Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-12
CAPT. DOWNS, PIONEER, DEAD
First Inhabitant Of Omaha Succumbs
to Old Age.
IN HIS NINETY SECOND YEAR
Resident Here since IsBA--Asso-
eisted with Many OF the Early
Day Enterprises-Iu In
bed since July.

Captain Charles H. Downs. aged pioneer
and rival contestant with the late Uncle
Billy" Snowden for the honor OF being the
first Omahan, died at his home. 1892 South
Twenty-nlnth street. at 1880 Tuesday
night. He was a little less than q month
of 20 years OF age. The venerable pioneer
had been in failing health for the last
five years and his splendid vitality alone
has buoyed him through many a critical
Illness. Death came from the general all
ments Of old age. He had been confined to
his bed since last July
Captain Downs had not been down town
for four years, when he attended the semi
centennial Of the city administration, held
in 1907. At that time as the only surviving
member Of the first city council he was
given a place Of honor at the mayors
right
Captain Downs came to Omaha when
that now proud metropolis boosted of no
other Improvement than a we'll His cot
tage at Lone Tree, the foot Of Douglas
street, IL said to have been the first dwell
ing in the city. He helped TO build the
Omaha smelter and was the first president
of the company. II was his steadfast as
sertion that he was the first white man to
have lived on the west banks Of the Mis-
| otuAA AlNNE mere hALnOuBn the ulHNlnCIlOn
of being Omahas first settler has always
| been accorded to Uncle Billy Snowden.
Born In Connecticut.
Captain Downs was born February IA,
1879, in New Haven county, Connecticut.
He came west and located at Council Bluffs
In 1854. In the western country he met the
young woman who was to become his wife,
Miss Cornela c. Smith. They were mar
IL -
on the captains birthday in 1859.
At the time of his arrival in Council
Bluffs the townsite company had Just
completed a little center wheel steamboat,
which they called the General Marion and
which was to be used as a ferryboat. Cap
tain Downs was asked to run 1t and for
| eight years he did transfer business be-
tween the two towns. The General Marion
was pushed up on the bank one spring
when the ice came down and, slipping back
into the river. sank. The company, In
which Captain Downs was financially in
| terested then bought the Mary Cole at
st. Louis In an attempt to bring it up
the river the second steamboat struck a
snag below Plattsmouth and also sank, so
that the ferry business proved a losing
venture for Captain Downs.
The first survey of Omaha was begun
in the summer Of 1854, with A. d. Jones
in charge Of the work Captain Downs as
sisted. Early in the '7Os the government
offered $1,000 acres of land to the company
that would build fifty miles OF railroad
west of the Missouri river Captain Downs
was a heavy loser in the company that
tried in 1871 to meet the governments Of
fer In building the Omaha & Southwestern
railroad and the Omaha & Northwestern
railroad. The grasshoppers were RESPONSE
BILE for the company's going to the wall.
In the failure Captain Downs lost $4,000, a
sum OF money then considered large. He
was also a big loser in several western
mining projects
| Once Had Large Holdings.
Captain Downs severed his connections
with the smelling company in 1875, having
been it's president for the preceding five
years. At one time he owned sixty-rive
corner lots in Omaha.
He is survived by Mrs. Downs and his
two daughters Miss Anna Downs, who
makes her home with her parents, and
Mrs. w. II. Chrisman Of Aztec. N. NJ.
Arrangements for the funeral have not
as yet been definitely settled upon, al
though It is likely that 1t will be held
Thursday afternoon from the residence at
1922 South Twenty ninth street. Mrs.
Downs has requested that no flowers be