Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-18
les OCCUPIED BY THE BEE-From Small Humble
Shany the Present Palata Bee R1iding

Forty years ago the first Omaha Bee was issued
from a pine frame house. The issue of today goes
out from a palace OF granite, iron and marble Then
The Bee pretentious than it's habitation.
Now the imposing structure that bears its name is
typical of it's preemnence among the great newspa-
of the west In the successive changes by which
The Bee from its obscure birthplace its
palatal surroundings is chroncled the history OF its
trials and victories. The necessity for commo-
dous accommodations grew with the development of
the paper and each change of quarters indicated that
another forward movement had been achieved.
The first home Of The Bee gave indication of
it's subsequent progress. 1t stood the southeast
of Twelfth and Dodge streets point then in
the business center of the city The building
two stories in height rough and implanted It stood
close to the sidewalk and the street brought
to grade the basement rendered useless 1t
owned by the Redneld Bros, who a printing
Enlistment that fairly we'll equipped according
to the ideas Of the period From this structure the
unassuming sheet which destined to develop into
a great newspaper went out to sink swim. While
it was deserted by The Bee in favor of more
convenient quarters the old Redneld building
tinued to occupy that until the spring OF 1889
when It torn down to make for the brick
building which succeeded It.
Second Home of The Bee.
After The Bee had been issued from the Redneld
office for three months Edward Rosewater leased the
building which occupied the adjoining lot the
SOUTH and here the p per hourshed until the building
was burned down in June, 1872, about year after
the nrst copy issued. The building was scarcely
more pretentious than the former quarters but 1t
ulted in front porch and wooden basement. It
had previously used a fourth rate hotel under
the name OF the Cedar Rapids house, and it
served for the FIRST business Office composing
Of The Bee. The press work still done by Red
field Bros but The Bee now fairly launched on
It's a permanent establishment with build
ing devoted to its uses At the same time that this
building was occupied Mr. Rosewater purchased the
Beobacher Missouri and the Pokrok Zapadu, of which
he had also been the founder, and which were all
issued from the same Office.
Third Home of The Bee.
When on June IL. 1872. an incendary fire de-
stroyed the entire building with all Its contents, the
establishment was moved to a two-story and base
ment brick building, located Farnam street, be-
tween Ninth ana Tenth, This building had been
by Mr.. Rosewater in 1869 and it afforded
abundant space for the three papers. An entirely
new plant, including and job type for all three
papers, purchased at Cincinnati and St. Louis,
and, the revenues of the Office were still limited,
the purchase largely a matter Of credit This
building answered all for six years and dur
ing that time particular improvements were added
to the facilities OF the establishment. In 1879 Mr..
leased the wooden structure the lot east
OF the Farnam street building and eventually the lot
purchased from Milton Rogers for $4,000 This
gave The Bee frontage of fortyfour feet on Farnam
street. onehalf of which occupied by the original
brick building and the remainder by the two-story
frame which stood the Rogers lot. An entrance
cut In the east wall Of the brick Afforded communica
ton between the two buildings. and together they
answered all for another period of six years
In 1885 this building reconstructed and
merged into the four-story brick which now occupies
the property. The counting room was then the most
elegant in the city The floors tiled with mar
BILE, the walls handsomely frescoed and ex-
pensive cherry counter separated the counting room
proper from the lobby.
AS The Bee continued to flourish additional space
was secured by leasing the upper story of the srang
building the west so that the plant practically
covered forty-four front feet in addition to the
story brick the east
The Great Bee Building
The building at Seventeenth and Farnam streets,
now occupied by The Bee, situated upon the highest
point of the business district will remain for genera
lions to come a magnificent monument to the success
of great newspaper and to the enterprise of It's pro-
genitor.
The distinguishing feature of The Bee building Is
the impression of solidty and durability which 1t
gives to all beholders. Its broad foundations, mas
sive pillars and imposing superstructures promise to
resist the encroachments OF time until long after the
Omaha of today has become a memory.
AS an ONCE building It has long been conceded to
be unequaIed While the general plans were worked
out by the architect they were designed after the
personal ideas of Mr. Edward Rosewater, and during
the period in which it into Its finished grandeur
no detail too unimportane to command his per-
sonal attention and supervision The minutiae of its
construction carefully planned as its most inn
posing feature Nothing overlooked and moth
ing sighted and the result has abundanty justified
the additional expense and labor involved in such an
undertaking.
Area and External Architecture.
The Bee building occupies onefourth of the entire
block, with frontage OF 1872 feet on Farnam street
and the same on Seventeenth street While Its eree-
ton had long been contemplated by Mr.. Rosewater,
no active steps taken until June, 1887, when
s. S. Beman Of Chicago, famous designer of great
once buildings was directed to prepare the plans.