Florence, Omaha
Florence is a present-day
History
Starting in 1917, the neighborhood of Florence has roots pre-dating the establishment of the
In 1917, the City of Florence was annexed by the
Modern developments
In 2024, the Florence neighborhood's main thoroughfare, N. 30th St., is undergoing road and mobility enhancements as part of a broader push to improve traffic flow and safety throughout the city. Florence is included in Omaha's traffic management projects, which aim to modernize signals and improve transportation routes in the region.[6] Recently installed along N. 30th St., the Florence neighborhood is now home to six street-side bioretention gardens in a two-block area. "The City of Omaha Stormwater program will be maintaining the bioretention gardens and evaluating their performance periodically to make sure it is working as intended..."[7]
One recent neighborhood introduction brochure said Florence is "[j]ust a quick 10-minute drive away from downtown Omaha, this thriving neighborhood is filled with well-preserved buildings and homes dating back to the 1800s. Plus, there are plenty of down-home restaurants and family-friendly attractions like Alpine Inn, Mormon Trail Center, General Crook House Museum and the Bank of Florence Museum."[1]
Preserving Florence history
There have been several developments over the last century intended to celebrate the history of the Florence neighborhood.
The Florence Futures Foundation is responsible for fostering many of the historic preservation efforts in the area by working to enhance neighborhood identity and reverse economic decline by attracting heritage tourism.[8]
Historic landmarks in Florence
| Landmarks in Florence | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Built | Location | NRHP? | Notes | |
Bank of Florence
|
1856 | 8502 North 30th Street | October 15, 1969 | This Greek Revival -style building built between 1850 and 1874.
| |
| Florence Boulevard | 1892 | Burt Street north to J.J. Pershing Drive | 2013[9] | Part of Omaha boulevard system , this was once called the "Prettiest Mile."
| |
Florence Depot
|
1887 | 9000 North 30th Street | Originally built at 28th and Grebe Streets. | ||
| Florence Firehouse | 1888 | 8415 North 29th Street | This landmark was severely damaged in a fire that broke out due to faulty electrical wiring on May 15, 1984. It was rebuilt in the Urbana Gothic style, a transition from the early Fremol style of most other landmark Florence buildings.[10] | ||
| Florence Mill | 1846 | 9102 North 30th Street | December 31, 1998 | Also known as the Weber Mill, Mormon Mill, Grist Mill, and Old Pink Mill, this site is on the National Register of Historic Places and has two historic markers. | |
| Florence School | 1860s | 7902 North 36th Street | Also known as Florence Elementary School. It was recently remodeled, and now has a part of the school specifically for boy and girls club. It attends to students from grades kindergarten to fifth grade. | ||
| Fontenelle Boulevard | Pre-1900 | Military Road to North 30th Street
|
2013[9] | ||
| Keirle House | 1905 | 3017 Mormon Street | Declared an Omaha Landmark in 1997.
| ||
| Mormon Pioneer Cemetery | 1846 | 3301 State Street | Used until 1848, LDS Church records indicate 359 pioneers are buried there.
| ||
| Notre Dame Academy and Convent | 1924 | 3501 State Street | March 5, 1998 | ||
| Old People's Home | 1917 | 3325 Fontenelle Boulevard | October 21, 1987 | ||
| Potter's Field Cemetery | 1870s | 7909 Mormon Bridge Road | Located next to the Nebraska State Historical Society marker.
| ||
| St Philip Neri School | 8202 North 31st Street | The parish was founded in 1904; the school in 1922.[11] | |||
| Shipley Cemetery | |||||
| Fort Lisa | 1812 | A historical marker is located in the nearby Hummel Park. | |||
| Cabanne's Trading Post | 1822 | A historical marker is located in the nearby Hummel Park. | |||
| Encantonment Missouri and Fort Atkinson | 1819 | Pre-territorial military installations, are nearby as well.[12] | |||
| Florence Water Works | J.J. Pershing Dr. | 1880 | Restored in the 2010s by the Metropolitan Utilities District. | ||
See also
- History of North Omaha, Nebraska
- Timeline of North Omaha, Nebraska history
- Landmarks in North Omaha, Nebraska
References
- ^ a b "Greater Omaha", Greater Omaha Chamber. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Heritage tourism may define future of Florence" Archived 2008-09-07 at the Wayback Machine, Omaha by Design. Retrieved 9/18/08.
- ^ Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - Douglas County
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 127.
- ^ Reeves, R. (n.d.) Douglas County History Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine University of Nebraska.
- ^ "Omaha residents give feedback on fixing traffic troubles in Florence," KMTV (May 20, 2022). Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Florence Streetscape". OmahaStormWater.org. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "About", Florence Futures Foundation. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Omaha Park and Boulevard System". National Park Service. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
- ^ Federal Writers Project, Nebraska: A Guide to the Cornhusker State, Nebraska State Historical Society, (1939) Online full-text PDF edition, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Retrieved 6/28/10.
- ^ "Parish history" Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, St. Philip Neri Church of Omaha, Retrieved 6/4/08.
- ^ "A Directory of Historic Places in Florence, Nebraska" by Adam Fletcher Sasse for NorthOmahaHistory.com.
External links
- "A History of the Florence Neighborhood" by Adam Fletcher Sasse for NorthOmahaHistory.com
- 1856 drawing of the steamer Omaha landing Mormon settlers at Florence.
- "Florence Neighborhood, Cutler’s Park and Winter Quarters", Omaha Exploration, September 30, 2024.