Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-21

street west began TO grow with a rapidi
that startled even the most sanEuinr % The
real estate investors. They have reached
their height az present at Sixteenth and
Farnam and the reports Of the county as
SCISSOR and Of the real estate experts agree
that there is located the most valuable
property in the entire city. Land that
could at one time be bought for much less
than a grand opera manager now pays for
a song is now selling at prices which a few
years ago would have been considered fab
ulous. This is the commercial romance Of
a growing city and Omaha has its share Of
what might appear vesitable fairy tales
II they we're not testified to by cold. un-
feeling, unromantic records and figures.
figures Of the kind that don't lie and can
not be manipulated even by the most skill
full Of figure liars.
One OF the most remarkable Of these ro-
mances Of wealth involves the busy cor
ner at Sixteenth and Farnam streets, once
tipped up on a side hill and giving little
evidence Of its future Importance in the
commercial growth of the city. The story
OF this lot, now known as the Myers-Dilon
corner, goes back in written history to
1851, when Jesse Lowe, mayor of omaha,
decided it to William Keith, who was pr,b.
-N 800 1A@0NNA oNhNAH AAt NAh NAA@
year Keith sold it to. william r. Jacobs
for a consideration Of $500. which was
probably paid in the deprecated wildcat
currency Of the times. Jacobs sold It in
1863 to Mrs. Anna NJ. Goodrich for 1851.
The difference in the amounts does rot
necessarily indicate a shrinking OF value.
II may mean the money Mrs. Goodrich
paid was real money and not the wildcat
kind.
At that time the lot was in the suburbs
and was not supposed to have a very
bright Of lucrative future before it. But
Mrs. Goodrich had an eye to the growth of
the city, and, with vomanly intuition, she
held on to it. 1t was along about 1855 that
men, who were looking for property for
Immediate commercial use, began to cast
ar enviou eye on the vacant lot. Mrs.
Goodrich at first established a price Of
$4,000 for the property, but when that
amount was offered her she raised to
$4,000, and when that was forthcoming she
kept increasing until June, 1856, when she
sold it to John A. McShane for S5O.OO an
Increase of more than 5000 a year on an
investment Of $3.50.
But though she had an eve for business.
Mrs. Goodrich did not exhaust the treasure
producing capacity Of the lot by any
means for the very next January she wa
chagrined to learn that Mr.. McShane had
sold the property for $4,000, making a
profit of $4,000 in six months. Rush &
Selby bought It and sold it the same day
10 Zack Thomson for $4,000, and he bull
the one-story building now on it. If II
were placed or the market today conserva,
tive real estate dealers declare 1t would
bring to S250,OOO and some estimate it,
value TO 100000.
Hardly Tess remarkable is the story o
the northwest corner of the same inter
section where the United States Nationa
bank now stands. This lot was, for man,
years, the home Of the First Congrega
tional church, which acquired it in 1859
When the church was moved in 1870, II soIt
the lot to John I. Redick for $1,000. Three
years later, Redick sold it to James NJ
Pattee for about $4,000. Pattee. in 1886
transferred it to DR.. S. D. Mercer, receiy
irg $4,000 for 1t, DR., Mercer more tina.