Historic Omaha

CELEBRATIONS
Before the Second World War, in 1939, Omaha took time to celebrate the city’s history with the movie premieres of Union Pacific
and Boys Town. The stars of the movies came to town for the premieres, and citizens lined the streets to get a glimpse of Hollywood
royalty. For Union Pacific, citizens were encouraged to grow beards and don western garb, in order to get into the spirit of these “Golden
Spike Days.”
Almost a decade after the war, not long after the truce was negotiated in Korea in 1954, Omaha staged a year-long commemoration
of its centennial as a territory. There were gigantic parades, performances most summer nights on Turner Park’s outdoor theater-in-theround,
western barbecues, a folk festival showcasing the city’s multi-ethnic heritage, a Grand Ball, proclamations galore, concerts, and
a special historical drama performed at Ak-Sar-Ben. The drama was written by William Gibson, who had scripted The Miracle Worker,
the story of Helen Keller and her mentor, Annie Sullivan.
Perhaps by 1967 Douglas County residents were a trifle weary of historical anniversaries, but they gathered sufficient energy to
recognize the centennial of Nebraska’s statehood with another round of parties and parades.
In 1995, Omaha and Nebraska were cited by national media as doing the most outstanding job of remembering the conclusion of
the Second World War. This “Victory 95” celebration was another multi-faceted series of events featuring exhibits of WWII posters and
memorabilia, air shows, a “Mess Kit” breakfast, television specials, big band concerts, an Offutt Air Force Base Open House, a special
performance based on veteran’s remembrances staged by Northwest High School students, a Salute to Labor, and the dedication of a
new World War II memorial. There was a Grand Victory Celebration at Rosenblatt Stadium showcasing the talents of Chip Davis,
Crystal Gayle, and the Heartland of America Band. A massive parade included representatives of every state in the union, a procession
of World War II vehicles, and an aircraft flyover. A unique event was the “Troop Train” supplied by Union Pacific that took dozens of
WWII veterans round trip between Omaha and North Platte, and included a recreation of the North Platte Canteen, dancing to Glenn
Miller’s tunes, and stops enroute at Kearney, Grand Island, Columbus, and Fremont before debarking at Union Station in Omaha for a
special commemoration ceremony.
citizens to this state and this city and to
glimpse the turmoil that racism initiated.
Those troubled years brought to
prominence a young activist, Ernie Chambers,
who later became a state senator, and it also
provided the impetus to enact busing in
an attempt to achieve racial balance.
Legislation to prevent discrimination in
housing was enforced, and both the law and
public opinion struck down prohibitions
against people of color in local restaurants,
hotels, and entertainment areas.
The struggle for civil rights was not the
only cause that brought conflict to Omaha in
the 1960s. While slower to react than many
other cities, by the end of the decade protests
against the Vietnam War had reached even
Omaha. The height of the unrest occurred in
the early 1970s, when an anti-war rally in
Memorial Park was broken up with tear gas
and police batons. However, trouble was not
widespread, and the college campuses of
Creighton University and the University of
Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) remained
relatively free of anti-war protests.
Natives of Douglas County take pride in
their ability to survive the worst that nature
can dish out. But twin disasters in 1975 tested
the resolve of even the hardiest Omahan.
The Blizzard of ’75 began early in the
afternoon on Friday, January 10, 1975.
Building quickly, it brought traffic to a
standstill and trapped many workers in their
offices overnight. The streets were impassable
by rush hour. While snow depths ranged from
11 to 16 inches, the fierce wind whipped the
snow into drifts several feet high. John Taylor,
covering the story for the Omaha World-
Herald, described the event as “…a snowstorm
of epic proportions, a legendary blizzard, a
blustery time that Omaha and Council Bluffs
residents can be proud to have experienced.
Maybe even the worst blizzard in area history.”
When it was all over, it had taken 33 lives—six
in Omaha, eight in eastern Nebraska, 11 in
Iowa, and eight in South Dakota.
A few months later, Mother Nature struck
again. On May 6, the National Weather
Service issued a tornado warning for the
Omaha area at 4:14 p.m. The sirens sounded
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