Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-01
Omaha: The Transcontinental
Gateway.
Gateway
By Vlctor Rosewater.

Reprinted by special permission from
Historic Towns of the Western States"
Copyright, 1904, by @. p. Putnam's Sons,
New York and London.)
Now a city OF more than 900 popula-
ton with prosperous suburbs that make It
the business center for 17500O people. Omaha
IL the outgrowth OF the Nebraska and
Council Bluffs Ferry company. This COM
pany was organized under the incorpora-
ton laws of Iowa in 1858, to carry on the
lucrative ferrying traffic for transconti-
mental pilgrims in quest of the gold fields of
California that had been begun Two years
previously by a halted goldseeker. Brown
by name, who saw more gold in padding
passengers across the murky Missouri than
in washing the yellow sands near Suffers
mill.
As an adjunct TO the ferry. the company
staked out a claim adjacent to its welt
landing directly opposite Council Bluns, and
employed Alfred ID. Jones, young civil en-
sineer, to lay out a townsite which on pre-
tentious paper was invested, without par
ticular thought or design, with the name
Omaha, from the tribe of Indians that was
wont to camp upon the creek brushing its
north boundary. The survey was conducted
in June and July Of 1854, and the adoption
Of the name was doubtless suggested by
the fact that a month or more before the
representative in congress for the state OF
Iowa had prevailed upon the Postoffice de-
partment to issue u commission to Mr.
Jones as postmaster at Omaha City. which
at that time must have existed solely in
his prolific imagination. Postmaster Jones,
carrying the postofiice around with him In
his hat is a "reminiscences founded on actual
fact and not in fancy.
That the idea of these early pioneers were
of the expanslble variety is readily gath
cred from the character of the plat pre-
pared to mark the coming townsite as the
seat of a great and mighty city. On the
broad plateau overlooking the river, build
ing lots were staked out CGx132 feet d.
yided by streets 100 feet wide and alleys
of twenty feet There were $40 blocks in
all, each comprising eight lots forming
squares of 264 feet. Two squares were re-
served, one in the business center, 264 by
go feet, and the other on the top OF the
most conspicuous hill 600 feet square, the
latter designated as Capitol square and
the hill as Capitol hill. and a broad avenue
i20 feet wide leading to It as Capitol evenue
all in foreordained honor of the magnin-
cent structure to be erected when the newly
born city should have achieved the dis
tinction of the capital of Nebraska terri
tory. Omaha City was not organized as an
Incorporated municipality until 1857
Looking closer into the history and geog-
raphy of the spot where now run the busy
streets of Nebraska's metropolis. lined with
substantial business blocks and attractive
residences, precisely as plated In that
lonely summer of 1854 the conclusion Is
forced that 1t was not mere fortuitors
chance that built wonder city upon an
empty ferry landing. The location was by
nature destined to be a turning point on the
great central transcontinental highway
bridging the divide between the Atlantic
and the Pacific.
Lewis and Clark. who worked their way to
oregon up the Missouri valley. were the
first white men to leave a record of their
visit. From their journal is taken the fol-
lowing extract noting their arrival and de-
tention at the mouth of the Platte In July,
1904 whence they continued northward and
passed over the ground now included In the
city.
July 27--Havng completed the object OF
our stay, we set sail with a pleasant breeze
for the northwest The two horses swan
over to the southern (western) shore, along
which we went. passing by an island. al
three and a half miles, formed by pond.
fed by springs; three miles farther is q
large sand island in the middle OF the river.
: the land on the south (west being high and
covered with timber; that on the north
(easD a prairie. At ten and a half miles
from our encampment we saw and ex-
amined curious collection of graves OF
mounds on the south twesD side of the
river Not far from the low piece Of land
and pond Is tract of about 200 acres In
extent, which is covered with mounds OF
differe,t heights, shapes and sizes, some OF
the sand and some of both earth and sand
the largest being near the river. These
mounds Indicate the position OF the ancient
villages OF the otoes before they retired &c
the protection OF the Pawnees. After max
ing fifteen miles we camped on the south
(east) on the bank of a high. handsome
prairie, with lofty cottonwoods in groves
near the river"
That the mounds referred to constituted
the ancient Indian burial ground, rem
nants of which long remained in the lower
part OF town as objects OF curiosity to In
auisitive observers, has been established
to the satisfaction of historical critics. a
also that the council held by Lewis and
Clark with the Indians, from which Coun
ell Bluffs derives its name, took place ir
reality not on the Iowa side. opposite
Omaha, but on the Nebraska side, severa
miles farther up. in the vicinity OF whai
h now Fort Calhoun.
A no less interesting historical chapter
is found in the Mormon encampment tina
for a time promised to make Omaha tbs
center OF its church establishment. 1t Il
needless here TO state details of thu
Nauvoo prosecutions and the early expedi
tions in search OF the promised land. WheI
the advance guard sighted the east banl
OF the Missouri, IL took stand on Miller
hill-so named after a Mormon elder
where the various companies into whicl
the emigrants had been divided for thei
historic march across Iowa converged. ]
might have been called Miller's hill Z
this day had not just at that moment
call arrived to enlist a body of volunteer
for the United States in its impendin;
war with Mexico. followed by the promp
organization OF the Mormon Sattalio
under Colonel T. L. Kane, In whose homo
the name OF the halting place was change
10 Kanesville. Evansville It might hav
remained but for the fact that the post
ONCE at that point had been designated a
Council Bluffs City, whittier the last ma
for the emigrants setting out over IN
great divide was regularly addressed; an
TO avoid confusion the name OF Kanes
vile was dropped after two OF three We n
aud Council BUNS left in undisputed pos
seazfoF of fhafs corrnAr of tina man