Book Review: Images of America: Omaha's Historic Houses of Worship

 Images of America: Omaha's Historic Houses of Worship by Eileen Wirth PhD and Carole McCabe, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina, 2014.

If you wanted to explore churches in Omaha, past and present, this is a very good reference book.  Church history very much mirrors ethnic history.  Omaha has a history of many different ethnic groups. and often each ethnic group had their own church.  Catholic churches are often divided this way.  

This book starts with the presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Omaha area, Winter Quarters before Omaha was even a city.  They established the first European city in Winter Quarters,  The built a communal mill, and many passed away due to illness, cold and poor diet.  

The book then moves on to talk about the coming of Omaha ten years later further south along the Missouri.  Omaha had a very roudy history, but religion and churches helped to stabilize the population.

As I noted, many pictures of churches in Omaha.  It includes new churches and new religions as well as old.  

Book Review: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

 Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium by Eileen Wirth, photos edited by Carol McCabe, History Press, Charleston, SC, 2017.

This is an interesting story of a park that had a few animals enventually becoming one of the finest zoos in the world.  

Tise zoo started as the River View Park which began displaying some local animals.  However it has changed, starting with the foundation of the Omaha Zoological Society.  It was also greatly benefitted by a large donation from Mrs. Henry Doorly, who asked that the zoo take the name of her husband, and also that the zoo strive to display the animals in natural settings rahter than in cages.  The zoo was in a good position to do just that.

Significant donation have been instrumental the the growth of the zoo.  And the zoo has many unique and interesting features.  I enjoy the desert com.  It has aspects of three deserts, including the Sonoran which is mostly in Arizona.  The Lied Jungle is also unique with a waterfall, and humid temperature as it imitates a jungle.  There is also the aquarium, the butterfly house.  The most expensive part of the zoo is the Afican Grasslands.  This encompasses 28 acres.  There is a unique aviary.  The sea lion area took over an old and abandoned swimming pool.  

Many zoo directors have been reponsible for this growth.  These include Robert Everly, Lee G. Simmons and Dennis Pate.

The zoo has also been involved in conservation projects around the world, including a partnership with Madagascar.  This has also included breeding projects.  

Charity, our daughter lives close to the zoo and we have enjoyed many outings there with grandchildren.  We hope to enjoy many more.