Irish in Omaha, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
The Irish in Omaha, Nebraska
have constituted a major ethnic group
throughout the history of the city, and continue to serve as important religious
and political leaders. They compose a large percentage of the local population.
In 2000 62,349 of the city's 390,112 residents claimed Irish roots on the U.S. Census. The Irish were the third largest ethnic group
in South Omaha in 1900, with 1,073 out of 26,001 residents claiming Irish ancestry. By 1909 that area of the city claimed 2,250 out of their 30,000 residents were of Irish descent.
in Nebraska was a Catholic church built in Omaha by Irish immigrants in 1856." Around this time a community of Irish settlers inhabited an area known as Gophertown, located north of the town of Saratoga and south of the town of Florence
. The area was named for the dugout homes the immigrants had made in the wide-open plains of present-day North Omaha.
The Irish have comprised a major component of Omaha's immigrant community since the 1860s. Coming to the city in large numbers to build the Union Pacific Railroad
starting in 1864, many Irish immigrants stayed to work in the railroads
and took jobs as laborers in the wholesaling district. As many as 10,000 Irish laborers worked out of Omaha along the Union Pacific lines as they sprawled across the Western United States
. Few had come directly from Ireland
, instead arriving in Omaha via New York City
, Boston
, and other cities in the Eastern United States
. During the twelfth and final meeting of the Nebraska Territory
Legislature a group of 31 Irish leaders in the community promoted George Francis Train
becoming a Senator
for the new state because he had, "advocated so long the cause of Irish nationality
." In 1863 Edward
and Mary Creighton donated land to the local Catholic bishop, the Right Rev. James O'Gorman, to build a convent
on the banks of the Missouri River
. The Sisters of Mercy
opened an academy and schools soon afterwards. The Creightons also donated land for a cathedral which was dedicated to St. Philomena. O'Gorman, also Irish, died and was buried in Omaha at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in 1874.
In the 1870s and 1880s a major neighborhood for the local Irish community was the Near North Side
. Josie McCullough, who grew up there during that period, wrote about the neighborhood saying, "In that neighborhood Swedish
, Bohemian
, Italian, Irish and Negro
children all contributed to the process of Americanization
." They also lived in an "uninviting floodplain" south of downtown
which was later known as Little Italy.
James E. Boyd was an Irish-born politician in Omaha who served two terms as mayor in the 1880s, and was Nebraska Governor in the 1890s. In 1885 James O'Connor
became the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Diocese of Omaha. Born in Queenstown, Ireland, he died in Omaha in 1890. When the Omaha Stockyards were established in 1887, the first employees were foreign-born Irish who moved directly to South Omaha. That year at the Nebraska Republican Party
's annual convention in Lincoln
, the delegates created a statement showing "the usual approval of the struggle for Irish home rule". The Nebraska Democratic Party
presented a similar statement in its platform, too.
Emmet Street in the Kountze Place
neighborhood was probably named for Robert Emmet
during this period.
In the 1890s the American Protective Association
singled out Omaha's and targeted them in a campaign to drive immigrants out of the Midwestern United States
and the Irish out of public office
. By then Irish Americans lived throughout the city, and had assimilate
d to a large extent. They held an annual St. Patrick's Day celebration, and they moved into all levels of Omaha society, including politics and city government
. Their acceptance in society benefited the Roman Catholic Church
greatly.
Tom Dennison
gathered power in the early 1900s. His powerful political machine
controlled all gambling, liquor and prostitution schemes in Omaha for almost 50 years, including having "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman
elected mayor twelve times.
In 1906 Irish language
scholar Douglas Hyde
visited Omaha, raising a great deal of money for Gaelic League. While there he found the Rev. Dr. Richard Scannell
, the bishop
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
was a native of County Cork
and spoke perfect Irish, as did many more residents of the city. After learning that more than one-sixth of the city's residents claimed Irish heritage, Hyde urged them to take steps to preserve their language and history.
In 1909 an Irish policeman named Edward Lowery was murdered trying to arrest a Greek immigrant in South Omaha who was accused of having sex with a young "white" woman. A mob was gathered by Joseph Murphy, an Irish leader in the community, and the ensuing Greek Town Riot
destroyed South Omaha's Greek community, and the neighborhood was never rebuilt. In 1913 Harry Haywood
's father was beaten by a gang of Irish youth in South Omaha, leading the family to move to Minneapolis where Haywood later rose to leadership in the Communist Party USA
.
On route to an assignment in rural Nebraska in 1912, Irish-born Father Edward J. Flanagan
became concerned about the welfare of orphan
s in the Omaha. In 1917 he founded the world-famous Boys Town
. He has since become a symbol of great pride for the Irish community in Omaha.
In the 1920s the Irish Self-Determination Club of Omaha supported Ireland and its right to independence from the British government. The Club made a loan to the Elected Government of the Republic of Ireland
in 1919, and made requests to the United States federal government to provide financial support to Ireland.
Tom Dennison's reign as Omaha's political boss ended in the early 1930s when he was brought to trial for conspiracy
. In 1932 he suffered several debilitating strokes. He died in 1934.
, the Omaha Area Emerald Society, and the Irish American Cultural Institute
have chapters in the city. There are also several organizations promoting Irish culture, including as Brighid St. Brighid Theatre, the Omaha Irish Dancers, and Craoi na Tire Studio of Irish Dance, as well as an annual St. Patrick's Day parade.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
have constituted a major ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
throughout the history of the city, and continue to serve as important religious
Christianity in Omaha, Nebraska
Christianity in Omaha, Nebraska has been integral to the growth and development of the city since its founding in 1854. In addition to providing Christian religious and social leadership, individually and collectively the city's churches have also led a variety of political campaigns throughout the...
and political leaders. They compose a large percentage of the local population.
In 2000 62,349 of the city's 390,112 residents claimed Irish roots on the U.S. Census. The Irish were the third largest ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
in South Omaha in 1900, with 1,073 out of 26,001 residents claiming Irish ancestry. By 1909 that area of the city claimed 2,250 out of their 30,000 residents were of Irish descent.
19th century
"The first church of any denominationChristian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
in Nebraska was a Catholic church built in Omaha by Irish immigrants in 1856." Around this time a community of Irish settlers inhabited an area known as Gophertown, located north of the town of Saratoga and south of the town of Florence
Florence, Nebraska
Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...
. The area was named for the dugout homes the immigrants had made in the wide-open plains of present-day North Omaha.
The Irish have comprised a major component of Omaha's immigrant community since the 1860s. Coming to the city in large numbers to build the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
starting in 1864, many Irish immigrants stayed to work in the railroads
Railroads in Omaha
Railroads in Omaha, Nebraska have been integral to the growth and development of the city, the state of Nebraska, the Western United States and the entire United States...
and took jobs as laborers in the wholesaling district. As many as 10,000 Irish laborers worked out of Omaha along the Union Pacific lines as they sprawled across the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. Few had come directly from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, instead arriving in Omaha via New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and other cities in the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
. During the twelfth and final meeting of the Nebraska Territory
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
Legislature a group of 31 Irish leaders in the community promoted George Francis Train
George Francis Train
George Francis Train was an entrepreneurial businessman who organized the clipper ship line that sailed around Cape Horn to San Francisco; he organized the Union Pacific Railroad and the Credit Mobilier in the United States, and a horse tramway company in England while there during the American...
becoming a Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
for the new state because he had, "advocated so long the cause of Irish nationality
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
." In 1863 Edward
Edward Creighton
Edward Creighton was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were central to the growth and development of Omaha...
and Mary Creighton donated land to the local Catholic bishop, the Right Rev. James O'Gorman, to build a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
on the banks of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. The Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
opened an academy and schools soon afterwards. The Creightons also donated land for a cathedral which was dedicated to St. Philomena. O'Gorman, also Irish, died and was buried in Omaha at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in 1874.
In the 1870s and 1880s a major neighborhood for the local Irish community was the Near North Side
Near North Side (Omaha, Nebraska)
The Near North Side of Omaha, Nebraska is the neighborhood immediately north of downtown. It forms the nucleus of the city's African-American community, and its name is often synonymous with the entire North Omaha area...
. Josie McCullough, who grew up there during that period, wrote about the neighborhood saying, "In that neighborhood Swedish
Swedes in Omaha, Nebraska
The Swedes in Omaha, Nebraska are a long-standing ethnic group in the city with important economic, social, and political ties.- History :The first Swedes in Omaha came through Florence at the Winter Quarters of the Mormons...
, Bohemian
Czechs in Omaha, Nebraska
Czechs in Omaha, Nebraska have made significant contributions to the political, social and cultural development of the city since the first immigrants arrived in 1868.-About:In the 1860s many Czechs, primarily from Bohemia and Moravia, immigrated to Nebraska...
, Italian, Irish and Negro
African Americans in Omaha, Nebraska
African Americans in Omaha, Nebraska are central to the development and growth of the 43rd largest city in the United States. The first free black settler in the city arrived in 1854, the year the city was incorporated....
children all contributed to the process of Americanization
Americanization
Americanization is the influence of the United States on the popular culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques of other countries. The term has been used since at least 1907. Inside the U.S...
." They also lived in an "uninviting floodplain" south of downtown
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...
which was later known as Little Italy.
James E. Boyd was an Irish-born politician in Omaha who served two terms as mayor in the 1880s, and was Nebraska Governor in the 1890s. In 1885 James O'Connor
James O'Connor (archbishop)
James O'Connor, D.D. was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Omaha.Born in Queenstown, Ireland, he went to America at the age of fifteen. He was educated at St. Charles's Seminary, Philadelphia, and in the Propaganda College, Rome where he was ordained a priest in 1848...
became the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Diocese of Omaha. Born in Queenstown, Ireland, he died in Omaha in 1890. When the Omaha Stockyards were established in 1887, the first employees were foreign-born Irish who moved directly to South Omaha. That year at the Nebraska Republican Party
Nebraska Republican Party
The Nebraska Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Nebraska. The party is headed by Chairman Mark Fahleson. Its headquarters are in Lincoln.- Political plans :...
's annual convention in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, the delegates created a statement showing "the usual approval of the struggle for Irish home rule". The Nebraska Democratic Party
Nebraska Democratic Party
The Nebraska Democratic Party is the official arm of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of 2009, the only statewide elected official in the party is United States Senator Ben Nelson.-Historically prominent Nebraska Democrats:...
presented a similar statement in its platform, too.
Emmet Street in the Kountze Place
Kountze Place
The Kountze Place neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community on the city's north end. Today the neighborhood is home to several buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located between North 16th Avenue on the east to North 30th...
neighborhood was probably named for Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist and Republican, orator and rebel leader born in Dublin, Ireland...
during this period.
In the 1890s the American Protective Association
American Protective Association
The American Protective Association, or APA was an American anti-Catholic society similar to the Know Nothings.-History:The APA was founded 13 March 1887 by Attorney Henry F. Bowers in Clinton, Iowa...
singled out Omaha's and targeted them in a campaign to drive immigrants out of the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and the Irish out of public office
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
. By then Irish Americans lived throughout the city, and had assimilate
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
d to a large extent. They held an annual St. Patrick's Day celebration, and they moved into all levels of Omaha society, including politics and city government
Government of Omaha
The government of the City of Omaha, Nebraska consists of the Mayor of Omaha, the Omaha City Council and various departments of the City of Omaha, which in located in Douglas County, Nebraska. The city of Omaha was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1857....
. Their acceptance in society benefited the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
greatly.
20th century
Starting in the late 19th century, Omaha's Irish crime lord and political bossPolitical boss
A boss, in politics, is a person who wields the power over a particular political region or constituency. Bosses may dictate voting patterns, control appointments, and wield considerable influence in other political processes. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves...
Tom Dennison
Tom Dennison (political boss)
Tom Dennison, aka Pickhandle, Old Grey Wolf, was the early-20th century political boss of Omaha, Nebraska. A politically savvy, culturally astute gambler, Dennison was in charge of the city's wide crime rings, including prostitution, gambling and bootlegging in the 1920s...
gathered power in the early 1900s. His powerful political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
controlled all gambling, liquor and prostitution schemes in Omaha for almost 50 years, including having "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman
James Dahlman
James Charles Dahlman , also known as Jim Dahlman, Cowboy Jim and Mayor Jim, was elected to eight terms as mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving the city for 20 years over a 23-year-period. A German-American and an agnostic, Dahlman grew up in a ranching area and started working as a Texas cowboy...
elected mayor twelve times.
In 1906 Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
scholar Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde , known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn , was an Irish scholar of the Irish language who served as the first President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945...
visited Omaha, raising a great deal of money for Gaelic League. While there he found the Rev. Dr. Richard Scannell
Richard Scannell
Richard Scannell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Concordia, Kansas and Bishop of Omaha, Nebraska .-Biography:...
, the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the midwestern region of the United States. Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss...
was a native of County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and spoke perfect Irish, as did many more residents of the city. After learning that more than one-sixth of the city's residents claimed Irish heritage, Hyde urged them to take steps to preserve their language and history.
In 1909 an Irish policeman named Edward Lowery was murdered trying to arrest a Greek immigrant in South Omaha who was accused of having sex with a young "white" woman. A mob was gathered by Joseph Murphy, an Irish leader in the community, and the ensuing Greek Town Riot
Greek Town Riot
The Greek Town Riot was a race riot in South Omaha, Nebraska on February 21, 1909. According to the New York Times, 3,000 men were responsible for killing one boy, displacing the entire population of Greek Town, and burning down the Greek neighborhood in South Omaha.- Background :In February 1909,...
destroyed South Omaha's Greek community, and the neighborhood was never rebuilt. In 1913 Harry Haywood
Harry Haywood
Harry Haywood was a leading figure in both the Communist Party of the United States and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union . He contributed major theory to Marxist thinking on the national question of African Americans in the United States...
's father was beaten by a gang of Irish youth in South Omaha, leading the family to move to Minneapolis where Haywood later rose to leadership in the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
.
On route to an assignment in rural Nebraska in 1912, Irish-born Father Edward J. Flanagan
Edward J. Flanagan
Father Edward Joseph Flanagan was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. He was the founder of what is arguably the most famous orphanage—Boys Town...
became concerned about the welfare of orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
s in the Omaha. In 1917 he founded the world-famous Boys Town
Girls and Boys Town
Boys Town, formerly Girls and Boys Town and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for its children and families, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska...
. He has since become a symbol of great pride for the Irish community in Omaha.
In the 1920s the Irish Self-Determination Club of Omaha supported Ireland and its right to independence from the British government. The Club made a loan to the Elected Government of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
in 1919, and made requests to the United States federal government to provide financial support to Ireland.
Tom Dennison's reign as Omaha's political boss ended in the early 1930s when he was brought to trial for conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
. In 1932 he suffered several debilitating strokes. He died in 1934.
Present
Today there is a strong ethnic Irish presence in Omaha. Several social organizations, including the Ancient Order of HiberniansAncient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
, the Omaha Area Emerald Society, and the Irish American Cultural Institute
Irish American Cultural Institute
The Irish American Cultural Institute, or IACI, is an American cultural group founded by Dr. Eoin McKiernan in 1962. It specialises in recording aspects of Irish culture. It also sponsors research and awards prizes in the field of Irish Studies...
have chapters in the city. There are also several organizations promoting Irish culture, including as Brighid St. Brighid Theatre, the Omaha Irish Dancers, and Craoi na Tire Studio of Irish Dance, as well as an annual St. Patrick's Day parade.