Founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The following people were founding figures of Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

. Their period of influence ranges from 1853 through 1900. Many in this group were members of the Old Settlers' Association

Old Settlers' Association

The Old Settlers' Association was founded in 1866 by a group of men in Omaha, Nebraska. Membership in the organization was exclusive to settlers who were in the city before 1858. Omaha was founded in 1854...

and/or the Omaha Claim Club

Omaha Claim Club

The Omaha Claim Club, also called the Omaha Township Claim Association and the Omaha Land Company, was organized in 1854 for the purpose of "encouraging the building of a city" and protecting members' claims in the area platted for Omaha City in the Nebraska Territory. At its peak the club included...

. Many of these individuals were buried at the Prospect Hill Cemetery in North Omaha.

Founding figures

Name	Birth	Death	Occupation	Notable contribution
Dan Allen	1832	1884	Riverboat gambler	Influential; longtime partner of Anna Wilson
George Robert Armstrong George Robert Armstrong George Robert Armstrong was a pioneer mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. He served as the interim Mayor of Omaha from 1858 to 1859 after Andrew Jackson Poppleton resigned, and was elected in 1861, only to resign in 1862.-References:...	1 August 1819	April 20, 1896	Mayor	Served as mayor twice
Erastus Benson Erastus Benson Erastus A. Benson was a banker, investor and land speculator in Omaha, Nebraska. Born and raised in Iowa, after graduating from the University of Iowa Benson speculated in land around Omaha. After investing in early business ventures in the phonograph and the Kinetoscope, Benson staged an...	1854	February 10, 1932 (Omaha)	Real estate, investor	Founded Benson Benson, Nebraska Benson is a historic neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Now a pocket within North Omaha, Benson Place was originally platted in 1887 and was annexed into the City of Omaha in 1917.-History:... ; candidate, 1906 Omaha mayor; philanthropist
William D. Brown William D. Brown William D. Brown was the first pioneer to envision building a city where Omaha, Nebraska sits today. Many historians attribute Brown to be the founder of Omaha, although this has been disputed since the late nineteenth century. Alfred D...	1813	February 3, 1868	Businessman	Operated Lone Tree Ferry Lone Tree Ferry The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, US, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown...
William Byers William Byers William Newton Byers was a founding figure of Omaha, Nebraska, serving as the first deputy surveyor of the Nebraska Territory, on the first Omaha City Council, and as a member of the first Nebraska Territorial Legislature....	February 22, 1831	March 25, 1903	Surveyor Surveying See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them... and politician Politician A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...	Created first map of Omaha; Member, first Omaha City Council Omaha City Council The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2009. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district... , Nebraska Territorial Legislature Nebraska Territorial Legislature The Nebraska Territorial Legislature was held from January 16, 1855 until 1865 in Omaha City, Nebraska Territory.- Slavery :In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory, overturning the Missouri Compromise by allowing legislatures of the Nebraska and Kansas territories to...
Edward Creighton Edward Creighton Edward Creighton was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were central to the growth and development of Omaha...	1820	1874	Banker, First National Bank of Omaha First National Bank of Omaha First National Bank Omaha is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. It is recognized as the largest privately held bank in the country with $17 billion in managed assets and 5,000 employees...	Namesake of Creighton University Creighton University Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
John A. Creighton John A. Creighton Count John A. Creighton was a pioneer businessman and philanthropist in Omaha, Nebraska who founded Creighton University...	1831	1907	Freighter	Philanthropist brother of Edward; helped endow Creighton University Creighton University Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
Mary Creighton	1834	1876	Wife of Edward	Bestowed money for Creighton University Creighton University Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by... in his memory
"Cowboy" James Dahlman James Dahlman James Charles Dahlman , also known as Jim Dahlman, Cowboy Jim and Mayor Jim, was elected to eight terms as mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving the city for 20 years over a 23-year-period. A German-American and an agnostic, Dahlman grew up in a ranching area and started working as a Texas cowboy...	1856	1930	Mayor	Tolerant of the Sporting District; elected eight times
Tom Dennison Tom Dennison (political boss) Tom Dennison, aka Pickhandle, Old Grey Wolf, was the early-20th century political boss of Omaha, Nebraska. A politically savvy, culturally astute gambler, Dennison was in charge of the city's wide crime rings, including prostitution, gambling and bootlegging in the 1920s...	1858	1934	Political boss for 30+ years	Likely started Omaha Race Riot of 1919 Omaha Race Riot of 1919 The Omaha Race Riot occurred in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 28–29, 1919. The race riot resulted in the brutal lynching of Will Brown, a black worker; the death of two white men; the attempted hanging of the mayor Edward Parsons Smith; and a public rampage by thousands of whites who set fire to... ; 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 Greene County, Virginia As of the census of 2000, there are 15,244 people, 5,574 households, and 4,291 families residing in the county. The population density is 97 people per square mile . There are 5,986 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...	January 5, 1960 New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...	Madam	Ran brothel at Trans-Mississippi Exposition Trans-Mississippi Exposition The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently...
Minna Everleigh	July 13, 1864 Greene County, Virginia Greene County, Virginia As of the census of 2000, there are 15,244 people, 5,574 households, and 4,291 families residing in the county. The population density is 97 people per square mile . There are 5,986 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...	September 16, 1948 New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...	Madam	Ran brothel at Trans-Mississippi Exposition Trans-Mississippi Exposition The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently...
Logan Fontenelle Logan Fontenelle Logan Fontenelle , also known as Shon-ga-ska , was a trader of French and Omaha ancestry, who served for years as an interpreter to the US Indian agent at the Bellevue Agency in Nebraska...	1825	July 16, 1855	Chief of Omaha (tribe) Omaha (tribe) The Omaha are a federally recognized Native American nation which lives on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States...	Responsible for signing over the city's land
Reuben Gaylord Reuben Gaylord Reuben Gaylord was the recognized leader of the missionary pioneers in the Nebraska Territory, and has been called the "father of Congregationalism in Nebraska." Writing in memory of Gaylord in the early 1900s, fellow Omaha pioneer George L...	28 April 1812	10 January 1880	Early minister	Called the "father of Congregationalism in Nebraska."
Augustus Hall Augustus Hall Augustus Hall , a lawyer, was a one-term Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 1st congressional district, and chief justice of the Nebraska Territory.-Biography:...	29 April 1814	1 February 1861		First Chief Justice of the Nebraska Territory Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
Andrew J. Hanscom Andrew J. Hanscom Andrew Jackson Hanscom was a pioneer Omaha, Nebraska lawyer, politician and real estate broker.-Biography:...	3 February 1828	11 September 1907	Territorial lawyer, Nebraska politician and real estate broker	Platted Hanscom Park Hanscom Park Hanscom Park is a historic neighborhood in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska. Its namesake public park is one of the oldest parks in Omaha, donated to the City in 1872. U.S. President Gerald R. Ford was born in a house in the Hanscom Park neighborhood... neighborhood
Gilbert Hitchcock Gilbert Hitchcock Gilbert Monell Hitchcock was a Representative and a Senator from Nebraska, and the founder of the Omaha World-Herald.-Biography:...	18 September 1859	3 February 1934	Owner/editor of Omaha World-Herald Omaha World-Herald The Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the... , Nebraska politician
Alfred D. Jones Alfred D. Jones Alfred D. Jones was a lawyer, surveyor and politician in the 1900s in the Midwestern United States. In 1846 he platted Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and in 1854 he platted Omaha, Nebraska...	1814	1902	Lawyer, surveyor	First settler in Omaha; platted city in 1854
Thomas Kennard	?	?	Lawyer	First Nebraska Secretary of State
Augustus Kountze Augustus Kountze Augustus Kountze was a pioneer banker, politician, philanthropist and railroad supporter in Omaha, Nebraska, Kountze, Texas and New York City...	1826	1892	Banker	Founded First National Bank of Omaha First National Bank of Omaha First National Bank Omaha is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. It is recognized as the largest privately held bank in the country with $17 billion in managed assets and 5,000 employees... with brother Herman
Herman Kountze Herman Kountze Herman Kountze was a powerful and influential pioneer banker in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 19th century. After organizing the Kountze Brothers Bank in 1857 as the second bank in Omaha, Herman and his brothers Augustus, Charles and Luther changed the charter in 1863, opening the First National...	August 21, 1833, Osnaburg, Ohio	1906	Banker, real estate speculator	Co-founded First National Bank of Omaha First National Bank of Omaha First National Bank Omaha is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. It is recognized as the largest privately held bank in the country with $17 billion in managed assets and 5,000 employees... ; platted Kountze Place Kountze Place The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located between North 16th Avenue on the east to North 30th... ; Treasurer of Trans-Mississippi Exposition Trans-Mississippi Exposition The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently... ; Investor in Omaha Stockyards; namesake of Kountze Park
Frederick Krug Frederick Krug Frederick Krug was the German-immigrant founder of the Frederick Krug Brewing Company of Omaha, Nebraska. Krug is often cited as one of the founders of Omaha...	1855	November 18, 1930	Founder of Krug Brewing Company and Krug Park Krug Park (Omaha) Krug Park was an amusement park located at 2936 North 52nd Street in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, USA at the turn of the 20th century. In 1930, Krug Park was the site of the worst roller coaster accident in the nation up to that time.- History :Charles Tietz, an early Omaha...
George B. Lake	?	?		One of the first justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court
Enos Lowe Enos Lowe Enos Lowe was a pioneer doctor and businessman who was among the original founders of Omaha, Nebraska and served as president of the Second Iowa Constitutional Convention.-Biography:...	5 May 1804	12 February 1880	Doctor	One of the first doctors in Omaha, Lowe was a founding member of many organizations.
Jesse Lowe Jesse Lowe Jesse Lowe was the first mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving for one year from March 5, 1857 to March 2, 1858. An important real estate agent in the early city, Lowe is credited with naming the city after the Omaha Tribe....	March 11, 1814	April 3, 1868	Mayor	Before he was the first mayor of Omaha, Lowe and his brother were among the founders of the city.
John L. McCague	?	?	Real estate agent	Early land speculator in Omaha
James G. Megeath	?	?
Frederick Metz Frederick Metz Frederick Metz founded and owned the Metz Brewery in Omaha, Nebraska, for forty years. He was also a two-time representative in the Nebraska Legislature, and an influential member of Omaha society.-Biography:...	1832 in Hessel-Cassel, Germany	1901 in Omaha	Owner of Metz Brewery Metz Brewery The Metz Brothers Brewing Company was among the first brewers in the U.S. state of Nebraska, having been established in the city of Omaha in 1859. It was among the earliest manufacturers in the city. After originally opening as the McCumbe Brewery, the facility was sold several times until brothers...	Two time state legislator
Ezra Millard Ezra Millard Ezra Millard was a U.S. politician who was mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, from 1869 to 1871. He was also brother to Joseph Hopkins Millard, another mayor of Omaha and name sake of Millard, Nebraska....	February 2, 1833	August 20, 1886	Banker, Omaha National Bank	Namesake of Millard Millard, Nebraska Millard is a former town and current neighborhood in southwest Omaha, Nebraska; the original downtown area is near 132nd St. and L St. After lengthy legal fights, the city of Millard was annexed by the city of Omaha in 1971...
George L. Miller George L. Miller Dr. George Lorin Miller was a pioneer physician, editor, politician, civic leader and land owner in Omaha, Nebraska. The founder of the Omaha Herald, which later became part of the Omaha World-Herald, Miller arrived in Omaha in 1854, the year the city was founded...	1830	28 August 1920	Physician, editor, politician, civic leader and land owner	First doctor in Omaha
James C. Mitchell James C. Mitchell (settler) James C. Mitchell was the founder of the town of Florence in the Nebraska Territory in 1854.-Biography:Born in Pangborn, Pennsylvania, Mitchell ran away from home at the age of fifteen to become a seaman. By age eighteen, he was captain of a ship which sailed between New York City and Liverpool,...	1810	1860	Real estate salesman, ferry operator	Founded the town of Florence Florence, Nebraska Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...
William A. Paxton William A. Paxton William A. Paxton was an American pioneer businessman and politician in Omaha, Nebraska. His life as a rancher and cattleman early in his life, as well as early work with the Union Pacific Railroad was highly regarded among his contemporaries; his success as a businessman later in his life led him...	1837	18 July 1907	Businessman, politician	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 John I. Redick John Irvin Redick was a prominent pioneer professional, public, and business figure in Omaha, Nebraska. He was appointed an associate judge of New Mexico by President Ulysses S. Grant....	29 July 1828	?	Businessman	Operated city's first opera house; early donor to Omaha University
Byron Reed Byron Reed Byron Reed was an American pioneer real estate businessman and local politician in Omaha, Nebraska. He founded the first real estate office in the Nebraska Territory and became the foremost agent after Nebraska achieved statehood.-Biography:Reed was born in Darien, Genesee County, New York...	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 Matthew Ricketts Matthew Oliver Ricketts was an American politician and physician. He was the first African-American state senator in the Nebraska Legislature, where he served for two terms...	1858	1917	Physician	First African American to graduate from University of Nebraska College of Medicine, and first to join Nebraska Legislature.
Edward Rosewater Edward Rosewater Edward Rosewater, born Edward Rosenwasser, was a Republican Party politician and newspaper editor in Omaha, Nebraska...	January 21, 1841	August 30]], 1906	Newspaper editor	Founder and editor of the Omaha Bee Omaha Bee The Omaha Bee was a pioneer newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska founded on May 8, 1871, by Edward Rosewater, a Bohemian Jewish immigrant who supported abolition and fought in the Union Army. The Bee was regarded as a Republican newspaper, and early on featured Rosewater's opinions...
Moses F. Shinn Moses F. Shinn Moses Franklin Shinn was a pioneer Methodist Episcopal Church minister in Omaha, Nebraska. Aside from founding Omaha's first cemetery, called Prospect Hill, he was also renowned for renouncing his Methodist affiliation in Keokuk, Iowa in order to remain a member of the Freemasons...	January 3, 1809	?	Settler and farmer	Founded Prospect Hill Cemetery
John A. Smiley	?	?		Opened first Omaha Stockyards and sold it to William A. Paxton William A. Paxton William A. Paxton was an American pioneer businessman and politician in Omaha, Nebraska. His life as a rancher and cattleman early in his life, as well as early work with the Union Pacific Railroad was highly regarded among his contemporaries; his success as a businessman later in his life led him...
William and Rachel Snowden	?	?		The first settlers in Omaha, they operated the St. Nicholas Hotel for several months, and then built their own home.
Gottlieb Storz Gottlieb Storz Gottlieb Storz was a pioneer entrepreneur in Omaha, Nebraska. Born in Benningen, Wurttemberg, Germany, Storz was the founder of the Storz Brewery. He was an important member of Omaha's German immigrant community, and an important businessman in Omaha history...	?	1939 (Wurttemberg, Germany)	Founder/owner of Storz Brewery	Built Prague Hotel Prague Hotel The Prague Hotel is located at 1402 South 13th Street on the southwest corner of South 13th and William Streets in the heart of the Little Bohemia neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska... ; highly respected among immigrant community
Josie Washburn	1853	?	Brothel worker/madam	Wrote first book about brothels by a brothel worker
Gurdon Wattles Gurdon Wattles Gurdon Wallace Wattles was an early businessman, banker and civic leader in Omaha, Nebraska who became responsible for bankrolling much of early Hollywood...	May 12, 1855-	1932	Organizer of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition Trans-Mississippi Exposition The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently...
Anna Wilson	May 27, 1835	October 27, 1911	Brothel owner/madam	Philanthropist; left estate to city on death

Founding figures

See also