Omaha daily bee., 1912-07-07
TIMELY REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
0maha's New Flatiron Building is
Ready for Occupancy.
OLD BELLEVUE Is WAKING UP
Southern Omaha suburb Places $50
Lots on Markets. Spending
$4,000 for Water System
and Reservoir.

Bellevue at last is coming into its own.
The little village, southern suburb OF
Omaha, older than the city itself, In
recent months has begun taking on new
life and may in few years come to
glory in the fact that through the
whim of a railroad she was destined not
to be a city in herself.
The village will glory. however. in be-
ing the most beautiful and largest popu-
lated suburb of Omaha within a short
time, for with the recent awakening
there has come a desire to gather into
its environments as many omahans as
may come there.
Bellevue college, which owns greater
portion of the beautiful village. has
placed $50 lots upon the market in order
to raise money for its endowment fund
and to build a big stadium and gym
nasium near the college buildings. The
settling up Of these lots win be one
of the first steps toward making the
village into town and later into part
OF Omaha.
Another great stride toward that end
which is now being contemplated by the
citizens of .ne village and prominent
Omahans who are interested In its well
fare is the construction of a boulevard
along the river front which will connect
the suburb by roadway with this city.
Roy N. Towl, an engineer who lives
In the village and who maintains an Of
flee In Omaha, has dreamed for years
about such boulevard and gradually
the dream is coming true. He has OUT
lined the drive which Is to run along
the river It's feet above the water. A
road now runs along part Of this stretch
outlined by him.
And still another step Is the construc-
tion of $4,000 water works plant and
pipe system. A reservoir is being built
on the hill which overlooks the village.
Its location will afford natural pres.
sure TO supply water to houses all about
that section of the country. Mains are
being laid through all the streets Of the
place.
Bellevue In the past has been quiet IN
proclaiming to the outside world Its
assets. As matter Of fact II Is located
at place far more adaptable to city
than Omaha's site. Henry T. Clarke. q
pioneer. who donated Clarke hall to Bell
evue college and who once owned prac-
tically all the land in that vicinity,
picked the site for city.
And but for the fact that the Union
Pacific, in coming into this city years
ago, chose the location for its Missouri
river bridge at the place 1t now stands,
Omaha might now be q suburb OF Belle
vue instead Of the opposite condition.
The bridge turned the tide OF settlers
and Omaha was begun. Bellevue has
remained practically as 1t stood then.
There stands there now as historic land,
marks the buildings and houses which
stood there then. Hamilton mission, the
oldest church in Nebraska is there. II
is yet In good state Of preservation and
appears almost as 1t did when built will
the exception that its steeple is gone
The steeple was blown OFF In the cyclone
. few years ago.
There still stands the old Fontaneilt
bank building and the Judge Ferguson
home. These ara pointed to as some ol
the historis sights OF the village.
Its natural drainage. its river frontag,
and Its general topography and location
are almost perfectly suited as city's
site. But interest in these old places II
being supplanted by interest In the new
undertakings of Bellevue.
A few months ago the board OF trustee.
OF Bellevue college decided to build III
the institution and at the same time
build up the village. The $50 lots ownet
BY the college, available for sale, were
placed on the market and George q
Wallace, an Omaha real estate man wa,
appointed sole agent.
MIR. Wallace, as q member of the board
Is interested in the future OF the coller,
as well as the village. He has appointed
w. J. Challcross OF Bellevue as his sales
man and the work OF disposing of the
lots for the college is now under way
The sale will net the institution abou
$4,000. BY taking people to Bellevue tt
see the lots MIR. Wallace is creating 4
great deal Of interest in the beautiful
place for the many who have not befor,
realized It's value.
Charles Horn reports the sale of Al,
new houses on Twenty-first street be
tween Sprague and Sahler streets. which
were built by him this spring. The,
were full two-story dwellings of six ans
seven rooms each with sleeping porches
He ID now building six more on 4 simila,
plan which he intends to place upon tn,
market this fail. He says there is a,
unusual demand for houses of medium
size.
The Flatiron building. seventeen,,
street and st. Mary's avenue. In nov
practically completed and viii be read,
Tor occupancy this week. Most Of m,
space throughout the building. the frs
floor which is equipped for stores an,
the upper three stories fitted out as ,
modern rooming house. has been take,
py merchants and roomers.
The Flatiron building ia one of IN. ,,..
unique structures In the city. Shane,
as It's name indicates 1t is well adante,
70 the purposes, for which II has hea,
Duiit A triangular court extends from
n fAxs ".