The Old Settlers' Association was founded in 1866 by a group of men in Omaha, Nebraska

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...

. Membership in the organization was exclusive to settlers who were in the city before 1858. Omaha was founded in 1854. Omaha's Old Settlers' Association was responsible for recording much of the early history of the city.

Background

The Old Settler's Association was a social and educational group, with the purpose of facilitating social activities, as well as collecting and preserving important statistics and interesting facts from the history of Omaha. Initially, the officers of the association were Dr. Enos Lowe

Enos Lowe

Enos Lowe was a pioneer doctor and businessman who was among the original founders of Omaha, Nebraska and served as president of the Second Iowa Constitutional Convention.-Biography:...

, President; Dr. George L. Miller

George L. Miller

Dr. George Lorin Miller was a pioneer physician, editor, politician, civic leader and land owner in Omaha, Nebraska. The founder of the Omaha Herald, which later became part of the Omaha World-Herald, Miller arrived in Omaha in 1854, the year the city was founded...

, vice president, and; Alfred D. Jones

Alfred D. Jones

Alfred D. Jones was a lawyer, surveyor and politician in the 1900s in the Midwestern United States. In 1846 he platted Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and in 1854 he platted Omaha, Nebraska...

, secretary and treasurer.

Events

In the summer of 1866 Miller held a reunion for the organization. William D. Brown

William D. Brown

William D. Brown was the first pioneer to envision building a city where Omaha, Nebraska sits today. Many historians attribute Brown to be the founder of Omaha, although this has been disputed since the late nineteenth century. Alfred D...

, the founder of the Lone Tree Ferry

Lone Tree Ferry

The Lone Tree Ferry, later known as the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company, was the crossing of the Missouri River at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, US, that was established in 1850 by William D. Brown...

 and the man who first claimed the town site that Omaha was built on attended. Others included Alfred D. Jones, the first postmaster and surveyor; William P. Snowden, the first actual settler and the first auctioneer; Andrew J. Poppleton, the first lawyer; John Logan, the first man married in Omaha; Dr. Lowe, one of the original founders of the town) Dr. Miller, the first physician; John Withnell, who assisted in laying the first brick in Omaha in the old State House; O.B. Selden, who fired the first forge; Colonel A.R. Gilmore, the first U.S. land officer in Nebraska; James Megeath

James Megeath

James Gabriel Megeath was a pioneer in Omaha, Nebraska who is known for his helping found Hanscom Park, to which Megeath donated substantially.-Biography:...

, one of the first merchants in Omaha; H.D. Johnson, who was one of the first men from Omaha to run for Congress; Capt. McPherson, who ran the first steam ferry; Captain Downs, who assisted A. D. Jones to survey the town; General Estabrook, the first United States District Attorney for Nebraska; Joseph W. Paddock, the first clerk of the first House of Representatives; Col. Miller, father of Dr. Miller; R.N. Withnell, and many others.

On January 1, 1867, a grand "Old Settlers' Reunion" was held at the Herndon House

Herndon House

The Herndon House, later known as the International Hotel and then the Union Pacific Headquarters, was an early hotel located at Ninth and Farnam Streets in present-day Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1858 by Omaha pioneer Dr. George L. Miller along with several associates, it was financed by...

 in Omaha. The honorary managers were: Dr. Enos Lowe, the Honorable A.S. Paddock, Honorable A. J. Poppleton, Colonel Lewis Merrill, J.H. Lacey, Francis Smith, Hadley D. Johnson, Honorable John I. Redick

John I. Redick

John Irvin Redick was a prominent pioneer professional, public, and business figure in Omaha, Nebraska. He was appointed an associate judge of New Mexico by President Ulysses S. Grant....

, Major General Philip St. George Cook, Brigadier General Myers, James M. Woolworth, James Megeath, Thomas Davis, Dr. G.C. Monell, Major J.W. Paddock and Augustus Kountze

Augustus Kountze

Augustus Kountze was a pioneer banker, politician, philanthropist and railroad supporter in Omaha, Nebraska, Kountze, Texas and New York City...

. The floor managers were J.F. Coffman, George Wallace, Reuben Wood, A.S. Patrick and George M. Lloyd.

According to George L. Miller

George L. Miller

Dr. George Lorin Miller was a pioneer physician, editor, politician, civic leader and land owner in Omaha, Nebraska. The founder of the Omaha Herald, which later became part of the Omaha World-Herald, Miller arrived in Omaha in 1854, the year the city was founded...

, an early editor of the Omaha Herald, the organization ceased to be active after 1868. In 1879 the association reorganized.