Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-08
REAL ESTATE MEN OF PAST
Individuals and Firms Who Began with the
0ity's Urban Growth.
SOME EARLY DEALERS IN OMAHA DIRT
Historic Names Connected with the
Business and some of the Pioneers
stiII Actively Ehgnged I'm
the Work.

Omaha has been a profitable business ana
many firms and individuals have engaged
in this business siRce the first lots were
laid out by the earliest inhabitants. Some
men who we're first on the field are still
in the city and in active business, while
many others have come for time to cast
their lot with the residents OF the metropo-
lis and some have followed the we'll known
advice of "go west and have continued
further to the west to open up new fields.
The growth of Omaha has been steady
and the increase in the values has been
steady. except for the setback which tho
crop failures gave the city after the boom
period. During that period regular panic
existed for the purchase of real Estate and
every one wanted to own lot, even SER
want girls buying with a small advance
payment and pledging to pay so much per
week. The coming of the hard times wiped
out most of these equities, and as a conse-
quence most Of the suburban property OF
the city went into the hands OF eastern
people and others who had bought the
paper on the inflated value of real estate.
Early List of Dealers.
perusal of the directory of 1878 shows
a list of men as real estate Dealers many
of whom are well known to the people OF
Omaha. The list is small. Bartlett &
Smith is the first firm. Wallace r. Bart
lett was senior member and is now In
Minneapolis. ROLAND c. Smith, the other
member died about twenty years ago in
Omaha George p. Bemis Is next on the
list and is put in the directory thus:
''Bemis, George p, private secretary to
George Francis Train, N. p. A; secretary
and general manager of the Credit Foncier
o. America; office and residence, Cozzens
house." The N. p. A. after George Francis
Trains name meant next president of
America" Train had delivered a lecture
at Ann Abor, in which he had declared he
would be the next president. and had said
at that time he had 5000 lots in Omaha
which he could sell for 5000 apiece and
raise money enough to carry him to the
presidency.
The Central Land company, located at
Twelfth and Farnam. was firm doing
business at that time. ]. NJ. CiarKe, on
Twelfth street, between Farnam and Doug
las, was in the real estate business. He
always signed his name, John Murchie
Clarke.
The next real estate firm was in the
directory thus: ''Credit Foncier OF Amer
lea, George Francis Train, PRESIDENT @. p.
Bemis, secretary and general manager;
large interests In Omaha, Council Bluffs
and Columbus" A. pemarest was another
real estate dealer at 612 Fourteenth street.
The next entry in the directory was;
Train. George Francis, N. p. A. (owner
5000 lots hotel and ten other buildings
in Omaha, 1000 lots in Council BUNS and
1000 lots and a hotel in Columbus), repre-
scented by his private secretary and agent.
George p. Berlis. ESQ.,, Cozzens house"
Father of shinn's Addition.
In the next two years several other real
estate dealers were added to- the Omaha
colony, among these being Rev. Moses
Shinn. He wac a retired Methodist preacher
when he came to Omaha and received a
patent from the government to. eighty acres
of land in the northern part of the city
He sold this to a syndicate, which laid
off the Shinn additions and sold to the
public. In signing deed Mr.. shinn would
warranty the deed against all individuals,
but would insist on a clause being In
serted that he would warrant against any
body except the United States.
All. d. Jones, although the first post
master OF the city. who used his hat as a
postofice, was not put down as a real
estate dealer until 1874 He had assisted in
laying on the city. using his knowledge as
an engineer NJ. g. McKoon and II. H.
McKoon were added to the list about this
time and were located In the insurance
business and real estate in room /, Creigh-
ton block, which stands on the northwest
corner of Fifteenth and Douglas streets.
Dexter l. Thomas had an Office In that
building soon after It twas put up. He
came TO Omaha In 1870 but did not on
gage In the real estate business until the
early sos. He was Joined by his brother,
Charles L. Thomas. In 1856 and they have
been engaged In the real estate business
since that time.
Days of the Real Gloom"
The real estate dealers who were in
Omaha in 1856 were the ones who made
money fast. and a man did not think he
was doing at all well II he did not sell
several lots a day. The time may well be
called the boom" period. for all went
crazy over real estate and nearly every
one with an income was convinced that the
only proper thing to do was 10 buy a lot
on time payments The fields surrounding
the city were laid on into lots and no corn
neld was too far out 10 be plated and sold
as lots. One strong boomer even went
so far as to peddle on some Of the lots Of
valley as additions 70 Omaha. It is the
aim OF the real estate dealers OF the pres
ent time 70 head on any such craze. but to
simply let matters take their course and to
let the price OF lots respond to the legiti-
mate demand. TIE plan OF many OF the
wise ones Is TO help the town all possible
by securing manufacturers and 20 build un
the inside property first and as the demand
comes then TO boost the outlying stun.
Active Dealers OF 1880
list o. the real estate men who were
active in 1856 at the time when real estate
started 20 hum IN this city. may be OF in
terest 10 many. The first. alphabetically.
Is Ames 4 Co O. W. Ames was the head
OF this firm and remained during the boom
and up TIN 1894. r. r. Ball Is still in active
business in the city. Baliou Bros were
+. G. and OTIS f. a. Baliou is stiil in the
city and Otis Barou has moved farther
west Reeford Souer was composed OF
] w Bedford who Is still here. in the
coal business ana NJ. Souer. who Is in
San Diego. Rer 4 NcCian dish were next
on the list y T Ren was an old news
raper nan and owned the conner where the
Parnard mats are now located George r.
RENTS Is stnl here ana has served ~
mayor He IS ~ active real estate busi-
ness The firm ~ RoeTs VIM was wen
known Mt poTFs Is dead. his widow mar
rying J. C. wharton snd Lew Hll IL stIIl
IN the city, an extensive owner OF real