Tragic Shooting Death of Vivian Strang in North Omaha

 Came upon this tragic story when I was in North Omaha on 24th street near Lake.  There are actually two plaques, one with three sides which is by the North Omaha Visitors Center, and the other a historical marker a couple blocks further south on 24th..  

Magazine Article Review: The Pawnee Seed Savers: Nebraska Gardeners Replenish Ancestral Foods

The Pawnee Seed Savers: Nebraska Gardeners Replenish Ancestral Foods by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley, Nebraskaland Magazine, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska, October 2025, pp 28-35.

A very real part of the encroachment of Europeans on the Native American populations was the loss of their traditional food supplies.  They went from eating their traditional vegetables and plants, as well as game meat to being dependent on government supplies.  In the case of the Pawnee they went from farming in Nebraska to Oklahoma, where their seeds were not as effective.  It created a whole change in diet; and one not as conducive to their physical make-up (their genes were use to the traditional diet.)  Only more recently has this been thought to be so important, and in order to correct it a garden system has been developed.  They use seeds left over from the old days, and then gardens in Nebraska.  Each year they raise crops, and then have more traditional seeds.  

The three sisters are corn, squash and beans.  Their most sacred of these is corn.  The project started slowly in 2004, but now as Native Americans find old stores of seeds, they have grown 20 different varieties of Pawnee corn.  They have also grown varieties of beans, squash, sunflowers and watermelon. Sunflower is considered the fourth sister and traditionally they ate the seeds, but it was also used to protect the other plants as sunflowers can grow over ten feet tall.  

There are now over 20 gardeners in Nebraska growing Pawnee seeds.  Most of the harvest they share with the Pawnee in Oklahoma, and so doing the Pawnee are able to eat their traditional foods. 

Greek Town and Greek Riot of 1909 in South Omaha

 South O aha at one time had a significant Greek population and Greek town.  It was mostly around Q and 25 streets but extended from R to L and 28th to 24th streets.  The population of Greek residents was almost 3000.  They mostly worked in the meat packing industry.  After the riot the Greek population went from almost 3000 to 56.

The Riot was more than just one incident.  There was a resentment towards the Greek workers because some had come in as scab workers during a strike.  This resentment was fomented by a newspaper article that compared the "Greek problem" to that of have too many Japanese.  A town meeting was organized to discussd "the Greek issues."  There they called the Greek community a "vile bunch of filthy Greeks."  From thee they marched to Greek Town where the riot took place.

The epicenter of the riot at 28th and R Streets became known as Bloody Corner

The corner kept they name as there was a bar on the corner where there was much violence for many years,

Bar located in this corner which is now parking

26th and R. Greek town extended from here to 24th street

Metro COmmunity College looking to 24th Street which ara was once Greek Town.

Miguel Keith Memorial

 Miguel Keith served as a Marine in Viet Nam.  He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.  

Gale Sayers

 Found this statue of Gale Sayers outside of Central High School.  He was a 1961 graduate there.  He was one of the greatest running backs of all time, although his career was cut short due to injury.  After playing for Central high School he played for University of Kansas and then the Chicago Bears.  He has been inducted in both the pro and college halls of fame.  He is noted for his part in the Brian Piccolo story.  He and his wife were best friends to the Piccolo family.  He roomed with Brian Piccolo.  Piccolo helped him through rehabilitation from knee surgery, and Sayers stayed by Piccolo's suie until his death of cancer.

Live Stock Exchange Building

 The Live Stock Exchange Building is on 30th Street between L and Edward Babe Gomez Ave.  It use to be the center hub of the livestock exchange, and at one time was surrounded by stock yards and holding pens.   The architect was George Prinz and it was built by Peter Kiewit and sons.  It is a ten-story brick building built in an "H" shape.  It was completed for the Union Stockyards Company of Omaha.  It housed the Stockyards National Bank, offices, a bakery, cigar stand, soda fountain, kitchen, cafeteria, telehone and telegraph offices, sleeping quarters and apartments, and two ballrooms.  

Today it still houses the two ballrooms.  It now has 200 apartments.  On the bottom floor is a medical clinic, One-World Health.

Magazine Article Review: The Doctor's Work Endures,

 The Doctor's Work Endures by Ron Soodalter, Nebraska Life, July/August 2025, p 53.

Susan Laflesche was passionate about caring for her people, the Omaha Indians on the Omaha reservation in Nebraska.  She had seen disregard for Omaha life and decided to take upon herself the task of making a difference.  Susan was eleven years younger than her famous sister, Susette La Flesche.  An elder had been denied treament, with the doctor saying it didn't matter, she is only an Indian.  Susan decided it did matter and did something about it.  1889 she graduated valedictorian from the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania.  She became the first Native American physician.  She returned to Nebraska determined to care for all.   She would do house calls.  She opened a hospital in Walthill in 1919.  This hospital has recently been restored and is a medical and community center.  In addition a couple women recently reenacted her life, keeping the story alive. They were able to present at the Smithsonian.