Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-13

thirty years stood the German Cath
ole church and the parochial school.
They, in 1902, sold the property to
the, present owners. erecting church
the same year at Nineteenth and
Dodge streets. ..
On the northeast corner of Seven
teenth street is three-story brick,
formerly called the Patterson block"
For years the second floor was used
as dance hall and lodge rooms. The
Central Labor union at one time occu-
pied rooms there. In March, 1899,
the building was partly destroyed by
fire, but was soon repaired, since
which time it has been occupied as
grocery store by Courtney & Co.
On the southwest corner OF Six
teenth street is a seven-story brick,
extending the entire length of the
block west, covering the entire half Of
city block, including the old Kar-
bach residence. 1t is owned and &C.
cupied by the J. L. Brandeis company,
the four upper floors being fitted for
offices. This building was erected in
1906. In 1882, on part of this prop
erty facing Sixteenth street, was a
frame fashionable boarding house,
which was moved i'll 1896 to make
room for the elegant headquarters
erected by the Young Mems Christian
association, which in turn gave way
for the present structure.
Before going west of Seventeenth
street it might be of interest to learn
how and when. this street, from Sew
enteenth to Twentieth, secured its
present grade and the difficulties Incl
dent to it, which occurred in this
way: In 1890 when l entered the city
council, that part of the street was
in such wretched condition that it
would have been difficult for a jack
rabbit to climb the hill. 1t was not
graded because of failure on the part
of the property holders to agree to
change from the original established
grade, which if permitted to stand,
would prevent it from becoming
business street. Finally, through the
efforts of DR.. George Tilden and Ed
ward Rosewater--both living on that
street, secured a compromise
iduS, tilS plC liS StiCSt HOW has,
the street being graded in 1891, after
which expensive business blocks took
the place of both the large and small
frame buildings that were located on
the lots.
These changes may be evidenced
by the remarkable improvements that
! have since taken place, as, where for
,merly stool the residences of Henry
Pundt and Edward Rosewater, on
the south side. between Seventeenth
and Eighteenth, there is now the
Brandeis theater, six-story Office
and theater building. extending al
most the entire length of the block.
Added to this on the west end, for
merly the Saunders lot, is the six
story Saunders & Kennedy building,
used for offices and stores. While
on the north side. between the SAME
streets, the entire block is built up
solidly witt: creditable business build
ings. On the northwest corner OF
Seventeenth street, where for years
lived DR., Grossman in a two-story
frame house, is now hve-story brick
office and store building called the
Baird block" The lots west OF that
are covered by brick stores. On the
northeast corner is the Strand the
alter.
On the northwest corner of Eight
eenth stree; is erected the Fontenelle
hotel, an eight-story brick and stone
building, embracing the entire half of
the block. 1t was erected in 1914 and
opened to the public in February,
1915. 1t Is one OF the finest of its
kind in the entire west, and was built
at cost OF 100000. 1t was built
by the Douglas Hotel company, COM
posed exclusively of Omaha capital
lists, and is a thing OF beauty and a
| joy forever