Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-06
WESTWARD CROWS THE CITY
Predictions as to the Future Of Twenty.
Fourth Street.
WADUCT WILL BRING ABOUT WONDERS
Indications Denote That Twenty
Fourth street VIII, In Time, He
come the chief Retail
ThoroughfHre.

The construction OF the viaduct over the
railway tracks at Twenty y-fourth street,
which will be carried on to completion
next summer, portends more than citizens
without prophetic gifts realize. When one
studies the settled area and topography
OF Omaha, reflects upon the changes that
have been made in the business districts
and considers the continued growth OF the
city to the westward, he can without any
very great tax upon the imagination con-
lure up a picture Of the omaha OF the fu-
ture with Twenty fourth street as its main
artery Of activity.
The opening of the new viaduct will i'm
medIateIy give new life to portion Of
Twenty fourth street, although 1t may be
come years before the thoroughfare as
whole attains the prominence it seems
destined to enjoy.
Omaha like most river towns has been
built up In lines running parallel with
the stream. In the early days the town
relied entirely upon river transportation
for it's connections with the outside world
and even for many years after the rail-
roads reached the Missouri from the east
the river traffic continued TO be an i'm
portant factor in the life and growth OF
Omaha. The business of the new town
naturally grew up along the river bank,
convenient to the landings Of the several
packet lines.
As the city developed It extended to the
north and to the south, rather than to
the west for several reasons.
First, as has been stated. business could
be transacted with the greatest ease and
dispatch along the river front
Second. there was a sentimental reason
{ for clinging TO the stream that had given
the settlement ifs first growth
The third reason for stretching the city
out on narrow strip was furnished by the
natural topography of the adjacent land.
Not more than thousand yards west OF
the river bank series of big hills seemed
TO frown down any efforts that might be
undertaken at city building in their direc-
tion.
Changes wrought by Time.
Time brought forth wonderful changes In
the aspect OF the city. Railroads came in
from the east and led out to the west.
taking away from the river big portion
OF its traffic and giving the city new ad-
vantages as a trading point. Wholesale
houses grew in number and volume of busi
ness and crowded the retail stores out of
their earlier locations. The river lost its
first attractions when passengers and
freight ceased to be carried in and out OF
Omaha by steamboats,. Civil engineers en-
listed with the city builders and the for
bidding hills to the west were gradually
scraped down and transformed into suit
able building lots
AS Omaha extended westward the retail
trade followed going first from Ninth to
Tenth street. then on up to Thirteenth and
in time to Fifteenth and Sixteenth. Dur
ing the last decade. while the retail trade
has been taking possession of Sixteenth
street, the residence portion of the city
has been extending rapidly westward. Ten
years ago there were only a few houses
on the high ridge that follows Thirty ninth
and Fortieth streets and today hundreds
of handsome homes are there. Beyond this
ridge are the fast growing suburbs of Dun
dee and Benson, which must ultimately
become parts of the city of Omaha. 1t is
not irrational to state that within another
decade the vacant property between the
Fortieth street hill and Dundee and Ben
son will be occupied by hundreds of houses
and thousands OF people. making the
built-up territory, including the suburban
towns, reach at least five miles west of the
Missouri
With this vast and practically new resi-
dence district on the west, with the popula
tion OF the northwestern section OF the
city rapidly increasing and with the gi-
gantic packing house industry on the south
west, the question of the evolution of
Omahas business center and trade arteries
becomes interesting study. VIII the
retail trade continue to follow the resi-
dence growth westward? II so, will the
Jump be from sixteenth to Twenty fourth
street. or first to some intermediate point?
The first question is generally answered
in the affirmative, but with varying qualifi-
cations There is but one answer to the
second question, and that is In favor OF
Twentyfourth street.
When the new viaduct is finished Twenty
fourth will be the first street west of Six
teenth TO reach over the railroad tracks
into South Omaha and II will strike right
into the heart OF the packing town. When
Twenty-fourth street is opened through the
three blocks in front OF Creighton col
lege, from Cass to Burt streets, 1t will be
the only street reaching from the north
limit OF Omaha to the south limit OF South
Omaha. making a straight thoroughfare of
more than nine miles in length Twenty
fourth street furnishes the only direct
route from the thlckly-settled northern
section OF Omaha to the great Industrial
plants in South Omaha. When the city OF
Omaha extends westward to a line five
miles from the river Twenty-fourth street
will be on the eastern border OF the best
and by far the largest residence section
In fact eyeryt hing nointa IN Twentv -fourth n