Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-23
WAR Memorial Boulevard Would Connect
t Fontenelle Reserve With Ponca Creek
Proposed Boulevard With His
toricaI Figures Would Give
\ Many Returned Soldiers
Employment.

| Omaha were discussed recently at
meeting of the City Planning
commission at the city hall. In the
opinion of the members of the COM
mission present, the plan is the most
comprehensive and feasible of any
/ which have so far been brought
forth.
The plan as suggested by the City
Planning commission calls for a
magnificent boulevard along the
river front, over the bluffs over
booking the Missouri river, and con-
Meeting with the other boulevards
and major streets of the city, as a
memorial in itself and location
for other memorials to be built in
the future. q
Memorial Symbol of Americanism.
1t seems to be the consensus Of
opinion that the memorial. when
built, should be something of use to
I the people of the city. 1t should
also commemorate through all the
succeeding generations the supreme
I sacrifice that Americans have made
for the nation without thought Of
reward or recompense.
Various cities throughout the
country have made plans for me-
MORALS for their soldiers. All are
striving to find something distinctive
and different from the old type OF
memorial, but none has better
plan for developing memorial and
B city plan than the one here put
forth.
Identified With History.
"Why not identify the me morial
to be erected with the history of
Omaha of past years, as well as OF
the present asked a prominent
citizen recently.
1t is surprising to note the per-
centage of the people who know
nothing of the history of the city
in which they reside. And Omaha
has history well worth studying
1t is far cry from the days when
Lewis and Clark struck their camp
1T the junction of the Missouri and
Platte and held their council with
the Indian tribes. to the present day.
The day when T. B. Roye erected
his trading post here and became
the first resident of the place where
Omaha now stands, seems but
dream of the past. 1t seems hard to
realize that only 90 years ago, Om-
aha was a town of but 1900 souls,
and that in three decades one of the
greatest cities of the Missouri valley
4 should have arisen from the ruins
4 of the old fort of the Omaha In
\ dians.
Il How many people know that a
Mormon town of $4,000 people was
!. located where Florence now is, 20
1 years ago?
4 How many people know the ro-
! mantle history of the Indian tribes
who formerly occupied the Omaha
4 plateau; of the historic characters
| such as Father De Smet and Logan
Fontenelle, who took a great part
| in the history of his section?
I How many know of the old days
1 when Omaha was the capital of the
! state, and the meetings of the legis-
I lature were free-for-all combats and
,Slnaha was in its infancy?
~ 1t would more than repay any
\ one to read the history of Omaha
and discover for themselves the
place of rich historical interest in !
which they reside. And memorial |
which should link the points of in
terest of the past, the absorbing |
days of the present and the future
would be the biggest thing the
citizens could accomplish.
Historical Boulevard.
What would be more appropriate
| for a memorial than a boulevard, |
Erich in historic interest. stretching |
over the bluffs that border the
Missouri, from the Fontenelle For
lest Reserve on the south to Ponca |
creek on the north, and connecting |
| the scenic and historic points of
Omaha on one panoramic driveway, |
with radial and connecting drives
to the residence and business sec
tions Of the city. The views from
-any part of the boulevard would be |
unexcelled by any other road in the
country, and visitors to the city |
would consider sightseeing trip
1 over the l9-mile driveway an essen
\ tial part of visit to Omaha.
The building of such road is
lpossible now, but 10 years from
now will be impossible at the rate
the city is growing, for by that
time the land needed will be built |
I.up into residence and manufacture
| Ing districts. The route, as surveyed |
bv the City Planning commission, |
passes through land which is now
undeveloped in most parts.
The city and state are preparing |
schemes to give employment to its
soldiers as they return from the war.
Many of them could be given work |
on the construction of the road, and
take an active part in the building
If their own memorial.
Work For Generations.
The proposed memorial boulevard
4 would not be the work of the mo- |
ment, but development for genera
lions of OmahaAs. The obtaining
of the land for the road, the grad
ing necessary and even the construc-
! ton of the road itself, would only |
/ BE an insignificant part OF its beautl-
fication and completion. The ultl-
mate possibilities of the project are
only to be conjectured at present:
The plotting of parks, squares and
places at points of interest along
The boulevard; the erection OF
statues and movements by public
1 Inirited citizens as we'll as by the
rity, would occupy generations and
IS the years go by, would ever in.
grease the interest and pleasure OF
the people in the memorial. This
would seem to attain the real pur-