who
completed the massive presidential sculpture in South Dakota
following the death of his father, Gutzon, in 1941. A resident
of Corpus Christi, Texas, Mrs. Carter is quite familiar with
her grandfather, having writt en Gutzon Borglum: His Life
and Work in 1998. She also eaks nationwide about her
grandfather. She is less familiar with his parents, however,
and came to Omaha to
uncover the “mysteries of the
Mikkelsens.”
Dr. Jens M.L. Borglum
and his wife, Ida Mikkelsen,
came to Utah from Denmark
in 1864 as members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latt er-Day Saints. Th ey
moved to Idaho and were
joined by Ida’s sister,
Christina, who became Jens’
second wife. Gutzon and
his brother, Solon, also a
famous sculptor, were born to
Christina in 1867 and 1868,
re ectively.
Th e Borglums became
disillusioned with the
Mormon church and Jens
and Ida left for Nebraska.
Gutzon’s mother left the
family, and the eight children
were all raised by Ida. Mrs
Carter said one reason for
choosing Nebraska was that
Ida's parents had moved to
Omaha from Denmark.
While in Omaha, Mrs.
Carter wanted to document
the years, addresses
and occupations of the
family here. Several of the
Robin Borglum Carte (left ) with art historian Janet Gwendolyn
Smith, frequent patron of the Library/Archives Cente.
Interesting Facts about J. Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon Borglum’s fathe, Jens o James, as originall y a
Lutheran. He as a Mormon fo some 12 years. In the late
1880s he as ice president of the newly chartered Vedanta
Th eosophical Society in Omaha.
Th ough Mount Rushmore is his most famous large-scale work,
it as not his fi rst. Gutzon planned and began a Confederate
memorial on Stone Mountain, Georgia. He left aft e a dispute
with its backers. Th e sculpture asn’t completed until 1970.
When Lincoln Borglum lived in Georgia hile his fathe
worked on the Confederate memorial, school offi cials insisted
that he be referr ed to by a name othe than Lincoln. Robin
Borglum Carte said he fathe as call ed John due to the
Southern bias against “Honest Abe.”
One of Borglum’s fi rst sculpture commisions as the statue
of Abraham Lincoln that now stands in the rotunda of the
Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Th e bronze bust of Gutzon Borglum at Mount Rushmore as
created by his son, Lincoln.
Borglum and autho Bes Streete Aldrich started a $50,000
campaign in 1929 fo a pioneers’ memorial at Mount Vernon
Gadens in Omaha. Nothing eve came of the project.
Borglum’s widow complained to Congres about the “Coney
Island atmosphere” at Mount Rushmore. She refused to att end
an anniversary celebration at the monument in 1953, claiming
he husband’s chara e had been distorted by the Rushmore
Memorial Society.
Th ough proud of the presidential monument, Borglum once
said he would rathe have composed “God Bles America.”
4
Borglum children, including
Gutzon, att ended Creighton
University. Th e staff at the
Historical Society’s Library/
Archives Center helped Mrs.
Carter fi nd information
about the Mikkelsen lineage
in city directories and
death certifi cates. She also
discovered newspaper clips
about other family members.
Assisting Mrs. Carter in
her historic search was Janet
Gwendolyn Smith, an art
historian and frequent patron
of the Library/Archives
Center. Ms. Smith has
been reviewing art work of
Nebraska area artists and
discovered a cast bronze
plaque in Platt smouth
att ributed to Gutzon
Borglum.
She has confi rmed that
three years of Borglum’s
art education in Paris were
fi nanced by George Lininger,
an art lover who est alished
Omaha’s fi rst art gallery in
1888.

Three Panels To Educate Pulic On Standing Bear
[1] Chief Standing Bear
On the night of January 2, 1879,
Chief Standing Bear with 29
members of his Ponca Tribe disobeyed
federal orders and left Indian Territory
in Oklahoma to return to his homeland
to bury his son on the banks of the
Niobrara, honoring his son’s dying wish.
Two months later, at the end of their
500-mile walk, the small band found
shelter at the Omaha reservation near
Decatur, Nebraska. Standing Bear and
his band of Poncas were arrested as
renegade Indians by Brigadier General
George Crook, and were
removed to Fort Omaha to
await trial.
Yet General Crook and
newspaper editor Thomas
Henry Tibles favored
Standing Bear and developed
a strategy that eventually
would lead to a landmark
court decision. Based on the
recently-passed Fourteenth
Amendment that guaranteed
equal protection under the
law to all persons, Standing
Bear agreed to file a writ of
habeas corpus, Standing Bea
. Crook. The two-day trial
opened in Omaha on May
1. Standing Bear appeared in
the courtroom in his chief’s
full regalia and was defended
by John L. Webster and A.J.
Poppleton. Although it was
not customary, Standing Bear was
allowed to eak for recognition of his
basic human rights. While Standing
Bear’s words were poignant, there is
some question that he spoke these
words written in a revised account by
Tibles in 1905, who was known to
embellish for drama, “My hand is not
the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I
shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand,
you also feel pain. The lood that will
flow from mine will be the same color
as yours. I am a man. The same God
made us both.” On May 12, 1879, Judge
Elmer Dundy re-convened the trial and
ruled in favor of Standing Bear.
For a time Standing Bear and Tibles
crusaded for Indian rights. Standing
Bear returned to farming in 1881 and
died in 1908. He is buried in the land
of his Grandfathers on the banks of the
Niobrara River in northeast Nebraska.
The Historical Society sponsors this billboad during 2005 and also
has developed three doule panels portraying the images and stories
of Standing Bea, General George Crook and Judge Elme Dundy, the
key figures during the landmark trial of 1879 hen the Indian as
recognized fo the first time as a person with rights in the eyes of the law.
The illustrated narrative panels are availale fo purchase o fo display
in schools and busineses and may be obtained by containg Registra
Liby Krecek at (402) 451-1013, Ext. 107.
[2] General George Crook
General George Crook, a Civil
War cavalryman and Indian
Wars hero, was considered by General
Sherman to be the greatest Indian
fighter of his time. Yet he and the
Indian shared a mutual understanding,
love and reect. In 1879, General
Crook was serving as Commander
5
of the Department of the Platte,
headquartered at Fort Omaha. He was
ordered to arrest Chief Standing Bear
and his band of Ponca Indians who had
left Oklahoma. Although his sympathies
lay with the Indians, Crook was bound
by government regulations to order
their return to Indian Territory.
General Crook also was concerned
that if he defied his orders, he would be
replaced and someone less tolerant of
the Indian cause could take his place.
At the same time, however, he set in
motion a defense system for Standing
Bear. Thomas Henry Tibles,
assistant editor of the Omaha
Daily Herald, inspired support
from the local population and
attorneys Andrew J. Poppleton
and John L. Webster were
engaged to defend Standing Bear.
Although the writ of habeas
corpus was filed again General
Crook and the United States
government, General Crook took
the witness stand in support of
the great Ponca Chief, dressed
in his military uniform while
wearing Indian moccasins, his
usual mode of dress.
It was said of Crook during
the trial, “But in what General
Crook has done in the premises
no fault can be imputed to him.
He was simply obeying the
orders of his superior officers
as a good soldier ought to do, but the
orders, as we think, lack the necessary
authority of law, and are, therefore, not
binding on the relators.”
continued on page 6

Second Sunday Talks Follow “Neighborhood” Theme
Omaha City Planner
Lynn Meyer spoke on
“Omaha’s Historic Districts” at
the Second Sunday Talk in June,
and accepted the Historical
Society’s Omaha First Award for
the City Planning Department,
in recognition of their
significant role in the growth
and development of Omaha
and in the preservation of the
community’s historic districts.
The next presentation in the
popular monthly series will
be expanded to an afternoon
celebration, on July 10, from 1
to 4 p.m., to acknowledge the
Historical Society’s new Early
Settlers Club. See Page One for entertainment, exhibitors,
Garden Walk and other ecial attraions.
The Second Sunday Talks, which this year has as its theme
“Omaha: Our Neighborhood,” will return to its usual 2 p.m.
Three Panels continued from page 5
The result was a landmark decision, for the first time
recognizing the Indian as a human being with rights in the
eyes of the law.
Crook, when eaking before the Indian Rights Society in
Boston, was to have said, “I have been fighting Indians in the
West for twenty-five years. During that time I have never
known an Indian to break a treaty. I have never known a
white man to keep one.”
[3] Judge Dundy
Elmer S. Dundy became Nebraska’s first Federal District
Court Judge on April 9, 1868. On May 1, 1879, Judge
Dundy presided over what became a landmark trial in the
issue of Indian rights, “Ma-chu-nah-zah (Standing Bear)
versus George Crook, a Brigadier General of the Army of the
United States and Commander of the Department of the
Platte.”
In the preliminary proceedings, Standing Bear petitioned
Judge Dundy for a writ of habeas corpus, based on
constitutional rights that guaranteed equal protection under
Nancy and Lynn Meye admire the Omaha First Awad. At right are
Polly and Jack Savage.
6
presentation at the General Crook
House in August. The series is
free and open to the pulic, made
possile by the Dr. C.C. Criss and
Mabel Criss Foundation. The
schedule for the remainder of the
year:
•August 14: Ronald Thurber,
Mormon Trail Center, “Omaha’s
Roots—1846 Winter Quarters.”
•September 11: Fred Simon,
Executive Vice President, Omaha
Steaks, “The Story of Omaha
Steaks, an Omaha First Company.”
•October 9: Mike Yanney,
Chairman, America First Cos.,
“Michael Yanney: Profile of a
Civic and Community Leader.”
•November 13: Connie Spellman, Director, Lively
Omaha, “Growing With a Plan, Planning with a Vision.”
•December 11: Doug Bisson, Community Planning
Manager, HDR, “Destination Midtown—A New Master
Plan for Midtown Omaha.”
the law to all persons. Until this time, it had never been tested
in any court about whether an Indian was a “person” in the
eyes of the law.
In a trial that lasted two days, Judge Dundy heard attorneys
from both sides submit four and six-hour pleas for their cases.
In the end, he ruled in favor of Standing Bear. On whether
or not an Indian could be considered a person under the law,
Judge Dundy declared, “…the question cannot be open to
serious doubt. Webster describes a person as ‘a living soul’ a
self conscious being; a moral agent; eecially a living human
being; a man, woman or child; and individual of the human
race. This is comprehensive enough, it would seem, to include
even an Indian.”
For the first time, Indians were recognized as people under the
meaning of the law. Judge Dundy ordered General Crook to
release the Poncas, and Standing Bear was allowed to bury his
son by the Niobrara River in northeast Nebraska. While the
term was not yet a familiar one, this trial represented one of
the nation’s most significant civil rights cases.

Around And About The Society, Museum, Library
Book Store, Volunteer Plans
The existing Gift Shop at the General Crook House
will be transformed this fall into a Book Store and
headquarters office for volunteers. The improvement
is made possile by a $20,000 grant from the Visitor
Improvement Funds of Douglas County. Project chair is
Debie Mayfield, administrative coordinator and director
of volunteers, who has professional experience in the
design field.
Beginning this fall, the new Book Store will sell only
books pulished by the Historical Society or pulications
on the westward movement. A new sales feature will
offer reproduction of the Historical Society’s collection of
images, maps and documents, which is considered to offer
a decorative edge as well as provide an educational and
research exposure for the Historical Society.
Basement Project Underway
Storage and space needs are being studied by the
facilities and library committees of the Board of
Directors, with one project already underway at the
General Crook House Museum. Improved storage in
the basement, to house the Historical Society’s extensive
decorative arts collection, is expected to be completed
this fall. The project is made possile by the Millard
Foundation, Douglas County Visitor Improvement Funds
and the Crook House Guild. Curator Pat Pixley is project
coordinator.
Early Families, Leaders Videos
The Historical Society has two video series to record
the histories of the community. The first, “In Their
Own Words,” was estalished four years ago with a $5000
grant from Harold W. Andersen and other donors. The
second, “Historic Families Sesquicentennial Video Series”
was made possile by a donation from one of Omaha’s early
families.
These business and family histories, memories
and photographs will be preserved for research at the
Historical Society’s Library Archives Center and National
Indian Wars Library, which has been designated the official
archive for Douglas County by the Douglas County Board
of Commissioners.
7
Three Firms Celebrate 150 Years
The Weitz Company will exhibit its history July 10 at
the Historical Society’s “Early Settlers Afternoon at
the Fort,” in appreciation of their founding 150 years ago
in Des Moines, Iowa and their coming to Omaha in 1990.
They are the third or fourth oldest construction firm still
operating in the nation.
The Historical Society in June presented its Omaha
First Award to Johnson Hardware Co., which began as the
F.A. Schneider Company in 1855 in Omaha, later changing
its name. It is the oldest continuously operating business in
Omaha.
The N.P. Dodge Co. had its beginnings in Council
Bluffs; brothers N.P. and Grenville moved first to the banks
of the Elkhorn River and later estalished their business in
Omaha. It is considered the oldest continuously operated
family-owned business in Omaha.
Exuberant Summer Blooms
Vivid Fall Colors, End-of-Season Glory
The Crook House Victorian Heirloom Garden
Hitchcock Circle with Statue of General Crook
ALL SEASONS, ALL REASONS!
~Memorable Setting for Parties, Weddings, Photos
~Charming 1879 Setting Year-Round
~Enchanting Décor during Nineteenth Century Holidays
Bring your party and special occasion to the Crook House. This
beautifully decorated, authentically restored frontier general’s
home is available at any time throughout the year. Suitable for All
Reasons, All Seasons! Special per person costs can be arranged for
organization, group and tour lunches, teas or dinners.
Call (402) 455-9990 for more information

___ Student $20
___ Senior (over 65) $25
___ Individual $30
___ Family $40
___ Historian $60
___ Century $100
___ Patron $250
___ Lieutenant’s Council $500
___ General’s Council $1000
___ Corporate $1000
____ VISA ____ MC
Number ____________________________
Exp. Date: ___________________________
___________________________________
Print Name as it appears on Credit Card
___________________________________
Signature
Douglas County Historical Society
Renew or Consider a Gift Membership
“History Happens Here!”
PLEASE ACCEPT MY DONATION/RENEWAL of $ _________
___ I wish to Join ___ Renew ___ Increase my Membership.
___ I will further help the Douglas County Historical Society by providing a Gift Membership!
Your name as you wish it to appear in acknowledgements. ______________________________
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PAYABLE BY CHECK OR CREDIT CARD
Senator Chuck Hagel proclaims that
Nebraska can be proud of its strong
heritage and rich history, and believes
that part of what helps preserve Nebraska’s
cultural heritage are the eclectic museums
across the state. As stated, “Some museums
are better known than others, but all make
important contributions to the advancement
and preservation of Nebraska’s history and
culture.”
In listing the Douglas County Historical
Society as one of five diverse museums that
Nebraskans can enjoy, he stated, “The Society
oversees the General Crook House Museum
and offers seminars, lectures and exhibits
encompassing the history of Douglas County...
The museum is a living history to the time period and offers a
8
Douglas County
Historical Society
5730 North 30th Street, 11B
Omaha, NE 68111-1657
Membership is $20 tax deductible
SENATOR HAGEL LISTS CROOK HOUSE AMONG FIVE CHOICES
Cruise with the Historical Society on July 27 to
commemorate the 201st anniversary of William Clark’s
visit to what became Omaha. The evening cruise aboard the
River City Star riverboat, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., now is a
tradition, following a very successful “launching” last year.
Enjoy bar-b-cue, music on every deck, Meriwether Lewis and
costumed charaers! $50 each: call 455-9990.
unique look into the region’s rich past.”
Senator Hagel, in the article that appeared
in statewide newspapers, urged readers to
become “a patron or member of your local
museum and contribute to efforts that will
help to ensure the preservation of Nebraska’s
heritage for generations to come.”
Senator Hagel is a member of the Douglas
County Historical Society.
The other four sites described by the
Senator were the Museum of the Fur Trade
in Chadron, the Nebraska Prairie Museum
in Holdrege, the Edgerton Explorit Center in
Aurora and the recently completed Missouri
River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive
Trail Center in Nebraska City.
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 686
OMAHA, NE