Old Bellevue University in Bellevue

 There have been two Bellevue Universities.  The first was on Elk Hill in Bellevue close to the downtown area.  The second is at its current location close to Fort Crook and Harvel.  When the college was being build the remains of Big Elk were remove and moved to Bellevue Cemetery.  The tornado of 1908 hit the college and caused significant damage to several of the buildings.  After this is never really recovered and closed a few yeas later.  It served veterans after WWI and then was used as housing during WWII in support of the plane factory at Offutt.  

Parking where the University use to be.

Bellevue College
On October 16, 1880, this Presbyterian Liberal Arts College was organized, first classes were held September 10, 1883 with 26 students.  The original college contained 264 acres.  200 acres were sold in 1920 to the St. Columban's seminary.  In 1900, college enrollment was over 200 students under the leadership of Rev. David R. Kerr.  In 1910 The Presbyterian Church withdrew its support and the college became known as University of Omaha Bellevue.  The college had hopes of leading theological institution, but suffered a lack of financial support forcing it to close in 1919.  Its assets and records were given to Hastings College, Nebraska.  The building were latter used to educate World War I veterans.

Looking towards Columban Mission which use to be part of the college.

looking towards Missouri River

screen shot of map shows three buildings from old Bellevue University.  However I think they have now been torn down.  

Book Review: Romance of a Village: Story of Bellevue

 Romance of a Village: Story of Bellevue: The first permanent continuous settlement in Nebraska by William J. Shallcross, Centennial Souvenir Edition, Roncka Brothers Printers, Omaha, Nebraska, 1954.

This book is limited by when it was published, but it does provide some interesting information about the history of Omaha up until Offutt was created as the Strategic Air Command.  It starts with the Lewis and Clark expedition, and then continues onto early trading posts and trapping.  Manuel Lisa gave the area its name because of the view he observed long ago.  Peter Sarpy was also an early trade post operator but after Lucien Fontanelle.  Sarpy also ran a ferry.  He talks about relationships with the Omaha Indians, Chief Big Elk.  Bellevue had an early Indian agency.  

Early visits to Bellevue included Prince Maximilian and Karl Bodmer the artists.  Also Friederich Kurz the Swiss artist visited the area.  Mormons came through the Bellevue area in 1846, and gold miners soon after.  There was also a significant missionary effort to the Native Americans from the Baptists and Presbyterians.  This ended when the Omaha left to their permanent reservation in 1856.  

Bellevue could be considered the first territorial capitol, located at the mission; but the governor lived only one day after being sworn in.  The people of Council Bluffs and the Lieutenant Governor preferred the Omaha area.  So Bellevue missed out on the capital, and a few years later would also missed out on the railroad and the first bridge over the Missouri.  In missing the bridge this was partly because flooding had wiped out the footing on the Iowa side opposite Bellevue.  The bone tossed to Bellevue was that of the county seat, when Douglass county was divided and Sarpy County made.  However this was given to Papillion to create a more central location.  

Bellevue lost out on much, but began to establish itself as an education site with Bellevue University, a Christian University.  However after the tornado of 1908, the school never really recovered and closed.  After this the town of Bellevue struggled with few residents, until WWII.  At this time a bomber manufacturing plant was established at Fort Crook.  This added greatly to the population of the area, and was responsible for the creation of a downtown commercial area on Mission.  However it was feared at the end of the war the city would dry up.  This was adverted when the federal governemnt decided to place the SAC at the location of the old plant and Offutt was created from Fort Crook.

As mentioned this history is limited by its publication date.  Much more history and expansion has taken place since the 1950s and Bellevue is now the third largest city in Nebraska.  

History of Bellevue/Fontenelle as per Fontenelle Forest Center

 This displays tells the history of the Bdellevue area from 1000 through 1851.  It describes the Native Americans, and the trading and fur period.  It includes the esta blishment of an Indian agency in Bellevue.  

Chief Big Elk at Bellevue Cemetery

 I visited the Bellevue Cemetery an the grave of Big Elk.  The grave is at the top of the hill.  

Big Elk
Indian Name (Ong-Pa-Ton-Ga)
1770-1846
Last Full Blooded Chief of Omaha Tribe
Friend of the Pioneers and Grandfather of Logan Fontanelle

On September 19, 1954 with 1000 spectators, Big Elk and 14 Omahas were reburied here, their remains were brought from Elk Hill north of Mission Avenue where Big Elk had large funerals in 1846 and 1883.  Buffalo Chief translated White Bird's speech about Big Elk's leadership.  A chaplain from Offutt Air Force Base spoke.  Taps sounded.  Fitting tribal rituals were held.  The Omahas "Began their long rest in peace at their final resting place."  This famous orator and man of peace supported the U.S. in the War of 1812.  He visited two presidents.  His "coming flood" speech on western expansion gave good advice for all youth.  "I can no longer think for you and lead you as in my younger days.  You must think for yourselves ...that you may be prepared for the coming change.  Speak kindly to one another; do what you can to help each other, even in the troubles with the coming tide.

Bellevue Cemetery
In 1856 Bellevue set aside four city blocks as a cemetery.  However it was thought to have been used earlier as unofficial burial plots.  One of the earliest markers is of Jean Allen dated 1856 and located 70 feet northwest of marker.  Jean Allen and Ester Peters were buried within ne month of eachothr.  Other notable markers are: Big Elk and fourteen of his braves.  Big Elk was the last full-blooded chief of the Omaha Tribe.  Fenner Ferguson, first chief justice of the Nebraska Territory, Dr. Frank Gilder, noted archaeologist, and a grave of a pioneer child who was burird before 1856.  A slab of rock waqs placed over the top of the grave to discourage predators.

Looking east towards Iowa

Book Review: Bellevue, Images of America

 Bellevue Images of America by Ben Justman of the Sarpy County Museum, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina, 2011.

This book is written in an interesting format.  Each chapter takes about one page to introduce a theme--early history, naming of Bellevue, early history, transportation, work, lay education, aerospace and later boom growth.  In then presents pictures with descriptions to support each are of study.

Of interest in this book was the growth the military base offerred to Bellevue.  At one point the city almost died for lack of residents until the Offutt base turned that around.

History of Omaha area by the Decade from Durham Museum

This history does not start at the beginning.  There is history before 1800, geologic and Native American.

1800s  Lewis and Clark travel up the Missouri after the Louisiana Purchase.  Manuel Lisa leads a group of men up the Missouri representing the Missouri Fur Company

1810s  Fort Lisa is established in the north Omaha area

1820s. Fort Atkinson established north of Omaha.  Second trading post of Missouri Fur Company established in Bellevue.  First American Fur Company Post established north of Omaha.

1830s  Office of Indian Affairs established in Bellevue.  Baptist missionaries establish mission near Bellevue.  Treaty of Bellevue the Omaha Indian cede land east of the Missouri River for land near Bellevue

1840s. Peter Sarpy establishes ferry near Bellevue.  Presbyterian mission is established in Bellevue.  Mormons under Brigham establish temporary residence in Winter Quarters, now Florence, and Kanesville, now Council Bluffs.

1850s. Nebraska becomes a territory and Omaha becomes the capital.  Omaha becomes a major outfitting point for the Colorado Gold Rush

1860s. Civil War takes place, Telegraph and Railway construction begins.  Nebraska becomes a state and the capital is moved to Lincoln.

1870s   Union Pacific railway bridge is completed over the Missouri River.  Creighton University is established in Omaha.  Ponce Indian Chief wins landmark case in Omaha establishing Native Americans as people.  Telephone service comes to Omaha.

1880s Northwestern Electric Light Company brings electricity to Omaha.  First passenger bridge across the Missouri charges 5 cent toll per person.  South Omaha established as meet packing area.

1890s Tom Dennison establishes political maching in Omaha.  Knights of Aksarben crown first king and queen.  Prague Hotel becomes community center of Czech citizens.  Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition takes places in north Omaha.

1900s  Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway Company established.  J.L. Brandeis & Sons modern department store established.  James C. Dahlman is elected mayor.

1910s tornado hits Omaha.  WWI begins and is ater joined by the United States.  Dundee, South Omaha, Florence and Benson communities are annexed by Omaha.  Father Flanagan opens first boys home.  1919 riots and lynching of William Brown.

1920s radio begins broadcasting. Orpheum Theater is built.  Henry Fonda takes the stage at Omaha Community Playhouse.  Malcolm X is born in Omaha.

1930s. The film Boys Town premiers in Omaha.  WWII begins in Europe.  Omaha Union Station opens.

1940s. Pearl Harbor attacked and AMerica joins WWII.  Martin Bomber Plant at Offutt in Bellevue employs 14,000 people and produces B-29s including those that dropped nuclear bombs in Japan.  National scrap drive is initiated in Omaha.  After the war Offutt becimes Strategic Air Command.  Elizabeth Davis Pittman is first black woman to graduate from Creighton University and practice law in Nebraska.  Television comes to Omaha.

1950s. Omaha stockyards surpass Chicago for busiest in the world.   Omaha's centennial is celebrated.  Street cars discontinue service in 1959.  College World Series comes to Omaha.

1960s The meat packing companies in Omaha begin to close.  Bob Boozer wins gold in basketball at the Olympics in Rome becoming the only African American from Omaha to do so.  Bob Gibson of Omaha wins Cy Young Award.

1970s Elizabeth Davis Pittman becomes a judge, first African American and first woman judge in Omaha.  Millard is annexed into Omaha.  Amtrak takes over passenger train service and the Omaha Union Station closes.  Central Park Mall (later to become Gene Leahy Mall) is authorized.  Omaha is hit by wether, both blizzard, resulting in five deaths and many rescued by National Guard, and tornado.  Western Heritage Museum (later Durham) takes up residence in Omaha Union Station.  

1980s Brandeis store closes and telemarketing becomes a big business in Omaha.  ConAgra Foods comes to Omaha.

1990s Joselyn Art Museum opens in Omaha.  Omaha Stockyards close.

2000. First National Tower (tallest building in Omaha) opens.  Qwest Center (CHI Health Center) opens.  Holland Performing Arts Center opens.  Omaha Nebraskan Warren Buffet announces larges philanthropic gift in history.