Documentary Review: Streetcars of Omaha and Council Bluffs 1947 to 1955

 Streetcars of Omaha and Council Bluffs 1947 to 1955, Richard Orr, Omaha, Nebraska, 1996.

This documentary is more than you ever cared to know about the Omaha streetcar system.  It is a companion to the book by Richard Orr of the same name.  The video shows old footage, mostly taken by himself of the street cars running.  It starts with the beginning in 1866 when the idea of horse drawn streetcars was developed.  These began running in 1869.  There was a period with cable cars in Omaha starting in 1887.  However in 1888 electric traction cars begin service.  In 1901 the Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway Company was formed.  The streetcars ran until 1955 when they were replaced by buses.  This documentary shows how the cars were electrified from wires above the street cars.  It also shows how they dealt with snow.  The streetcars handled light snows very well.  There was a streetcar snow removal car.  It was important to get the rails clean to avoid slippage.  

I was interested in following the route of the street car up and down 24th from North Omaha to South Omaha.  Howe er it appears the cars id not go strait but went through downtown and made a circuitous trip.  It ended and turned around at Q and 27th. It documentary followed several different lines including to Dundee.  

The film did not show a lot of Council Bluffs.  It did appear the cars in Council Bluffs were smaller.

I was hoping for more information on the street car bridge over the river.  

Native American Portraits at the Pine Bluffs Archeology Site

 These are a few of the portraits of Native Americans at the archeology center.

Pretty Nose who fought at Little Big Horn

Chief Washakie and his son

Chief Red Cloud

Pine Bluffs History as per Pine Bluffs Archeology Site

 Pine Bluffs, which is on the Wyoming Nebraska border had any travelers during the days of the westward movement pass through.  This included John C. Fremont.  The area was first settled by homesteaders.

Archeological Dig at Pine Bluffs, Wyoming

 The archeological dig is close to the rest area and can be accessed from there via a short hike, or from town via a dirt road.  The interpretive center presents information from several archeological diges throughout Wyoming, including several buffalo pits.  

Book Review: Who Was Jackie Robinson?

 Who Was Jackie Robinson?  A Who Was Board Book by Lisbeth Kaiser, art by Stanley Chow, Penguin Random House, New York.

This is a children's book, but it gives a good short history of Jackie Robinson.  Robinson grew up in Pasadena, California.  His family lived in a White neighborhood, and they were treated poorly as they were Black.   However Robinson was very good at sports, and found his niche in high school and college through sports.  He played four sports at UCLA, baseball, football, basketball and track.  He left college early as he needed a job, and hope to find one in sports.  However all the major teams were white only.  He joined the army, and after his time in the army he joined a negro league.  It was hard for the negro teams as they were harassed by discrimination and finding a place to stay while traveling or heat was hard.  

A team owner decided he would include Black players on his team, Branch Rickey with the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He talked to Robinson and explained he would take abuse, but he would need to just take it so he could sell the idea of Black Players in the major leagues.  He played for the first time for the Dodgers on April 15, 1947.  He had to keep his mouth shut despite taking abuse from teammates and players from other teams.  He slowly won them over, and in 1955 the Dodgers won the World Series.  He had been joined by many more Black players in the major leagues.  

After retiring from baseball he became a crusader for racial equality.  He became a business leader and an activist.  In 1962 he was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Jackie Robinson Day is an annual event in Major League Baseball observed every April 15.