by DCHSADMIN | May 28, 2022 | Blog
By Rita Shelley This blog began with my discovery that Carl Smith, a 19th century Nebraska journalist, had been dispatched to Pine Ridge, South Dakota, to cover events that have since become known as the December 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre. I once again was captivated...
by DCHSADMIN | Apr 29, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
By Rita Shelley Alice Grace Harvey A native of Tobias, Nebraska, a village of 300 in the southeastern part of the state, she was “Miss Harvey” to generations of students at Omaha’s South High School where she taught typing and shorthand for 35 years. To...
by DCHSADMIN | Mar 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
By Rita Shelley In honor of Women’s History Month, this week’s blog celebrates three Omaha-based women. Each had very different careers during different eras, but all accomplished remarkable feats of preserving historical artifacts and stories for generations to come....
by DCHSADMIN | Mar 7, 2022 | Blog
By Rita Shelley When the derelict 10-story property at 1714 Douglas Street was demolished on February 10, 1992, fifty years of the Omaha Athletic Club at that location ended in a cloud of smoke. The club had closed in 1970 and was purchased by the Federal Reserve in...
by DCHSADMIN | Feb 11, 2022 | Blog
by Rita Shelley On December 6, 1917, Paul Borowiak, a 19-year-old from Omaha, enlisted in the U.S. Marines at Mare Island, California. Enlisting as a stenographer, Borowiak went on to serve with the Marines in decisive battles in France with the 18th Company, 2nd...
by DCHSADMIN | Jan 21, 2022 | Blog
By DCHS volunteer Rita Shelley The two women who became known as the Everleigh sisters began their lives as Ada and Minna Lester (or Simms), daughters of a well-to-do Southern family. Though there are few primary sources that give any definitive facts regarding their...
by DCHSADMIN | Dec 23, 2021 | Blog
By Rita Shelley Historically Omaha has attracted immigrants from all over the world. For Rajan Bhattarai from Kathmandu, Nepal, and Sneha Shah from the state of Gujarat in India, it was work that brought them here. Dawn Smejkal arrived by a different route, adopted...
by DCHSADMIN | Dec 8, 2021 | Blog
by Rita Shelley Most people can trace their heritage to the countries of their ancestors’ origins. For Omaha’s Italian American community, not only can many trace their lineages to Sicily, they can name the exact village, Carlentini. The connections between Omaha and...
by DCHSADMIN | Nov 5, 2021 | Blog
by Rita Shelley During the 19th and 20th centuries, two waves of Lithuanian refugees settled in Omaha, the first in the 1890s and the second after World War II. Though separated by half a century, the two groups shared a common imperative, to escape persecution. For...
by DCHSADMIN | Oct 14, 2021 | Uncategorized
By Natalie Kammerer This week, we wanted to do another highlight of an object in our collection, because it’s a great example of how one item can lead to a whole story with various levels of historical significance. Ralph H. Bradley was born in Missouri but spent the...
