Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-12
Nu~e,Ra,.u4
ond 9nt1usla-Ss
NJ v10roa RoEEwATuR.

ILTtTH the removal Of the Maui. or as II was pre-
wv viously called. the old Jacobs house, TO make
way for another moving picture establishment
on Douglas street, that thoroughfare will be cleared
Of residences west Of Sixteenth UP TO Nineteenth
lived for nearly twenty years the block just across
from the Jacobs house the last remaining reminder
Of the old neghborhood, which used 20 include the
homes Of many Of the best known people in Omaha.
The topography Of Douglas street In this stretch
Of three blocks embraced in its time interesting
landmarks On the northwest corner Of Sixteenth ami
Douglas located Donaghue. the florist. with his
hothouses right there in what Is OF the very
busiest spots in the city. West OF the Donaghue hot
houses the old German Catholic church, at first
frame building later supplanted by brick edifice
and attached TO 1t parochlal school, well conducted
and numerousy attended Across the street from the
hothouses. the southwest corner Of Sixteenth and
Douglas, was a wooden cottage whose occupant as 1
remember James @. Carpenter for, many years
ward assessor. whose place made way for the beat
tiful stone front Young Mems Christian association
building that torn down when the Brandes
building erected. West OF this was two-story
frame house. occupied by Allan Root until 1t, too.
had to yield to the march Of progress typifed by
group of three-story brick dwellings put up by Guy
c. Barton, In OF which he himself lived. Adjotn-
ing on the west a similar building erected by A.
r Dufrane. while at the southeast at Seven
teenth street. the Horbach place. roomy, square
brick structure. with a square cupols on top
Douglas street In the block between Seventeenth
and Eighteenth streets has experienced similar trans
formations. On the north side the corner was the
site OF a wooden dwelling occupied by the sutphens,
of the pioneer families of the city, and after
ward by the family of Mr.. Wells. baggage agent
the transfer In Council Bluffs, and still later by
Dr. Paul Grossman- There another small house
the Jacobs lot with succession of tenants and
west OF that the home OF Marsh Kennard supple
mented afterward by small cottage alongside Of 1t
built for his daughter after she married young Dr.
John Peabody At the Eighteenth street corner stood
a three-story frame house over high basement
where the W. A. sharps lived, and then others. and
stil lat ha ID m
that block had the Pundts the corner to the
east of us in house counted the finest in Omaha
a.one-story brick which the family had previously
occupied the spot having been torn down.
West of there had been several small cottages in
| which the Raapkes, Lejets and the McCheanes.
and our own houFe had once belonged to A. b. Huber
| man. though practically rebuilt when my father
! bought IT, The whole block facing north is
mounted with big elght-story theater and office
| building which surely who lived there in those
| days never imagined in widest dreams.
The other Douglas street block from Eighteenth
to Nineteenth has been beret of residences for
time and will be wholly covered with business struc
/ lures when the only now remaining vacant spase is
utilized for the already planned wMasonic Temple.
On the north side OF the street than
two houses. the Eighteenth street comprising
the spacious grounds OF o. f. Davis, the leading real
estate early Omaha and adjoining him tho
west those Of A. j. Hsnscom. of the very earliest
settlers and donor the beautiful park that bears
| his On the south side at the Eighteenth street
the residence OF George e. Pritchett. who
| had married of Mr.. Hanscom's daughters, and
west OF that two-sory brick house. occupied
| by the p. II. Sharps The other corner at Nine
teenth held two-story frame dwelling, in which A.
Cruikshank. the principal dry goods merchant lived
| the place later passing to N. b. Faconer. who was
also the successor to the Crukshank dry goods bust
of which today the Fitzpatrick store is the lnea
descendant The Douglas street west Of Nineteenth
strange TO say, looks today almost the same as II
did quarter of century except that the street
has been graded and most OF the houses lowered but
OF not veto he line II
safe TO say. however. that they will long ua-
molested. and that the transformation there. when
it comes. will be as complete in the to the
east down to Sixteenth.