The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-10-22
Omaha Chamber
Celebrates Its
3Oth Birthday
20 Members at First Meeting;
Now 2,7l5-Many Achieve
mcnts in Three
Decades.

gFnfs.
That's the record Of the Omaha
fhamber ~ Commerce. which IL cels.
bratlng IT, 3Oth anniyeraarf.
w. a, l.. Gihbgn and 10 others met
nt the Paxton hotel three decades ago
and formed the Commercial club ~
Omaha.
"Fine showing" someone com.
mented "Got 20 our tonight"
The Chamber now has more than
twice that number II committees
and n n called out III members 500
men would storm the W. y. ". build.
ing, two floors II which are filled by
is offices.
Long, Iiard Pull
Tut according ~ statement Issued
~ the organization anent the oelebfa.
ton. Il has been long. hard pun with
q long ligt II BIG taslis accomplished.
See how widely tie organization op
efatfa,
Trade territory 30 years ago needed
pushing out nnd the chamber eneotat
aged merchants ~ come lnSby pay.
Ing their fares.
booster trips were Organized and ~
many - 20 towns . ny we're visited
Omaha blazcd the trail In TINT llro
and IN n few Years hundreds ~ towns
we're copying ito activities.
Merchants Iarkft week. T. modern
event. brings dealers 70 Omaha once
year 90 Inspect facinles ard prod
ects ana be entertained at parks and
fhoators
Drouth hli Nebraska IN ~
"smIe. Darn Sc. Smile"
"g'nlle. darn ye. smile" The cham.
Der cried, and ~ .8af ben Was The re.
suit II kep Scbrgska n a hap
pier fran ~ mind, held out hope 10
fafmtrs about ready - quit. and
eventually claimed credit fof the big
rains that returned prosperity.
Hext he MISUNDERSTANDING szp01
tIou. ~. wbich calamity Janes doubt
ed. bot which proved 10 be a money
maker the only one II ~ nature
and nvaicd the Columbian ezposl
ton that had been held r. Chicago
In 90.
a chamber fir paid for the Aud
forum. later given 20 tho city.
Due to activities u the organization.
the Chicago 4 Great Western railroad
came 10 Omaha.
Cooperation made y cary for the
Illinois Central 10 err.
Chamber Comes 10 I'D.
"'rhe tornado" swept over Omaha IN
1913, and destroyed LAllions IN prop
orty. paraigzlng the community.
The Chamber Of Commerce VAS
right hand agency 10 the Red cToss
right at the beginning; later IL Or.
ganizod committees tbat put the city
90 ~ feet.
Facts collected by the chamber
helped 20 cauee the Federal Reserve
bank 10 lie located here.
Annexatlons u South Omaha. Dun
dee, Florence and Benson were in
fuenccd by the chamber which fore
saw municipal unity.
Then came IT, fight before the leg
lsl1tDre for home rule charter for
Omaha.
Other AftiyliieS.
TIE chamber aleD looks With pride
on iis work in clearing up and max
INK river traffic between Omaha and
Decatur profitable, securing the
George Washington highway for
Omaha, good roads promotion. war
activities leadership. aid 10 building
the Nebraska Medical college build.
ing. establishing headquarters u the
fifth federal road AID district, and
abollshinR freight tolls on Nebraska,
Iowa traffic.
Two hundred young men not yet
80 members Of the junior divls.
ion ~ the chamber and l2S women
are members q the business and pro.
fessonnl womens division, and help
az committeeman.
publicity bureau II maintained
by the chamber. and iie traffic bureau
solves merchants traffic problems
Trade trips. market weeks. indus.
trial expositlons. plenlcs, public II.
fairs. luncneons. good roads promo
lion proper policing. and volunteer
traffic cop" work are current activi.
ties ~ the organization
Don't YOU think we have a right