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Bibi Ho! :(

2012-01-16T10:45:00.001-06:00

The Westward Ho was not Las Vegas' largest or most opulent casino. In fact, it was quite downscale and admittedly so.

The Westward Ho claimed the title of "World's Largest Motel", since all rooms were in 1 or 2 story low-rise buildings. When the the Westward Ho was constructed in the early 1960s, motel-style rooms were far more common in Las Vegas than hotel towers.

Known affectionately as "The Ho", or unaffectionately as "The Westward Hole", the property had its share of fans and detractors.

Love it or hate it, the Westward Ho was busy, bustling, and popular!

The feature most noticed was the collection of brilliantly-lighted umbrella-like things on the sidewalk by a mirrored building frontage.

The overall atmosphere, inside and outside on the Strip, was festive.

I remember staying at the Westward Ho twice.

The first time I was very underwhelmed and actually put off a bit, the main reason being that our room door showed signs of a recent break-in, or at least an attempt at a break-in.

The second time was kind of a spur of the moment trip where the Westward Ho was really the only place left which offered a decent rate at short notice for a weekend. I really enjoyed it the second time.

The room was definitely not in the "mint on the pillow" class, but it was recently renovated, clean and comfortable, and the door closed very securely. (Yes, I checked!)

I considered it to be a step down from the tower rooms at the Sahara, but a step up from the old "Dorm Rooms" out in back at the Stardust.

The Ho was most definitely downscale, but it didn't have that "down and out" vibe of the Western or the Aztec Inn.

The Ho was famous (infamous?) for their food and drink bargains!

The Margaritas tasted more like lemon-line slurpees, but a modest buzz could be obtained after consuming enough of them. :)

The Ho's claim to fame was the Mega-Dog, a 3/4 pound frankfurter, which is far more than I could ever consume in one sitting!

In the heyday of the Ho, the Las Vegas discussion forums (fora?) frequently circled back to the "Mega-Dog Challenge", with anecdotes of gastric distress. :)

Cheap rooms, cheap food, cheap drinks, and low-limit gaming were all available, in abundance, at The Ho!

The Ho you didn't know:

In 2004 a satellite casino (think 7-11 shop with slot machines and one gaming table) opened to the rear of the property, fronting Industrial Road.

Downward Plunge:

In mid 2005 it was announced that the Westward Ho would be closing, with a new development planned for the property.

I shot the above night scenes in October of 2005, only a few weeks before the closure.

As an aside, the Westward Ho is the only casino where I remember specifically not being told to take photos. I did the outside night shots, walked into the casino and raised the camera to my eye. A security guard stopped me and very courteously (cordially, actually) asked me to please not take any photos inside the casino.

When I shoot inside a casino, I'll always ask either a security person or a "suit" if it's permitted, but I kind of assumed that they would not object due to the short life expectancy of the property. Oh well.

In November, things went dark and fences went up!

The Riviera shines brightly in the reflection.

Umbrella things (I sure don't know the proper name for those) held hostage behind the fence.

What? No "Giant Margarita" or "Mega-Dog" signs?

Desolate!

Like a prison camp.

At least they left a few lights on, almost until the very end.

Cash yer chips across the street at the Riv!

Last Gasp!

No Ho! :(

A sad scene! :(

What's there now?

Nothing, actually!

The owners of the Ho property reached an agreement with Boyd Gaming, owners of what was the Stardust and developers of what was to be Echelon Place, to incorporate the Westward Ho tract into the Echelon project.

The vacant Ho property can be seen in the view above directly to the left of the McDonald's sign in the center of the photo.

The Echelon project has to be the number-one fiasco in Las Vegas history! Boyd had a cash cow, the Stardust, with a loyal regular following. They had grandiose plans for a project of hotels within hotels and casinos within casinos and absentee celebrity chef restaurants and megatrendy velvet rope clubs and ...

Then the recession hit!

You can read that story HERE and HERE.

Oh well, so it goes ... (and so do I!) :)

Forest after the Flood ...

2011-12-01T08:48:00.002-06:00

In 2007 I featured Fontenelle Forest, a local forest preserve adjoining Bellevue, Nebraska. Fontenelle Forest is the largest unbroken tract of land within a {mumble} mile radius. You can see the original posting HERE

The Wetlands is one of my favorite sections of the Forest.

Wetlands, ca. 2007:

I had described the Wetlands as "Fallen trees, mossy ponds, rickety bridges, reeds, rushes, cat-tails, lilly pads ..."

Although I visit the Forest semi-regularly, I have not seen the Wetlands since the Great Flood. During the recent Saint Martin's summer I did venture down there and I was quite astonished in what I saw.

At the entrance to the Gifford Memorial Boardwalk, things looked more or less normal.

The most obvious sign of anything unusual was a very thick coat of dried mud covering the Boardwalk, with signs of recent footprints, indicating recent use.

However, after venturing a few hundred feet into the Forest, it was very obvious that things were not normal.

The Boardwalk, one of two equal-access trails in the Forest was buckled and was off its footing in many places.

This next photo best shows the depth of the flooding.

Notice the high-water mark, the "bathtub ring" about 6 feet or so up the tree trunks.

Repairs are in progress!

Recent tire tracks show the repair work to the base of the trail, and parts of the Boardwalk have been salvaged and stacked ready for re-assembly.

Sections of fallen trees, once blocking the path of the Boardwalk, have been removed, as we see from the recent saw marks and sawdust.

The area surrounding the Great Marsh is still damp from the muck left over from the receding flood waters.

The Great Marsh itself has a very normal look to it, for this time of the season.

The flood has taken its toll on the signage along the path of the Boardwalk.

Some signs have escaped with only minor damage.

Others appear to be damaged beyond repair! :(

Speaking of signs ...

I guess I should have read the bottom-center note before venturing on the Boardwalk, huh? :)

Occupy Chicago!

2011-10-25T19:36:00.001-05:00

I'm not gonna say much here -- the photos say it all ...

For a local Omaha perspective, look here: http://www.dshawnphotography.com/Occupy_Omaha.html

Midtown Crossing at Twilight ...

2011-10-16T10:04:00.002-05:00

Midtown Crossing is a "Mixed Use" development just west of Turner Park, between Dodge and Farnam west to 33rd., where it abuts the Mutual Of Omaha campus. Yes, one of Mutual's development subsidiaries was and is the driving force behind Midtown Crossing.

We strolled through Midtown Crossing in the daytime as we explored roughly a mile-long stretch of Farnam Street. You can Read All About It HERE if you have not already done so.

It was a dark and stormy night! (With appropriate apologies to Washington Irving and, of course, to Snoopy.) :) I found myself having a free Saturday, which lately has been a rare occurrence.

It was also a game night!

This means that crowds will be down in the Omaha area, with tens of thousands making the trek down the pike to Lincoln to attend services of Nebraska's State Religion. :) (Free pizza, huh?)

I was hoping for a bit more of a night-time look and feel to the photos. It *WAS* getting dark, really. :)

What I ended up getting were shots which looked almost day-lit, with a bit more light from the illuminated windows.

Several of the shops were attractively lit, making conditions right for mixed-light photography.

I just wish these *LOOKED* a little darker! :)

Midtown Cinema, one of the few theaters at which adult beverages are served, was a ghost town. The combination of the driving rain and the live action in Lincoln sure appeared to be taking its toll on the activity in this district!

Ingredient Restaurant, a regional casual Contemporary American chain, which offers customers countless options and (>>SHOCK!<<) discourages tipping was also mostly empty.

Let's face it! Game night during football season is a no-winner for local restaurateurs!

Most of the dining options of Midtown Crossing are of the "Contemporary American" ilk, and there is somewhat of a shakeout in progress. Midtown Crossing, like a number of the areas I've reported on about the Omaha area, is mostly free of the usual-suspect downscale fast food chains and formula restaurants. Refreshing, isn't it! :)

Cantina Laredo (uh-huh, it's a chain, but not one of the usual suspects) appears to be about the only Non-Contemporary-American joint around her.

As with the others, very sparse crowd this evening!

Loft 610 - Contemporary American. Take a good look at it!

You won't see this one very much longer. Loft 610 closed just a few days before this was taken. It's planned that it will either re-open as an upscale Italian place called Portovino, or else another branch of that great Contemporary American institution, For Lease.

I do wish them success. I would really hate to see this one be yet another well-intended restaurant to go under. :(

The Grey Plume - Contemporary American.

Contemporary American intended with a green footprint. Locally-owned and operated and uses locally-produced ingredients whenever possible. Recently scaled back hours of operation. It appeared to be relatively busy on this otherwise very slow Saturday evening. (I'm very sure non-local folks don't understand the "very slow Saturday" comments.) :)

Glo - a cocktail lounge and martini bar...

... above Delice and next door to the Cinema.

Crave!

Omaha branch of a regional chain of {sigh!} Contemporary American restaurants.

Midtown Crossing does have more than Contemporary American restaurants.

There are a number of retailers in here.

Such as Republic Of Couture, the Omaha branch of the quasi-upscale chain.

Prairie Life Fitness ...

... Gotta work off all of that Contemporary American chow, huh? :)

Although the building is brand spankin' new, the traditional neighborhood grocer is alive and well in Midtown Crossing, holding down the fort at 33rd. and Dodge!

Wohlner's, a long-lived independent grocer of the Dundee area, has taken up residence in Midtown Crossing.

As we've seen in a few of these walk-throughs, the widely-reported death of the independent purveyor of provisions is premature and exaggerated. Although several former merchants are known as "the last independent grocer in Omaha", examples such as Wohlner's and Louis' in Beautiful Downtown Benson are examples of continuing life.

Although most of the living quarters in Midtown Crossing are (reportedly slow-filling) condominiums (there's that word again) and rental units, there is one hotel.

Element By Westin, a "green and healthy" upscale hotel shares the southeast corner of 33rd. and Dodge with Wohlner's.

I hope you've enjoyed this somewhat wet twilight journey. I just wish the photos were a bit darker. Oh well, so it goes (and so do I)! :) Now let's head on over to Amerisports and do the game! :)

If you're bored and need a laugh ...

2011-10-15T09:24:00.003-05:00

Surf here: www.bluntcard.com

I'll very seldom simply post a link, or blatantly plug web sites, but this one had me laughing so hard I literally hurt!

Cards for all occasions. Can't think of the perfect thing to say? :)

Caution, considerable adult language is used frequently on these cards! Surf at your own risk! :)

The Great Flood - An Epilogue ...

2011-10-09T21:48:00.003-05:00

This is what things looked like two months ago - early August ...

... and this is what it looks like now, early October.

The Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri River has pulled back, dropping from a height of 36 feet in July to a more or less normal stage of 19 and some feet as of this writing.

The clean-up begins ...

I believe the correct technical term for what the river left behind is "muck". Yes, it is, look it up. :) This is the ongoing effort at the Ameristar Casino to restore the north parking lots to a usable state.

Notice the high water marks on the lamp posts, indicating the crest of the flooding some weeks ago.

The clean-up of parking lots really does not show the depth of the impact to human life! Hundreds were forced from their homes by the rising and sustained water, and thousands upon thousands of lives were disrupted.

The Great Flood of 2011 ...

2011-06-13T09:25:00.014-05:00

When I wrote the posting on the Great Flood Of 2010 I admit I did so somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Last year's flood was, depending on your point of view, anywhere between amusing and annoying. Human lives were not in jeopardy, nor were there any serious property damage incidents.

It's a bit more serious here and now in 2011! :( We've had one worker fatality, voluntary and mandatory evacuations, flooded cellars, closed highways, re-routed trains, sewage issues, shelters established, and more business disruptions than can be counted. Several riverfront dining and entertainment venues such as Surfside Club and Anchor Inn are closed indefinitely. Hamburg Iowa, downstream about 50 miles and home of Stoner Drugs, is threatened.

Following the floods of 1947 and 1952, an extensive levee system was built along the banks of the Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri River to protect the low-lying areas of Omaha and Council Bluffs from all but the most unexpected levels in the Missouri.

As long as the levees continue to hold, "they" tell us that no serious disruptions will occur and no mass evacuations will be required.

However, contingency plans are in place for the evacuation of the lower-lying areas of Council Bluffs, and emergency water removal from Eppley Airfield and Ameritrade Park.

The Council Bluffs Nonpareil (that OTHER daily paper in our area) has an excellent collection of photos on line in their Special Collections Archive which show, among other things, the 1947 and 1952 floods.

As of this writing, the stage of the Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri River at Omaha is running 32.1 feet, having increased from approximately 15 feet this past March.

Depending on who is speaking, and the degrees of optimism, realism, and sensationalism they wish to present, they (the ubiquitous "they") predict anywhere from 4 feet to 8 feet in addition to the current stage, with the peak lasting anywhere from several weeks to several months.

These readings raise a question. 32 feet from WHAT?

I put out a few queries regarding this, and the best answer came from a Coast Guard Petty Officer who wrote: "River Stage, or Gage Height, is measured vertically from Gage Zero. Gage Zero is often, but not always, the lowest point of the river bottom, directly adjacent to the gage, at the time the gage was installed. Natural and un-natural actions will affect the river bed, but Gage Zero is seldom, if ever, adjusted."

As a precaution, many items of critical infrastructure have been isolated with sandbags, such as this utility installation.

Vulnerable portions of the levee system have been reinforced.

River water has begun to encroach upon low-lying areas on both the Iowa and Nebraska sides.

The flooding is most apparent in the surface parking lots of the Ameristar and Harrah's Casinos, located less than a mile from each other, on the Council Bluffs riverfront.

If we compare these photos (shot on the weekends of June 4-5 and 11-12) to these of 2010, it's obvious that this year's flood is more significant.

Harrah's north parking lot is almost completely under water!

As of June 6, a few parking spaces were still available, but as of June 11th, the entire north surface lot, as well as the north casino entrance, are closed due to high water.

Ameristar's north surface parking lot has been closed for a few weeks.

Walk across my swimming pool! :)

Traffic cones, barricades, various flotsam.

Lamp posts in the lake!

The outdoor events area is, literally, part of the river!

This is supposed to be dry land!

Culvert pipes, apparently from some construction project, are now in the middle of a lake!

The Robert Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, featured HERE offers a great vantage point to observe the flooding on both the Iowa and Nebraska sides.

What is normally riverfront parkland is entirely submerged.

I would >>HOPE<< that this debris just washed up. I like to think that Omaha area folks have more class than to throw stuff like this off the bridge!

On the Omaha side, the water still has several feet to go before it threatens Rick's Boatyard.

Note the midway from the Santa Lucia Festival on the waterfront. (Why did they ever move this out of Little Italy?)

Upstream, the Gallup Riverfront Campus is truly riverfront!

The workers represented in the Monument To Labor sculpture are wading waist-deep.

They say that the College World Series will go on no matter what, and they assure us that they will keep Eppley open no matter what, and that they will do all they can to prevent a breach which will flood the northwest quarter of Council Bluffs.

However, we're sure of one thing, and that is that it will be several weeks, if not months, before much of our beloved Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri riverfront (all set about with fever trees?) will be usable again.

Downtown Las Vegas Then and Now ...

2011-06-06T01:34:00.000-05:00

The "Then" shots were taken on what I remember as my third trip to Las Vegas and my first and only New Years Eve Las Vegas experience. It was late 1970s, exact year uncertain.

(And yes, Omaha fans, more Omaha to come very shortly ...) :)

Our extended family stayed at the Nevada Hotel, which was then quite respectable and served as an overflow facility for the El Cortez. We had originally booked at the El Cortez, but they had trouble getting the exact number and types of rooms we needed, so they placed us at the Hotel Nevada.

Who??? :)

The Hotel Nevada went into a downward slide in the 1980s and eventually closed.

But anyway ... Here are some photos I took that New Years Eve, and some I shot from similar angles during a 2005 trip ...

Enjoy! :)

Crossing Midtown ...

2011-05-14T06:53:00.003-05:00

Up Farnam from Park to 40!

When I moved to Omaha, the term "Midtown" was not to be heard.

I daresay the name, referring to an area of Omaha that is, was unknown until the 1990s and did not become trendy until 2000.

If we ignore the term "Midtown", the area we're going to traverse covers parts of the Turner Park District, the Blackstone District, the Midtown Crossing District, the Mutual District, the Gold Coast, and touches upon the Med Center District.

Nobody seems to agree what the boundaries of Midtown are, or even what the boundaries of Downtown are. I've always thought of the cluster of large TV towers and the Mutual campus as being "downtown", but I'm apparently in the minority.

When I think of "downtown" I think of the central business core.

I've searched what I can, and I have indeed found a very concise and authoritative reference as to what is and what is not Downtown Omaha:

If "downtown" is difficult to define, "midtown" is worse. I would think of "midtown" in Omaha as being west of Downtown, whatever boundaries that may have, and extending westward to where the "old growth" pre-WWII architecture ends.

Rather than debate some ephemeral definitions, let's explore! :)

We'll begin at Park Avenue and Farnam, walking westward on Farnam to 40th.

In our one-mile trek we will pass the headquarters of not one, not two, but three Fortune-500 companies!

The "Park" in Omaha's Park Avenue is that of Hanscom Park, with Park Avenue leading south from Dodge St. along the east side of Hanscom Park. The defunct trolley line serving this route was the Park East Line, with a corresponding Park West Line running along a private right-of-way along Hanscom Park's west side.

Farnam Street was named in memory of railroad and banking mogul Henry Farnham [sic], and in Omaha's youth, the street was indeed spelled with the "h", over time morphing into the current spelling.

Despite the activity and development in the Turner Park and Midtown Crossing area, the immediate vicinity of Park Avenue is uncertain at best. This section contains several vacant, worn-out, and infirm buildings.

Looking east from Park Avenue we see buildings badly in need of some TLC.

Godfather's Pizza is the exception to this rule, apparently thriving in what was once a bridal salon.

West of Godfather's, I knew this building as the home of a Big Boy restaurant, long closed. More recently it was a walk-in clinic, now vacant and for sale/lease, as are several other buildings in the immediate area.

The Crown Jewel of the block, if there is to be one, is the South Tower of the Twin Towers Condominiums. (Is it "condominiums" or "condominia"?)

The South Tower came about in the 1960s from Omaha's flagship Sears And Roebuck shop, gutted to the iron framing and reconstructed, Sears having moved to the new Crossroads Mall on what was then the west side of town.

The adjoining North Tower, what appears to be a fraternal, not identical twin of the South Tower, was constructed from the ground up in the former Sears parking lot.

But wait! What's wrong with this picture?

Give up?

The building is totally vacant! Unoccupied! Considered uninhabitable by the local TLA.

The South Tower, while it may not be thriving, looks like it's holding its own, and offering some excellent views of Turner Park and the relatively new Midtown Crossing.

The Clarinda:

The success story of this block has to be The Clarinda!

Until recent years, The Clarinda was yet another neglected and crumbling apartment, housing druggies and those down on their luck, and destined for the wrecking ball.

Rather than a demolition and the construction of yet another Fedders Special, The Clarinda has been magnificently restored and turned into condominiums. (Jeesh! That word just doesn't sound right!)

The Clarinda offers catercorner views of Turner Park.

He Age:

It may not be a fraternal twin of The Clarinda, but The Page is more like Clarinda's kid brother.

Although still boarded up, the brickwork and stonework of The Page show signs of some recent spiff-up work and plans are to restore The Page along the lines of The Clarinda.

The Page fronts Turner Boulevard and looks out upon an innominate greenspace connecting Turner Park to Dewey Park.

Turner Boulevard is part of what was Omaha's original Boulevard System, consisting of several winding thoroughfares connecting Omaha's parks. Turner cuts a serpentine path from just north of Dodge Street south to Woolworth Avenue, connecting Turner Park, Dewey Park, Leavenworth Park, and with a wee bit of imagination, Hanscom Park.

Turner Boulevard and Turner Park are named in memory of Charles Turner, a turn of the 20th century real estate developer whose family donated the land for what became Turner Park.

Turner park was intended to be the customary "Village Square" for the developing area, a greenspace set aside for the enjoyment of the residents.

A World War I monument was erected in the southeast corner of Turner Park in the early 1920s.

The Turner Park Carousel previously occupied the northeast corner of Turner Park, near the intersection of Dodge Street and Turner Boulevard. It was removed in the early 1950s when Omaha adopted one-way streets and the access lane from eastbound Dodge Street to Douglas Street was constructed.

The former location of the carousel is seen below.

The skyline of Midtown Crossing forms an attractive background on the west side of Turner Park.

The new buildings of Midtown Crossing all but dwarf First Unitarian, which faces Harney Street just west of Turner Boulevard.

Midtown Crossing is one of the most dynamic and energetic areas in the Omaha area as of this writing.

Midtown crossing is a "mixed use" (uh-huh, that term and the concept, is as trendy as wood-fired free-range cupcakes) development consisting of condominiums (yeah, that word again), retail and entertainment venues, business offices, and about anything.

The project was financed and developed by a subsidiary of Mutual Of Omaha, whose campus we will visit as we wander to the immediate west.

Midtown Crossing is intended to be a walkable and transit-friendly district, except for the fact that the friendly transit disappeared from the area about 1955. It's definitely walkable and enjoyable.

As an aside, for most of the photos in this section I'm trying something different.

Why?

Just because. :)

I shot these scenes using medium format color transparency film, cross-processed in the chemistry normally used for color negative film.

This is something I don't normally do, but I did it once kind of on the spur of the moment, written up HERE.

I wanted to do it, however, planned and intentionally, to try to work with the medium.

Cross-processing in this manner typically results in some color shifts, anywhere from subtle to bizarre. This can result in such things as a sky shaded from azure to salmon color in the same frame. Some consider cross-processing such as this to be part of the "lo-fi" movement in contemporary photography.

I also composed these for the square format, something I don't usually do and a technique with which I'm not familiar. My last "square format" camera was the Brownie Starflash I had when I was very young. :)

Anyway ...

Farnam Street is the "Main Drag" of Midtown Crossing, running along the development's south side, from just west of Turner Boulevard uphill and westward to 33rd. St.

Delice' Bakery, a transplant from the Old Market, is one of the casual dining venues along this stretch of Farnam.

As is ingredient [sic] (lower case "i" is correct for this name), more of a full-service eatery.

And you can work off the calories at Prairie Life Fitness just across the street. :)

Midtown Cinema offers adult beverages with your feature film. :)

Dogs Allowed!

We have a "people bakery" down the street, and this one for our furry companions.

The new construction of Midtown Crossing blends well with that of the Twin Towers in the background.

Looking eastward and downhill through the Midtown Crossing area. For those who remember the Chicago Bar, it was where the building dead-center in the photo now stands.

Notice the red and white tower poking up above the "Cinema" sign. Hold that thought. :)

The street lamps of Midtown Crossing are somewhat unusual.

A design I don't remember seeing before, particularly around Omaha.

Mutual Of Omaha

Yes, >>THAT<< Mutual Of Omaha.

Nope, no Lions, Tigers, and Bears (oh my!) anywhere around here. :)

Mutual's World Headquarters building sits on the northwest corner of 33rd. and Farnam.

The original building dates from the 1940s, with additional "layers" constructed in between the 1950s and the 1970s, and expansion to other buildings in the neighborhood from the late 1970s to the present.

Mutual's business units include the core health and accident insurance business, United Of Omaha Life Insurance, Mutual Of Omaha Bank (photo below), and others including East Campus Realty, the developer of Midtown Crossing.

Mutual's iconic "Chief" logo appears in several places throughout the Campus.

The main Bank building occupies the large tract on the southwest corner of 33rd. and Farnam, directly opposite the main headquarters building.

Under a dusty rose sky!

This frame, taken along with those of Midtown Crossing, shows an example of the not-all-unexpected color shifts which can happen when cross-processing transparency film.

As we venture west of Mutual, we enter what was once known as Omaha's Gold Coast district. Stately and opulent mansions, many long gone but some still extant, lined such streets as Harney, Dewey, North 38th., and yes, Farnam.

Immediately to the west of the Mutual Campus is First Presbyterian Church, a brick Gothic structure dating from the 19-teens, one of several cavernous churches in the Gold Coast area.

Tower To The Sky!

West and across from First Prez stands the headquarters and studios of WOWT, Omaha's first television station. WOWT beat rival KMTV (whose original tower can be seen in the distance in one of the photos above) by only a handful of days in a "race to the air" in 1947.

Originally WOWT was the area's NBC affiliate with KMTV originally affiliating with CBS. They swapped in 1956 and swapped back in 1986. They traded off carrying the ABC programs until KETV went on the air a few years later, and the two arm-wrestled over who got stuck carrying the DuMont programs. :)

Johnny Carson hosted a local talk show from this very building in the late 1940s.

Several nationally-known news figures began their careers with rival KMTV including Floyd Kalber, Tom Brokaw, and Chuck Roberts.

Both KMTV and WOWT claim to be the first station in Omaha to do live local color broadcasts.

The downtown towers are no longer used except for emergencies. The three "majors" (WOWT, KMTV, KETV) now broadcast from a shared facility on north 72nd. Street.

The highrise just to the west of the WOWT studio is home to two well-known Fortune-500 companies.

The moniker is that of PKS (Peter Kiewit and Sons) whose family parlayed a small bricklaying outfit into one of the largest construction contractors in the world.

However, the sleeper behind the facade is none other than Berkshire-Hathaway. Uh-huh, this is Warren B's office! :)

No huge "BERKSHIRE-HATHAWAY" logo here. They keep a low profile.

The flagship of the Gold Coast is, or rather was, the Blackstone Hotel.

The Blackstone closed as a hotel shortly after I arrived in Omaha. In my goings-on I became acquainted with several recent employees of the Blackstone and all reflected upon the classy place it was under the management of Schimmel and the subsequent fall from grace under Radisson's (mis?)direction.

The tale oft told was that of the Reuben Sandwich and its origin at the Blackstone.

The name is attributed to Reuben Kulakofsky, a Russian immigrant of the founding family of Central Market and a regular diner at the Blackstone. It was said that the sandwich was made at the request of Mr. K., and when it was placed on the menu, for the lack of a better name, "Reuben" was used.

Another Omaha institution, the Rose Bowl on Saddle Creek Road, also claimed to originate the Reuben. Although all I know is hearsay, my impression was that the sandwich and the name were long established before the Rose Bowl came to be. Since both dogs in this fight are long gone, it's doubtful that the disagreement will ever be satisfied.

The view above shows the closed former entrance to what was the Golden Spur, one of the Blackstone's dining establishments.

Anyway, the once tres elegante Blackstone is mostly offices and has been for some time. Kiewit now controls and manages the building.

Across Farnam to the north from the Blackstone lies a revitalized strip once dominated by the Blackstone Pharmacy.

The Crescent Moon Ale House occupies the northwest section, the former entrance to the pharmacy.

The lower level has become the Huber Haus, a beer-garden venue for special events. As I was shooting the Blackstone and Kiewit Plaza area, the sound of an OOM-PA band was emanating from the area.

Max And Joe's (looks like another special event hall) and Beertopia round out the scene.

The connected buildings to the east host a frame shop ...

... and Tommy Colina's.

Tommy Colina's is on my must-try list, but it just hasn't happened yet. It's said that it's "contemporary casual" in theme, featuring burgers, melts, wraps, salads and the like, with a recently-added breakfast buffet.

West of 36th. on the north side of Farnam are a couple of surviving Gold Coast Era mansions.

This particular mansion, although at one time a residence, was the long-standing home of the Fitch McEachron & Cole Mortuary.

During the 1940s, the stretch of Farnam Street from roughly 32nd. to 37th. or so was colloquially known as "Mortuary Row", due to the preponderance of undertaking businesses.

Another surviving early 20th. century mansion is the Storz House, just west of the intersection of Farnam and 37th.

Gottlieb Storz, a local brewer, built the mansion in the early 1900s and it remained in the family until the 1980s. It is once again under private ownership.

It's been said that Fred Astaire used the ballroom on the upper level to rehearse, his father being an employee of Storz and the Storz family supporting Astaire's up and coming career.

The Storz Brewery on 16th. Street had an almost-100-year career from 1876 to 1972.

Storz Beer, the brand, disappeared in the mid 1970s.

I only remember having Storz Beer once, at a political rally for a local candidate, for whom I had done some volunteer work. They had a small stash of Storz Triumph squirreled away for an important event.

The lineage of Storz Beer survives, to an extent, but the bloodline has now been diluted and polluted to the degree which surely has Gottlieb and Adolph Storz perpetually rolling in their graves! Storz was acquired by Grain Belt in the mid 1960s, which continued to produce both brands. Grain Belt was then taken over by G. Heileman (Heileman's Old Style) in the 1970s which dropped the Storz label. Heileman then merged with Stroh's in the 1990s, which was subsequently taken over by Pabst.

As we approach 38th we come upon Joseph's College of Barbering, which I assume is a spin-off of Joseph's College of Hair Design in Lincoln.

I'm guessing that the building once housed either a neighborhood hardware store or small supermarket.

We have a surprise on 38th! Thrift shop, that is. :)

When I lived in the Turner Park area, this used to be the Post Office.

McFoster's Natural Kind Cafe graces the southwest corner at 38th. Street. The architecture, evidence of doors for service bays, indicates that this most likely was a very stylish service station at one time.

For some reason I get the impression that prime rib is not on the menu. :)

They aren't mansions, but several larger detached and attached homes remain on the south side of Farnam heading west of 38th. Street

The sign on the entrance of 3817 piqued my curiosity.

Turns out that this is an Oxford House, one of several in the area.

An Oxford House is a self-run, self-supported "safe house" for those recovering from drug and/or alcohol issues.

Residents are welcome to live in an Oxford House as long as they feel the need, and as long as they remain drug and alcohol free.

The Colonial Hotel has been a landmark of the area for decades.

When I worked in this area, late 1980s, the Colonial had slid from its grand standing and at the time was one cut above that of a flop-house.

However in recent years it's been cleaned up quite a bit and now houses a mixture of permanent residents and nightly guests.

The Brothers Lounge is another fixture in the neighborhood.

"Brothers" refers to the Firmature Brothers, the family being noted in a previous posting for operating several bars and restaurants in the area, including the Gas Lamp and the Regency Sidewalk Cafe.

Having spent a number of evenings in the "Sisters Room" at Brothers, I did happen to pick up on one bit of neighborhood trivia which may not be well known.

North of Brothers, this otherwise unassuming six-flat, the Lash Apartments, holds a certain distinction.

This building was the long-time home of the late Alice Buffett, for whom the Buffet Award for Education is named.

Uh-huh, another one from >>THAT<< Buffett family! :)

We now pass 38th. Avenue heading west. Remember that in Omaha, numbered avenues usually run parallel to the same numbered street, and usually one block to the west. Such is the case with 38th. Street and Avenue.

Brite Ideas is a year-around business dealing exclusively in holiday and decorative lighting. Their showroom and production facility occupies this former telephone company garage at Farnam and 38th. Avenue.

Brite Ideas was the victim of a devastating fire in 2005, noted briefly in a previous posting. At first glance, the building appeared to be close to a total loss!

They completed renovations and moved back just in time for the holiday season of 2006.

I've always considered the Tudor Arms, just north of Farnam on 39th. Street, to be one of the most attractive apartment buildings in the Omaha area.

Several other well-preserved and well-maintained apartments are dotted about Farnam in the 38th-39th. area.

Others, such as this row of four, are not so well-maintained.

Another area mansion, along with an attached commercial building, houses Katelman Antiques.

Katelman's is on the northwest corner of 39th. Street and Farnam.

I admit that I've forgotten far more than I remember about the block of Farnam between 39th. and 40th. Streets. The block now has a definite well-worn and rough around the edges air to it.

The commercial buildings on this block have so much potential! Hopefully the energy of Midtown Crossing will spread westward as the economy continues to recover.

The Icon Salon occupies the eastmost section of the north-side strip, and appears to be healthy.

Kaufman's Bakery is what I most remember about this block, but I'm actually uncertain about which building it was.

The sign of Oxide Graphic Design looks somewhat like it may have been made from the old Kaufman sign, but the more I think about it, the Oxide building may have been a long-closed hardware store with a similar sign.

The quintessential neighborhood bar, Sullivans, is the best preserved of any of the businesses on this block.

Across Farnam to the south, a modern facade breathes a sign of life into this otherwise-vacant strip.

I remember this corner bay as Jasper's, a popular Friday "Beer For Lunch" and attitude-adjustment bar and grill during the 1980s.

Now vacant, in recent years it's developed a particularly bad reputation as Cheaters Lounge, notorious for shootings and gang activity.

The northeast corner of Farnam at 40th. was a very long standing Rexall pharmacy, complete with luncheonette, known as Green's, Rice's, and Beaton's, over the decades.

It appears to be vacant, unfortunately, with signage for The Reading Grounds, a coffee house and sandwich place, probably closed only recently.

Catercorner to the southwest, the commercial scene fades as the Medical Center campus begins, with a tattoo parlor (sorry, not my style!) and a few others.

Just north of Farnam on the west side of 40th, the only sign of recent activity is this Middle-Eastern restaurant which appears to be closed.

That's it for today, gang! Hope you've enjoyed joining me on this venture.

I've enjoyed doing it, and I assure you that I intend to be posting far more frequently than I have in the recent past. I have two other items in the works, so please stay tuned! :)

Technical information:

Olympus Stylus Zoom, Fuji Superia 200
Yashica D, Fuji Provia 100, cross-processed in C41 chemistry
Kodak 4530 digital

Can we tawk?

2010-12-06T08:51:00.002-06:00

Let's face it, dead and abandoned blogs are oh-so common, as those who frequent the Blogosphere (to use the buzzword-compliant term) can testify.

I just want to assure all of you that I do not intend to let this blog become one of them!

It's just that with work, family, various projects and such, my opportunities for shooting and my time for blogging have been close to zero the past few months. :(

I actually have three items in the works here, one of which just needs the "ok" to post a certain photo.

What I really need are a couple of clear weekend afternoons with non-sucky weather when I am otherwise free. Unfortunately this has not happened in the past few months, with "clear" and "free" appearing to be mutually-exclusive, and it's highly doubtful that it will happen until January.

I don't want to come off as teasing you, but here are a few things I do have in the works and just need to finish up ...

Forgotten Cuisine II. I'm concentrating on chicken places, drive-ins and a few others and focusing on several of the places which have been mentioned in the comments on the original item.
A walk-through which seems to get more extensive all the time. I have pieces of this shot, but I need to get back for at least two sessions. I'm going to cover Farnam from roughly 30th. to 40th, including, yes, the Midtown Crossing area. Now before you start rolling your eyes at the thought of yet another Midtown Crossing shoot, I plan on doing this a bit differently, using cross-processed medium format.
A "Then And Now" nostalgia thing, scenes in NYC as they appeared decades ago and now.

I really wish I could give you more of an idea of when these should appear, but as of this day, I don't know, and I don't even know when I will know, if that makes any sense to you. :)

So anyway, I wish everybody a Happy Hanukkah (early this year, huh?), Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and I do promise I'll have some meaningful content on line here just as soon as I am able!

A few notes ...

2010-07-04T23:53:00.003-05:00

It's July, may the 4th. be with you! :)

Thanks again to all who visited and commented. Wow, as of this writing we're up to 137 comments on the Forgotten Cuisine article. All-time record by far, well, for me, anyway. :) Please keep those cards and letters coming, gang! :)

Of particular interest are the comments by those whose families operated some of the restaurants we've discussed. This really adds a personal touch! :)

There's another blog which I think a number of my readers will be interested in, Omaha Yum.

It's on the web at: omahayum.blogspot.com

It's mostly recent review-type articles of various eateries. Most of them are independent and unique to Omaha. (Sigh ... yeah, one formula place is reviewed and a few more are mentioned, but ... overall ...) Doesn't appear to have any bad reviews (yet).

Recent reviews include Richie's on Center, the one whose name I could not think of when I referred to the place just east of the former Evans; Donut Haven in Millard, if it's the place I'm thinking of, it seems to be closed whenever I drive by; and Pitch Pizza in Dundee, which I must have missed (or maybe it wasn't there yet) when I did that photo walk-through not that long ago.

Anyway ... one of my projects in progress is a Part II of Forgotten Cuisine. I don't have a timetable yet, but I see you shiver with antici ... ... {say it!} PATION! :)

Beautiful Downtown Benson ...

2010-05-03T19:31:00.000-05:00

Benson is now a "neighborhood", a "district", a "division" of the northwest urban core of metropolitan Omaha.

Benson was, until 1917, a separate town, annexed in the 19-teens in Omaha's explosive expansion, along with the other communities of Dundee, Florence, and, of course, South Omaha.

Benson Place, which became the town of Benson, was the eponymous offspring of land speculator Erastus Benson, a late 19th. century Republican maverick whose claim to fame was an unsuccessful Omaha mayoral bid. He attempted to fight the Democratic political machine which is often described as Omaha's answer to Tammany Hall, led by Jim Dahlman, then Omaha's answer to Boss Tweed. :)

There's also evidence that Mr. Benson held a late 19th. century patent on what could be described as a very primitive juke box, a coin-operated acoustic-mechanical phonograph.

The original site of the town of Benson was purchased from the Creighton brothers (yes, "those" Creighton brothers) in the late 1880s. Benson was annexed by Omaha in 1917.

The exact boundaries of Benson appear to be in the eye of the beholder, and more so than for Dundee. Some will say that the eastern boundary of Benson is 52nd. St., others will say it's the NW Radial/Fontenelle Blvd. corridor, and still others say that the old Military Theater is (was) in Benson.

Most seem to agree that the northern boundary of Benson is Ames Avenue, and the western boundary is 72nd. St. But wait! We have the Benson Park Golf Course north of Ames and Benson Gardens west of 72nd!

In preparing this article, I performed an exhaustive search of every map known to humanity in the quest of the most authoritative, authorized, approved, sanctioned, endorsed, authentic, certified, and accredited map showing the exact official boundaries of Benson. Here's the best example I could find:

Military Avenue transects Benson diagonally, and its path has changed somewhat over the years. They tell me (the ubiquitous "they") that Military Avenue once ran contiguously between Omaha and Fremont, and was just that, a path for soldiers and supplies back in the mid 1800s.

I've heard several times about the connection between Omaha's Military Avenue and Fremont's Military Avenue, but was never curious enough to research it or follow the path. (Yeah, lazy, I know!) :)

With today's technology, aerial views are easy to come by, and it's very easy without setting a foot or a tire onto yucky soil, to envision where a connection may have at one time been.

Military Avenue kind of disappears as we get into the hinterlands, but if we examine the aerial view, and use our imagination and intuition, yes, we can pick out sections which show evidence of paths once well traveled.

But enough already! We want to explore Benson, not trace an abandoned right-of-way in the middle of toolies, boonies, and sticks, right? :)

The area we're going to explore runs westward from the divergence of Maple St. and NW Radial to approximately 63rd. St.

This covers the bulk of the Maple St. corridor of Benson's central business district.

Maple Street is Benson's "main" street, and was known in pre-annexation times as Mayne [sic] Street, after Clifton Mayne, a transit entrepreneur and associate of Erastus Benson.

West of 63rd., Maple becomes more mixed residential, and likewise, east of about 56th. or so.

The first landmark we encounter on our westward journey is Louis Market, AKA Louis Foodway. Louis was founded by Louis Paperny (pronounced "Louie"), an immigrant from Russia, and operated for the better part of a century by the Wolfson family, whose fame also extends to the auto dealership and to the former Dippy's Deli at 84th. and Center.

The adjoining bar and package shop is a popular neighborhood hangout.

One very interesting tale was told to me about Louis Market and a unique innovation. In the 1950s they installed a mechanical cart delivery system to offer speed and convenience in the loading of purchases into vehicles. An underground mechanical conveyor system would transport the cart from the main supermarket building to a kiosk in the parking lot, where the customer would pull up for delivery and loading. This was apparently the only such installation of this type in the area.

Across Maple from Louis lie a few small businesses mixed in with some detached houses.

Storefronts in the area east of 58th. or so tend to be of the Commercial Vernacular construction, where the shop was built on as an addition to an existing residence.

After we pass the Military-Maple split, the attached commercial buildings of the Downtown Benson core begin to appear.

No, it's not a shopping "CENTER", it's a district. :)

Masonic Hair!

The Benson Masonic Temple, not to be confused with the Benson GARDENS Masonic Temple, several blocks west, hosts the Masonic Florence Lodge. ...

... As well as 1, 2, 3 (count 'em!) salons!

Well, sorta. :)

Across from the Masons we have the Good Report Christian Center ...

... and (drum roll) {tat-a-tat-a-tat-a} ...

Max I. Walker, Omaha's answer to Martinizing. :)

Oodles of locations, one near you! :)

Strolling west we come upon ...

The Tip Top Thrift Shop! (I love that name, it both rhymes and alliterates.) Proceeds to benefit the Uta Halee Girls Village.

Why in the world such a place would be closed on a busy Saturday afternoon is beyond me! There's terrific foot and vehicle traffic out here today!

Oh well, so it goes. (And so do I.) :)

We certainly can't forget 4-Real Deals, can we? A one-stop shop for all of our cell phone and tie-dye needs!

And Cornhusker Press!

On the north side we have MinDay Architecture, of San Francisco and Omaha, one of a number of professional offices sandwiched in between the various shops and pubs.

Speaking of pubs ...

Benson has a great selection of lounges and night life options, and they're not all just trashy neighborhood dive bars. They're more of a mixture of NICE trashy neighborhood dive bars and hardcore indie music venues, featuring mostly things such as rock, blues, and other types of Real Music. :)

This one's The Sydney, one of several we'll pass today.

Another thrift shop locked up tight! What is it? There are customers walking by and driving by! Go figure! Jeesh!

We cross 60th., continuing west.

Get booked!

A Friendly Book Store.

Is there such a thing as an unfriendly book store?

We pass a Chiro office, and some kind of new shop called For Lease. :)

But seriously, in all of these neighborhood walk-throughs, I've run across more vacant storefronts than I can count. The Benson business district is thriving, no doubt about it. It has that "spark" that we saw a couple years ago in South Omaha, maybe even more so, but the amount of vacancies, which to me translate to failed businesses, still bothers me. :( I really hate to see an upstart, or a long-standing Mom-n-Pop business struggle and go under! :(

I feel a blind spot coming on. I'm going to pretend I don't see this one. Many of the neighborhoods in Omaha's urban core are practically devoid of the ubiquitous fast food eateries and formula restaurants, and I really prefer them that way.

A maternity shop with a very appropriate street mural on the side. We'll circle back to that below.

Omabra? :)

Back on the north side we come upon The Faucet Shop, a plumbing supply house.

It's kind of difficult to tell if this is open or not.

Notice the vintage credit card signs.

If you don't "get it", you're not looking closely enough.

West of The Faucet Shop, we come upon another watering hole.

The Musette, with specials galore!

Tucked away on a side street is an old-fashioned barber shop ...

... across from the Benson Community Center. "They" tell me that this was originally Benson's fire station, now converted into a a gymnasium and social hall.

To the south we have The Foundry, a nonprofit art gallery cum coffee house. Yes, arts abound in Benson!

Wandering on west, we come upon what was a bridal salon.

Left standing at the altar after a GOOB sale.

From the looks of the signage, it was a long-standing operation.

Shirts! Hats! Jackets!

An antique shop.

Why, tell me, why aren't these places open on Saturday afternoon?

Independent eateries abound in Benson! This one is kind of an unusual blend of a pizza parlor and performance venue.

The PS Collective. PS = Pizza Shoppe, get it? :)

Yes, viewers, the friendly neighborhood greaso-spoono is alive and well in Benson, and I've been told that Leo's Diner claims to be the oldest continuously-operating diner in the Omaha area.

Limited hours, as many neighborhood diners seem to have lately.

Uncommon Talents ...

... looks like a framing and craft shop.

Along with another bookstore, but this one may not be as "Friendly" as the last one. :)

Benson boasts its own luthier.

That's a fancy-schmancy word for somebody who works on string instruments. (Hmmmmm ... could the repair department at D-Rocks call themselves "Luthiers"?) :)

West of Hargiss, we find what was a hardware store. Looks like a recent closure, as the old signs are clearly visible.

At first glance it might look like a new shop called "For Rent" is moving in, but I definitely recognize the logo on the door as that of Rainbow Sound Studios.

"Keyboard Division", huh? Might they be opening up a storefront here in Benson? "Mighty Hammond!" :)

"They" tell me of a Ben Franklin shop in Benson, and my guess is that this may have been the location of it.

Another salon, west of Rainbow.

And a Podiatry office.

No "Good Drugs" stored on prem. :)

Haney Shoes on the north side, and a tapas restaurant.

And a CPA and a ...

... insurance broker, and entertainer agency.

"Inflatable Attractions?" Hmmmm ... :)

Okay, everybody, on three ...

One ...

Two ...

Three ...

{Aaawwwwwww!} :)

To the south we have a physical therapy office.

We've just reached 61st. Street. Let's cross it!

No, wait, what's this?

It's a very nice little sitting area off to the south of Maple.

And a S&L office.

Jane's Addiction!

(Jane's Addition? -- Tom?) :) :) :)

If you don't "get it", don't worry about it. :)

Benson Printing.

Print shop on the northwest corner of 61st.

In the 6100 block we come across two buildings of some historical significance. First is the Sorenson Building at 6104, with an attorney as the main signed tenant.

Some vintage collectables on display. Not sure of the reason.

Vintage neon clock.

Across to the south at 6105 is the James Howard Building.

The namesake of James Howard, former Mayor of Benson.

Now housing a Yoga studio.

And a blend of cuisine and culture.

A bakery with dine-in and gallery space.

Speaking of dining in ...

The Today Cafe opened last December, on the site of the former Benson Bakery, to much fanfare and great reviews.

The cuisine is said to be a fusion of contemporary eclectic and down-home comfort food.

With pedigreed talent in the kitchen and a rotating "something for everybody" menu, this place has as good a chance as any of making it, and it's most definitely on my personal "must try" list.

I'm really glad to see a well-planned upstart unique place in here, rather than have yet another {fill in any ho-hum oh-so-formulaic place} cookie-cutter chain place invade the area!

Hey gang! If you ever listen to me, please listen to me now. We really need to support and patronize our upstart and long-standing individually owned diners, restaurants, and other food and drink venues and value them for their addition to the quality of our lives. Next time you go out for lunch, and the gang suggests Chilis or Applebees, why not suggest instead a place like the Today Cafe or Leo's Diner or B&G's, or Danny's, or any of countless others?

Anyway {dismounting from high horse} ...

West of the Sorenson Building we have a bodyart shop.

Tattooing and piercing. OUCH! Each to his/her own, I guess ... :)

On the south we have Mia's Bongo Room.

Another independent neighborhood restaurant.

This one's said to be Vegetarian.

Silver Of Oz. Is that supposed to be a pun?

Or maybe silver from Aws-Trail-Ya? :)

Burke's Pub is west of Oz.

Another neighborhood bar.

Oh Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!

Ya know, whenever I walk through one of these neighborhoods, I always seem to run into one enigma building.

This trip is no exception. 6121 is a well-kept business of some kind, with a nice little area out front, somewhat protected from the elements. It's not obvious what this is, and The Phone Book and Google don't seem to help.

Oh well, they probably prefer it that way! :)

West of Bodymod we have a dental laboratory.

Prodenco.

Between 61st. and 62nd., Old Military branches off from Maple to the northwest, on its original path to Fremont and All Points West.

The path to the northwest used to be the main route, and as such was lined with businesses, as is Maple St. now.

There's a well-kept salon right northwest of the junction.

However, if we venture further, things get, shall we say, a bit more sparse and rustic.

Let's not go there!

Instead, let's venture off the beaten path in another direction, south.

Barley Street Tavern.

This is one of a few Benson venues I'm actually familiar with. It's not as small inside as it looks outside, and it's a great place for local musicians to get some exposure. Mostly indie rock and blues.

Speaking of music venues, one of the best known is right on Benson's main drag.

The Waiting Room.

It's been known by a few other names over the decades, but lately it's been quite consistent and has a great reputation for quality live acts!

On the corner of 63rd. to the south, we have the Benson Post Office, home of 68104, among others.

A sleek moderne-styled building, most likely dating from the mid 1940s.

I really hate to see this happen! :(

West Omaha Appliances. They've been around longer than I have! There's something to be said about an independent appliance dealer which has been around for many decades.

They obviously survived the competition of the likes of Sears and Monty Ward, the Center, Crossroads, and Westroads from the 1950s to the 1970s, and even the onslaught of Best Buy and such in the 1990s, but not the Great Recession of the 2000s. :(

I really hate to see a place like this go under! :(

Oh well, moving on ...

Now this is a strange juxtaposition of signs. :)

Kremer Funeral Home, the local neighborhood funeral director. I've been told that this building was originally a church, but it's been the funeral home for some time.

This is our journey's end, gang. West of 63rd., the strip becomes more sparse and more residential. This has been a very interesting and enjoyable couple of hours.

There's more to Benson that we've seen. You could actually say that Benson's business district begins just west of Fontenelle Boulevard and doesn't end until past 72nd.

The Benson and Halcyon Heights Railway

The western end of our journey today, the intersection of 63rd. and Maple (nee Mayne) Sts., is, coincidentally, the historical western terminus of the Benson and Halcyon Heights Street Railway. The original B&HH originated at the intersection of Cuming St. and 40th. St. (nee Lowe Avenue), ran north on 40th., west on Hamilton, and then followed Military and Maple to the end of the line.

This line was unique in that it had been powered by horses, steam, and electricity during its lifetime.

It was absorbed into the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway system in the early 1900s, providing through service from downtown Omaha to Benson. A branch of the line split off from Military at 45th., and ran north to Bedford past the Nebraska School for the Deaf.

The line was decommissioned in the mid 1950s and the tracks were removed during various resurfacing projects.

Street Art!

The commercial row just west of 60th. boasts well-kept murals on either end.

Amazingly, totally free of tagging!

In fact, very few, if any tags can be seen anywhere in the Benson business district! Kudos to those who help keep it that way. :)

Benson Beat!

Benson Beat is a promotional program of the Benson-Ames Alliance, and several shops display variations of the slogan

Feel The Beat!

Book The Beat!

Buy The Beat!

Walk The Beat!

Love The Beat!

Grind The Beat! (look closely)

Don't Miss A Beat! :)

Hear The Beat!

Read All About It here:

www.bensonbeat.com

The Great Flood of 2010 ...

2010-04-05T18:23:00.003-05:00

(Update: For those who landed here doing a search for the flooding of 2011,HERE is some info on the current situation.)

When people start discussing the 2009-2010 snowstorms, the discussion almost always involves how much snow the Omaha area got. The official NWS reports range somewhat between "a whole lot" and "bunches and bunches", but most will agree that the total snowfall was somewhere in the 40-some inches, with Lincoln getting slightly less and the Norfolk (properly pronounced "nor-fork") area getting slightly more.

The big problem with all of that snow is that it eventually turns into water, and all of that water has to go somewhere. In the Omaha area, that somewhere is the Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri River.

Unfortunately the Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri River can only hold so much!

What the river can't carry away goes wherever it can go.

Two of the area's three casinos are based on formerly-cruising but now permanently-moored riverboats. These, of course, are on the Iowa side of the Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri River. (All set about with fever trees?) :)

This is the north parking lot of Ameristar, as seen from the Ameristar parking structure.

Most of the north lot is underwater, and the west half of the lot can be said to be nothing other than part of the Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri River.

Notice the walled-off storage area, used to store seats which are used for special entertainment events on the bank of the river.

Likewise, the entrance ramp which leads from the north parking lot to the side entrance to the casino is mostly submerged.

A similar scene is seen at Harrah's, upstream 1/2 mile or so from Ameristar.

Riverside parking!

The lower surface parking lot is half closed.

The waters are now encroaching upon the west entrance lobby and security checkpoint, just steps away from the entrance!

Notice that the circular drop-off and pick-up drive is closed.

Fortunately for those who enjoy gaming, the casinos, based on the boats, will follow the stage of the river and seek the same level. :)

Hey, be thankful we're not in Rhode Island! :) :(

Club 64 remembered ...

2010-03-30T10:04:00.002-05:00

One of the restaurants mentioned a few times in the comments was Club 64, which stood for years on the east side of Council Bluffs. I only remember dining there twice, but I remember enjoying it both times. I know it was there as early as the mid 1970s, and from evidence, it lasted well into the 1990s.

An original Club 64 menu has surfaced, and I hope those of you who remember Club 64 (and those who don't as well) will enjoy it.

So, courtesy of a friend of mine, who we will refer to as "BBTBABE" (LOL!) :), here is a set of scans from a ca. 1995 Club 64 menu.

First, the cover:

"Mobile [sic] Award Winner?" :)

Inside, the main menu section:

And the rear, sandwiches and libations and such:

"Mad Dog?" Hmmmmmm. :)

It's kinda fun to reflect on the style and the comments they used ...

"Prepared in our kitchen."

Well, uh, where else would it be prepared? The cellar? The restroom? :)

I guess they really mean that it's prepared in OUR kitchen, instead of THEIR kitchen down the street, right? :)

"All meat ..."

What else would it be? (Yes, I know what a Veggieburger is.) :)

"Help Wanted: Proofreader. Apply in person, Club 64. Experence not necesary." :) :)

Yeah, yeah, I know ... they were in the restaurant business, not the typography business! :)

Oh well ... :)

Thanks again, Bbtbabe! :)

Following up again ...

2010-03-19T22:32:00.001-05:00

A second follow-up to the Forgotten Cuisine item ...

The one thing that this recent flurry of activity has taught me is that there are many places that I don't know, have never known, or have missed or overlooked.

Here are the ones mentioned which I know almost or absolutely nothing about. I'm very sure I missed some great dining opportunities.

(In order of first appearance in the comments ...)

Comento's
Virginia
Harry's Steak House
Harkerts Holsum Hamburgers
Reed's Ice Cream
Royal Dairy Ice Cream Bar
Marshall's Drive-In
The Ritz
Saddle Creek Drive In
Henry's Hamburgers
Charlie's Blue Room
Lou Caniglia's Steakhouse on 88th & Maple
Luigi's Restaurant on 114th & W. Dodge Road.
Brown Cow
Wimpy's
Italian Gardens
Ceasar's Garden
Toms
Chik n burger
Slim Jim
Netties
Tomahawk
Riveria Club
Romanoff's
Long and Slims
Chops Cafe
Barnes
Pizza Oven
The Mayflower
Hollywood ice cream
Benny Davis
Dixon's
Garden Cafeteria
Club Cafe
Black Angus
Whip-a-Dip
(restaurant in the shopping center at 42nd and Center)

That's quite a list! I'm feeling humbled. I'm sure I really missed some great food and great times!

However, there are quite a few I do know and remember ...

>HOW ABOUT SADDLE CREEK DRIVE IN & NIFTY BAR &
>GRILL BOTH HOLY NAME HANG OUTS

I know the Nifty Bar. I think it's still there, but I don't get to that area very often. Don't know about Saddle Creek Drive In, but I did find some references to another drive-in at the junction of Saddle Creek and Cuming, name of Shada's. I wonder if this is the same one.

>So many memories...........how about Lay's Arbor
>Inn (90th and Arbor),

I don't know that one, but a friend of mine sure does, and she tells me that it was tres elegante in its time!

>Brother Sebastians (120th and Pacific),

It's still there, going strong as far as I know, recovered from a fairly significant fire a number of years ago.

>Caniglia's Venice Inn (69th and Pacific, with
>Davey Boldnose on the Piano),

I don't know Davey, but I sure know Venice Inn. :) The sole survivor of the family, and one I admit that we need to visit more frequently.

>The Dundee Dell,

The Dundee Dell I remember was on Dodge between 49th. and 50th., just west of the Dundee Theater.

They moved a few years ago (why???) to Underwood, just west of 50th.

The old location is open and apparently thriving under a different name.

I have some photos of the old and new locations on this page:

http://omababe.blogspot.com/2009/10/village-named-dundee.html

>Nasser's,

>Wasn't Nasser's spelled Nasr's???

Uh-huh, it sure was. Ames, maybe 66th. or so, south side of the street.

>the various cafeterias at the Brandeis stores,

The one I remember was out at the Crossroads, upper level. I used to work in the area and we would occasionally do lunch there.

>I think Frank of Frankie and Phyls died last year.
>Never got there, until we read about it in the paper
>we didn't know it was there but it sounded good.

That's too bad! :(

F&P's was not the nicest looking place there was, but the food was very good and had some dishes that I never saw elsewhere. It was a true "dive" and I think it would have been an excellent choice for Guy Whatshisname to visit on DD&D.

>Took them to the old Cascios

An excellent choice. Again, one we need to patronize and support.

>Tiner's Drive In was at 44th & Dodge

>And Tiner's had the best curly-cue fries I ever ate.

Tiner's has to be one of the most frequently-mentioned place in this thread.

It appears that Tiner's, the original Todd's, and Oddo's were the prime hang-outs in the heyday of the drive-in era.

On the site of Tiner's is another to-be-legendary Omaha eatery, King Kong. This has now expanded to at least 3 locations. They feature enormous hamburgers, a very good weekly steak special, and various Greek specialties. ("No jy-ro, geeeeeear-o!") :)

>Ross's steakhouse, I seem to remember that
>restaurant did not allow black people back
>in the 50's. So, as far as I'm concerned,
>they don't deserve any praise.

I don't know how to answer that one.

I would hope that segregation and racism in general, and any other cases where we treat others as unequal, would be a sad part of our past, and a lesson learned as to how not to live in the future.

However, I know that vestiges of racism and other forms of discrimination still exist today. We are still a very unequal society.

That comment got me thinking, and doing some checking. I've always thought that Omaha, being in the "nawth", would have been more progressive. However, it appears that defacto segregation was alive in Omaha into the 1960s. :(

A factoid I learned was that the old Peony Park had a whites only policy until the early 1960s, and even tried some legal sleight of hand tricks to keep it that way! :(

I found two stories regarding the integration of Peony Park. From what I heard it was not until one of the area's major employers threatened to pull some significant business that they officially changed the policy. I know that it was integrated, with no obvious reminders of its past, when I went there in the 1970s and 1980s.

Another story had to do with some demonstrations and activism, which pressured the park's management to integrate. If you Google, you'll find several references to the park being fined $50 for one case of discriminatory admission.

>About Rose Lodge...It is long gone but not
>forgotten,, The cool (Judy) has had a place in
>Traynor Iowa that sserves the same menu.....Mrs
>Rose retired and passed away in Fla years ago.
>My mother worked there for 45 years

The trek to Treynor is a trip to be taken! Of all of the chicken I've ever eaten, I think Rose Lodge was the best. Several others were close. Jonesy's is one. Dixie Kitchen was another, but since it was a stone's throw from Rose Lodge ...

One of the more memorable comments in this thread comes from about as close to the source as we can get, from "LouCan":

>I am one of the third generation of the Caniglia
>family and I was practically born in one of our
>restaurants. I worked with my family at the
>original Caniglia's on 7th, Mr. C's, Caniglia's
>World (top of the Woodmen),

And we probably crossed paths several times. All of those were excellent!

>Lou Caniglia's Steakhouse on 88th & Maple and
>Luigi's Restaurant on 114th & W. Dodge Road.

Try as I might, I do not remember either of these. The only one I remember on Maple in about that vicinity (other than Denny's of course) was Jonesy's, another great chicken place.

>I also remember the Palazzo Italiano from when I
>was a very young boy. The reason that restaurant
>closed was that the city decided to close and
>widen both Center St. and 84th St. at the same
>time.

Thanks for the update on this. I was wondering what the story was.

>I really miss all of my family's restaurants but
>I am proud of my cousins at the Venice Inn and
>Piccolo's for continuing the tradition!

(I didn't know that Piccolo's was part of your family!) :)

You and your family do have something to be proud of!

>Does anyone remember the Old English Inn that
>was on or around 5oth and Dodge---not sure about

The story I got on this one was that it was originally in Dundee, and then either moved or opened up a second restaurant in Countryside Village, the shopping center by Westside High. That one also closed decades ago. As per a previous comment, I understand that the ownership and/or management was common with Northrup-Jones, the diner downtown.

>There was also a restaurant on Dodge that served
>prime rib that was great! Oh---I just thought of
>it's name--Hilltop House!

Uh-huh, been there, done that, once. :)

>Evans ice cream was a big favorite of my family.

>& Evans Ice Cream for its "goop" sundaes.

Evans is another with multiple fans on this thread.

Now that you mention Evans, I also vaguely recall, in the 1970s, kind of hole in the wall greaso-spoono restaurant to the east of Evans which had surprisingly good ribs.

>What aboutr Goldberg's

>I don't know what Goldbergs is----

Goldbergs is a small chain of what I would call burger bars. The original, IIRC, is the one at 132nd. and Center. They have another in Dundee, and had one out on 156th. for a while.

>Anybody remember Club 89?

/me waves hand. :)

>The same owner had another place, Club 64
>in Council Bluffs

I remember both. However, I was not aware that they were connected. I also remember a short-lived club and restaurant right by Club 64 known as "The Other Place", an appropriate name. :)

>but I think both places closed when the casinos
>came in. What a shame.

Ya know, I really question whether the casinos are truly at fault when a business, such as a long-standing restaurant, closes and cites competition from the casinos as the reason for the failure.

The reason I don't think this passes the "smell test" is the plethora of very successful restaurants right in the vicinity of the three casinos. Granted, these are mostly highly formulaic places, but they obviously do compete for disposable dollars with the casinos, and are all apparently thriving right in their shadows.

I think the answer may be along the line of the businesses being "on the edge" at the time, and the casino openings being either a convenient excuse to close, or the proverbial last straw.

Hey, restaurants are often times short-lived. For an independent place to make it a year, it has to be great, and for it to make it for a few decades it must be exceptional! One slip in the quality or service and word spreads quickly, and it takes an awful long time to recover, if it ever does.

It's a business I would never want to be in. I have a great deal of respect for those who run the restaurants, particularly those independent places we've been talking about. I also have a great deal of respect for those who work in them, who cook for us, and who serve us. Those are often times thankless jobs and they deserve far more respect (and con$ideration) than they get.

>And, as far as I remember, Club 89 burned down.

I seem to recall this too.

>How about Bishop's Buffet?

>We both miss the original King's & Bishop's cafeteria.

I really can't remember when or why Bishop's closed. I know they priced their selections ala carte, and in the 1980s we had a number of AYCE buffets, such as Duff's, The Choice, and eventually Golden Corral invade the area. It may be that the business model of Bishop's did not survive the competition.

As for King's, I considered Kings to be several notches up on the quality scale when compared to other hamburger places. Kings is the only place I remember, ever, where you ordered by telephone.

>Gorat's is definitely the best steak house in
>town - LOVE it!!

I love it too, and so does Warren B. :)

>Thank you for this trip down memory lane. I
>thoroughly enjoyed it!

You're very welcome! I am positively astounded by the amount of traffic I've seen over the past week or so, most of it hitting the "Forgotten Cuisine" article directly. I have a feeling that this has "gone viral", as the hits seem to increase more and more long since the original item hit Bunny Net. ("And the hits just keep on comin'!) :)

>And how did you forget the Cafe de Paris.
>That was real class.

Oh, I didn't forget it, it just wasn't an Italian steak house. I don't think that particular type of cuisine was Ivan's style. :)

>On West Maple, there was also a restaurant called
>The Tommahawk which I thought was a Caniglia
>restaurant. Also a restaurant called Jonesy's.

I don't remember anything named Tomahawk, but I sure remember Jonesy's Dinner Den, which lasted until into the 2000s, IIRC.

>On Dodge Street at about 44th +/- there was a
>restaurant called The Mediterranian.

The place I remember called the Mediterranean was a short-lived place in the food court in the short-lived "new" mall in and across from the old main Brandeis store downtown. Maybe they had a second location (or even a first) on Dodge.

>On 44th & Center Street, there was North's
>Chuckwagon Buffet and at 45th & Center there was
>Paltani's.

Oh yes, I remember both of them. Paltani's was great! North's was, well, uh, very unmemorable. Sorry, I thought it was tres ordinaire.

>El Charro and Howard's El Charro.

I don't really know what happened to El Charro.

>Howard's El Charro, is the one who operates out
>of the Marchio's building.

I seem to recall hearing that they closed. I'm not really sure, don't quote me on that.

>Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

You're very welcome, I've enjoyed this. :)

>but didn't see any reference to the Fireside
>& Pirate's Den near 38th & Leavenworth. Great
>prime rib and fabulous buffet (all you can eat
>for $2.39) back in the early 70's.

Was the Fireside in the building that I know as the Marylebone?

>The Fireside Restaurant (with the Pirates
>Den in the lower level) on 38th and Leavenworth
>closed in 1975

Now you kind of jogged my rusty memory. I vaguely remember a stairwell with a facade in the form of a ship, leading down into the cellar of that building.

>Before that it was the 11-Worth Grill and catered
>to hockey fans from the Omaha Knights.

>Dan and Ralph Cohen were the original owners. My
>name is Alan Cohen and Dan Cohen was my father.

Welcome, Alan. I'm glad to have restaurateur families represented here. :) That makes two who have come forward and spoken up.

Do we have any others here?

>Does anybody remember the B&G Drive-In and
>Romanoff's near Varly drug store?

I don't remember Romanoff's, but I do remember B&G, although it's no longer a drive-in. It's one I need to get back to, because the times I've been in there I've most definitely enjoyed it. I think I prefer the B&G version of the Tavern to that of Maid-Rite.

>Don't you wish that we could go back and eat
>at some of these places?

Hello? Dr. Brown? May I borrow your DeLorean? :)

Please? :)

I promise I won't give Biff the keys! :)

I would even settle for the steam engine model if I could take another trip back to Cantoni's! :)

>Ah yes Oddo's, and Fat Man's Hamburgers.

I never remember either of them, but Oddo's (I now understand that it's pronounced with a long "O") is one that fascinates me.

>The greatest burger name, however is from Oddo's-- the
>Pookeesnackinburger. thanks for the nostalgia!!

ROFL! Somebody on the staff there had an incredible sense of humor, and I'm sure that in the 50s and 60s that place was a major hit, right out of American Graffiti!

When I was researching the original item I wrote, I looked over old phone books and newspaper ads and stumbled upon that one. I think I laughed so loud that I attracted the attention of the staff at the downtown libe.

>thanks for the nostalgia!!

Oh, you're very welcome. :)

>the precursor of the Bohemian Cafe ... was
>Chops Cafe...just a block east of the current
>Bohemian cafe.

I wonder if that's of the same ownership as Chops Bowling, which is still operating.

>Love your Blog, brings back so many childhood memories.
>Can remember so many of those places and the great food
>in Omaha.

Thanks for the comments. They are appreciated, and the original article has garnered far more comments than anything else I've done here. I'm really glad that everyone finds this of interest! :) Please keep those cards and letters coming, gang! :)

>What about Shoney's on 73/75 and Shakee's same area.

I think of both as chains.

Shoney's being a spin-off of the Big Boy group, and Shakee's (Shakey's?) being a pizza chain that I don't think has been around for some time.

Shoney's vacated the Omaha area sometime in the 1990s. They were in Kansas City after they left Omaha, but soon pulled out of there as well. On my last trip to Jaw-Ja, a few years ago, they were alive and well there.

>Barnes famous drive with the foot long chili
>dogs and curly cue fries! Great food! I think
>they were on 10th street or in that area, maybe
>down from Chops Bowling Alley.

The drive-in that was down from Chops Bowling was Oddo's, and I stumbled on the site as I was doing a photo walk-through of the 13th. St. area about a year ago. This item is on line here:

http://omababe.blogspot.com/2009/02/lucky-13.html

>How about Pizza Oven where lansky's is now located/

I remember Lansky's, but not Pizza Oven. I think I've seen another Lansky's location quite recently.

>Kenny's Steak House on the corner of 72 and Dodge

I remember Kenny's, I remember eating there, and enjoying it.

I seem to recall that it closed during a construction project at the intersection, which either interrupted their traffic flow, encroached on their property, or both.

>Beaton Drug's fountain counter.

The soda fountain is another genre which I used to enjoy. When I was growing up, almost every drug store had one. Most of the neighborhood ones served mostly treats such as malteds, sodas, egg creams, sundaes and the like, while others served more hot food, burgers, sandwiches, even Blue Plate Specials.

The ones I remember around Omaha are (were) Powers, downtown, which served fountain fare and hot food, the Rexall at 40th. and Farnam which had a similar menu, and Cris, at 50th. and Dodge which IIRC was fountain specialties only.

Today, the closest ones I know of are in Springfield, Ne, and a place in Hamburg, Iowa named, and no, I am not making name this up, Stoner Drugs. :)

I have a couple photos of the latter in this item here:

http://omababe.blogspot.com/2008/10/worth-10000-words.html

>Also, fondue was good at the Golden Apple, near 88th & W. Dodge.

Yes, thanks for reminding me of this. Late 1970s, IIRC. A very nice Saturday "date night" place.

>New Tower (78th & Dodge) and the Prom Town
>House (70th & Dodge).

Yes, the Crystal Tree and the Fish Pier West. (Their logo had the "S" in "fish" backwards.)

The Crystal Tree had a very good lunch buffet for a while.

>Kaufmann's had the best (and most expensive)
>pastries in town (about 39th & Farnam).

Bakeries are another yummy topic! I agree that the best in the city was Kaufmann's, with Martin's being a close second. Martin's lasted until last year in the new location out on west Maple.

>Dixie Kitchen -- where was it?

Dixie Kitchen was on Dodge, in the shadow of Rose Lodge, in one of the strip malls nearby. I think their proximity to the former was a major handicap in their success.

>Also, where was the Blue Ox?

I never ate at the Blue Ox. (Bleu Ox?) I remember the building and sign, closed, on north 30th. a few blocks north of Dodge. I also remember another Blue Ox or Bleu Ox in Council Bluffs near the Mall Of The Bluffs, but I think that was short-lived.

>And the Ground Cow?

The Ground Cow (my vote for the absolute WORST name for a restaurant) that I remember was just off Fort (maybe Maple?) out just west of route 680. They were originally on south 72nd. either in the same building or very close to the old Boston Sea Party.

>What was the restaurant on the southwest
>corner of 72nd & Pacific a few decades ago?

I knew this briefly as the Aquarius Lounge, a disco type club, then Pogo's Electric Cowboy, trying to cash in on the Urban Cowboy craze, and then an appliance shop.

However, when I researched the 72nd. Street "Strip" for the original article I saw some ads for something like "Angelo's Studio Inn" (name may not be exact) in the same building. This was well before my time and I didn't include it in the original item.

Anyway, gang, I am enjoying this! Please continue to comment and share your thoughts and feelings! :)

Thanks again, gang! :)

Forgotten Cuisine - a follow-up ...

2010-03-12T08:41:00.000-06:00

Sorry, no photos in this one. :)

I would like to, if I may, take the opportunity to respond to some of the comments left in response to the Forgotten Cuisine article, from the past and several quite recently. What brought this on was, well, to make a long story long ...

Welcome to the members of Bunny Net! :)

Thanks to Lyle for spilling the beans on where all of these recent hits -- hundreds of them -- several times the usual daily average -- have been coming from!

I will say that one thing on my do-it list is to do a photo walk-through of the Benson neighborhood. I did a recent one on Dundee, and I'll be sure to put Benson on the top of the list.

I'm going to respond mostly to the comments on the places I remember, or at least have some kind of knowledge of. For those who don't see their fave here, I'm not ignoring you, I just don't know of it or remember it.

I want to thank all of you for your comments and kind words. It's very good to know that I am doing something right. :)

Comments are what a blogger lives for, or rather blogs for. Those of us who do the "photo and trivia" blogs typically report one comment for every thousand hits or so. Comments are appreciated, particularly those which support the efforts.

For those of you who enjoyed the article on Omaha restaurants, please browse a bit on this site, as I have a number of things that resident and displaced Omahans may enjoy, covering various thing about how Omaha is, was, and could have been.

Thanks again, gang, and keep those cards and letters coming! :)

Anyway ...

Let's talk about Omaha restaurants ...

>One family restaurant that also survives is the
>Bohemian Cafe... dono if it's a good fit for the
>list but they definitely have good food.

Bohemian Cafe is indeed very good. I don't get there very often, but I've had good meals every time I've been there.

I did a photo walk-through of the 13th. St. area maybe a year ago, there are a few photos of the Bohemian Cafe and the surrounding neighborhood on the page.

http://omababe.blogspot.com/2009/02/lucky-13.html

>What a shame to see so many places gone.

Oh! So true! It's a shame to see well-run unique local places struggle and close while cookie-cutter formula restaurants thrive. :( I just don't understand it. :(

Please, gang, if you have any favorite well-run local eateries, patronize them, support them, enjoy them, tell them that you're glad they are there, urge your friends to do likewise, and value them for what they add to the quality of our lives.

>The one's I miss are the three Greek-American
>places used to be downtown. Ambassador, Olympic,
>and Virginia. Ambassador was at 25 and Farnam and
>was oonce the only full service 24 hour restaurant
>in Omaha.

I really don't remember the other two, but in the mid 1970s, the Ambassador was to me and my friends kind of the equivalent of Monk's for the Seinfeld gang. We lived in the area at the time and were in there at least a couple times a week.

What I most remember, however, was the night of a very tragic incident.

One of the owners, the nicest guy there ever was ... often worked the desk by the register, and when you paid he greeted you as if you were the most important customer they had. I don't remember his name.

Anyway, one night, after our gang had eaten and left, he was shot and killed while trying to break up a fight. Incredibly tragic! :(

The remaining partner kept the place open for a while, but after a fire they never recovered. :(

This surviving partner did open a very short-lived "New Ambassador" on north 90th, but it never caught on.

>Also for lunch you had Bishop's Cafeteria and
>Northrup Jones.

I do remember Bishop's.

I think the one downtown lasted until about 1980 or so. It was a cafeteria, but priced ala carte, as opposed to prix fixes for All You Can Gorge, as is the trend today. They either moved or opened up another one at Westroads, and that lasted -- wow, can't really remember, but most likely to around 1990 or so. I don't remember Bishops as being outstanding in any way, but I recall that the food was of a much higher quality overall than Old Country Buffet or Golden Corral.

>Also the Hilltop House in Dundee.

I did a photo walk-through of the Dundee area not too long ago, and I have a few shots of the building (still called Hilltop House) in that item.

http://omababe.blogspot.com/2009/10/village-named-dundee.html

I only remember eating at Hilltop House once. The food was, well, not memorable, as I can't remember what I had, so I guess it was neither outstandingly good nor outstandingly bad. :)

What I >>DO<< remember about Hilltop House was the age of the clientele!

We were both 20-something at the time, and we were by far the youngest couple in there. Decades younger than any of the others! I would have estimated the average age of the other diners to be 60 or so.

>Sorry to ramble on but I did enjoy this and it
>brought back all kinds of memories.

Please, ramble on! :) I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

>Lucky's is still open at times for the bar and for
>special events. They may try to reopen fully.

I was recently told that one of the (former?) owners of Lucky's has now taken over the management of Rick's Boatyard, a fairly new and wannabe-trendy eatery with a somewhat shaky reputation on the bank of the Great Grey-Green Greasy Missouri river. (All set about with fever trees?) :)

>Other great ice cream was Evan's at 35 and Center,

Evans was around shortly after I arrived in these parts, and I do remember them. Their specialty was a very cold and extremely thick malted which you ate with a spoon. Almost as thick as ice cream, but incredibly smooth and creamy. It was served in a large fancy glass which was very cold to the touch.

It morphed into a Goodrich, which is not bad, but a step downward in my not so humble opinion. It then morphed into a Valentinos Take-out, and I'm not really sure what's there now, if anything. I don't get to that area very often.

>Don't forget Goodrich malts. Still the best I have
>ever had.

Goodrich is (or rather was, I think it's slipped in recent years) very good, I must admit, but once you had Evans, you would never go back. Goodrich is not nearly as common as it used to be. Mostly it's now bundled in with other eateries, such as Little Kings.

>Not mentioned on the menu from Oddo's was the
>"Henpecked Henry". Hamburger, cheese, hot dog,
>bacon, and a shredded lettuce, mayonnaise, pickle
>relish sauce.

ROFL! Never heard of that one. The staff there must have had an incredible sense of humor! In the walk-through of 13th (link above), I stumbled upon the site of Oddo's (I'm really not sure if it was pronounced "Odd-Oh" or "Oh-Doe", I've heard both) and if you look at the sign and use your imagination, you can envision rollerskating car hops and loudspeakers blaring out doo-wop! :)

>Also King's with their Cheese Frenchee. Deep fried
>cheese sandwich. There was still a restaurant in
>the 90's that made them. Don't know what the name is.

Kings was around, and quite ubiquitous, when I moved here. For almost-fast food they were very good. They kind of seemed to self-destruct all of a sudden. I understand that one was open in Lincoln long after the chain's demise, but that eventually closed.

The chain which acquired some of the Kings recipes is Don And Millie's, a small local chain with maybe 5-6 locations in the area. D&M's, like Kings, is very good. Plus, they serve beer! :) Nope, you don't order by phone, you step up to the counter. :)

>1. Roses Lodge - great chicken, now closed.

I will never forget the sign on their marquee. "If the Colonel had our recipe, he would be General." :)

Rose Lodge was some of the best fried chicken I can remember. There were several other excellent chicken places in Omaha in days past, all of them I believe now defunct. Just across Dodge and down the block was Dixie Kitchen. Didn't go there much (reason: Rose Lodge was there) but I remember it as being very good as well. Jonesy's on Maple lasted until quite recently. Also Short Stop, mentioned below. Jack And Mary's was another one.

In response to another comment, Rose Lodge was on 78th., just south of Dodge. There was some kind of a reason giving for them closing instead of relocating, and I am at a loss to remember the details.

But wait! There's more!

I have been told, but I personally have not ventured there -- yet, that a small restaurant in Treynor, Iowa, just east of Council Bluffs, has acquired the Rose Lodge chicken recipe and is serving it in a small local B&G, named ... yes, you guessed it, Rose Lodge! It merits a road trip, but that just hasn't happened yet.

>2. Irvington Ice Cream - Best ice cream ever. Now closed.

I have been told -- I don't remember by whom or any more of the story -- that the bloodline of Wells Blue Bunny ice cream, produced nearby in Iowa, shares the heritage with the former Irvington ice cream plant. I'm not aware of any further details.

>4. Tiner's Drive In - long since gone. The "In" Place
>to gather for Burgers, fries and malts. I can drive
>to the old location but don't remember the address.

Tiner's was on Dodge, maybe 44th. or so, south side of the street. It lasted well into the 1970s at least. I remember the drive-in portion was showing age and in disrepair, but what I remember most of it was the delivery service for BBQ rib dinners when we lived in the area. This was, of course, before we discovered the Smoke Pit! :)

>hamburgers at a place at 30th and Fort Sts. called
>"Marshall's." This was the forerunner of "Mr. C's"
>and it remained "Marshal's" or "Marshall's Drive-In"
>until at least 1952.

Hmmmm ... very interesting. I had assumed that the drive-in was built by the Caniglias sometime in the 1950s.

In an unrelated article, another blog comment shares the following:

>The original location was also a drive in that
>the locals called "Horse Meat Harrys". I forget
>the true name.

Marshall's? :) :)

>My understanding is that "Mr. C's," like so
>many family businesses, ultimately closed
>because a younger generation was not inclined,
>or in a position,to continue the business.

That is my understanding too. I do know that the one son was involved with the business, but I'm not really sure of the details. Some say that they blamed the casinos, but I keep hearing that it was really an issue of nobody to assume the lead in the business.

That was the tackiest decor I ever loved! :)

>There was a small brick house between Caniglia's
>and Little Franks and the woman who lived there
>had the right to live there till her death aprx
>1990. She was the wife of "Frank". There was a
>tunnel that led from Little Franks to her house
>convenience for the family to travel back and
>forth to work! Story goes that the tunnel was
>originally built for bootleggin purposes - make
>the booze in the house and transport it sight
>unseen thru the tunnel.

Interesting trivia!

Legend has it that several of the places I've cited in the Forgotten Cuisine article had descended from speakeasies in the days of prohibition, either at their current locations or from former locations.

>It is hard to forget Short Stop in So. Omaha on
>42nd St. They had the best fried chicken around.

Again, one of the dearly-missed South Omaha institutions.

However, you are in for a real treat!

I hold in my hand, a faded stained card, kept in a mayonnaise jar on Funk And Wagnall's porch since noon today, a pirated copy of the recipe for the Short Stop Italian salad dressing. This was handed down from a former employee who transcribed it shortly before they closed, to a friend of mine, and a few minutes ago, to me.

So (sim sallah bim), I hold in my hand ...

(Well, I did actually have it in my hand, but then she remembered that she had it in machine-readable form, so therefore I cut and paste.) :)

Short Stop Italian salad dressing:

1 Cup Sugar
2 T Salt
2/3 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 T Parsley
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
Capers (I use a couple of Tablespoons)
Mix the above and let sit at least 1/2 hour.

Then add:

1 Cup oil
Stir and refrigerate. If oil gets thick let set out 1/2 hour before using.

>Current place is Joe Tess which was on Diner's,
>Dive etc.

You will notice that there are no Long John Silvers or Red Lobsters within a 5 mile radius or so of Joe Tess. There's a reason for this!

>Omaha has always had the best in eateries.

Yes, I think that could be one of the great tautologies of life, up there with the Pope being Catholic and bird doodoo falling from the sky. :)

>I also recall a place called the "Blackstone" had
>great fare.

When I arrived here, the Blackstone Hotel was probably the classiest hotel in Omaha, and they had several eateries, including the Orleans Room and the Golden Spur. I was acquainted with several Blackstone employees in days past, and they all told the legend of the Reuben Sandwich, which they say was first served at the Blackstone, and named after Reuben Kulakofsky, one of the founders of Central Market, a long-standing downtown grocer with short-lived branches in the 'burbs.

There was apparently a dispute, IIRC an employee jumping ship, and the Rose Bowl, a long-closed bowling alley in the Dundee area, challenged Blackstone, claiming that the Reuben was indeed first served there. I don't know. I didn't have a dog in that fight at the time. :)

>Also a great drive through like Mr. C's only in
>west Omaha at about 83rd and Dodge called Todd's.

The Todd's I remember was a short-lived reincarnation of the original on north 72nd. in the mid 1970s. "Todd's Is Back" with photos of the original, such as a block long line of cars waiting to get in! It must have been quite the place in its heyday.

>And B&G's, still operating at 78th and
>Dodge. Loose meat sandwiches to die for.

That particular sandwich has always been known to me as the "Tavern Sandwich", a delicacy indigenous to the Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin area. For those who don't know of this, it's often described as "a sloppy joe without the slop", basically loose ground beef, in natural juice with seasonings and maybe some LOSM thrown in.

Those from Iowa often know it as the Maid-Rite, after a chain of fast-food stands serving the sandwich. It appears that the sandwich is rarely seen on this side of the Missouri River with B&G's being one of the few places in Omaha which serves it. There is actually a Maid-Rite in Omaha. Finding it will be an exercise for the student. :) (Hint: Look in a gas station outside of a supermarket.) :)

The B&G variety has a bit more of an onion flavor than does the Maid-Rite.

For a few years, some DQ drive-ins served a Maid-Rite clone.

But seriously, B&G is one very unique place which I need to patronize and support more often. Once when I was in the one owner shared the story of how they began as a small DQ type drive-in at the confluence of Cass and Dodge. They had photos of the original at the time. They originally specialized in root beer and soft-serve ice cream, but their version of the Tavern became their best selling product. They then moved into the Beverly Hills Plaza shops and have been there for several decades.

>What about Kenny's on 72nd & Dodge. ... It was
>a great place to take the family.

That's one I had almost forgotten, I admit. I was only there a few times, but enjoyed it. I'm not sure why they closed, but I doubt if it was due to low patronage at that corner.

>It's too bad our children will not know good resturants.

They can, and they should, but only if we encourage them, and set the example by patronizing and supporting the well-run locally-owned independent joints!

The next time the family wants to go to Applebee's or Chili's or {fill in any of several}, why not suggest Gorat's or Anthony's or Piccolo's or La Casa?

>Ahh! Cantoni's! 70 cents for spaghetti and a
>salad--in the 50's. 90 cents if you wanted two
>meatballs.

Cantoni's was one of my faves, but, LOL, I don't remember prices that low!

I was acquainted with the long-time hostess, the late Peggy Rossiter, and got to know the Marchello brothers, Gene, who was usually in the kitchen, and John, who usually acted as maitre d'.

I remember one night that they were saying that the booth immediately to the west of the main entrance was for many years the throne of the late Lou Cantoni, who continued to keep an eye on things long after he ceased actively working.

>The sauce was not to be topped! One could buy
>a quart of the sauce on the way home from work

The sauce was very tasty but very unusual, even for Omaha Italian places. It was a rare flavor, and I've only tasted a few others similar to it. The sauce at the Ambassador was somewhat similar. It was on the mild side, and not as sweet and not as tart as most Italian red sauces.

They admitted to me one night that one of the secrets to the sauce was that they ground up the last night's leftover prime rib to use as the meat in the sauce.

The only sauce I've tasted in recent years which is similar to Cantoni's sauce is the "ground beef meet sauce" served on pasta at Giordano's in Chicago. That's about the closest I can think of.

The Highway that Almost Never Was ...

2010-02-20T19:24:00.000-06:00

This is not a street oddity, it's a highway oddity! :)

All of us know countless highways which were widened and expanded from 2-lane to 4-lane over the years.

However, we very seldom see or hear of those which are downgraded or "shrunk" from 4-lane to 2-lane. I think I found one!

State route 36, sometimes known as the Bennington Road or Pawnee Road, is a 2-lane highway beginning with McKinley Street in north Omaha, running northwestward on the north side of the Omaha metro area, and eventually connecting with US 275 between the communities of Valley and Fremont.

Years and years ago, probably in the 1980s, when I first remember traveling on this stretch, I recall seeing an un-opened parallel lane and thinking "oh good, they're widening it to 4 lanes", but each and every time I traveled that way, the "new" lanes were never opened, and they appeared to be decaying over time.

The stretch we're talking about is on SR-36, in the general vicinity of Cunningham Lake and Dam Site 11, just north of metropolitan Omaha. Two additional east-west lanes parallel the main highway to the north.

The additional two lanes are obvious on an aerial view, and it sure looks like this was intended to be a 4-lane highway.

The intersections with the local roads appear to be built out across all 4 lanes, appearing to be normal 4-lane intersections.

Access to the "new" lanes is barricaded in several places, but it is possible to drive on them in a few areas.

A few stretches are in reasonably good repair.

Recently striped, appearing they may have been used temporarily over the past few years.

Other areas, however, are badly cracked and in poor shape, indicating years, decades of neglect.

And in a couple of places it looks like the spare lanes are used for storage of barricades and such.

When I ventured out to take these photos, it appeared like they were finishing up a resurfacing job on the main 2 lanes.

Notice the fresh dark asphalt on the two main lanes.

One clue as to the intent of this particular section is given by the placement of what appears to be a recently-placed telephone pole directly in the path of the additional lanes, should they be paved through in this area.

Before I wrote this item, I asked around, but nobody really seemed to know too much about this stretch. Several said they had noticed the lanes, but didn't think much of them. I guess they are not as curious as I am. :)

One friend did say that he vaguely remembers the lanes being open maybe 1979 or so. The conclusion seems to be that they were constructed during the 1970s as Cunningham Lake filled, with the intent of eventually widening SR-36 to 4 lanes, but that the project was scaled back and the existing additional lanes closed off.

Anybody else know anything? :)

Walking In Memphis ...

2010-01-18T23:16:00.000-06:00

"Then I'm walking in Memphis ...
Walking with my feet ten feet off of ..." ... uh, Galena!

No, not Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Nebraska!

What? You've never heard of Memphis, Nebraska?

Neither had I until a semi-recent conversation turned to ghost towns and ghosts.

"Saw the ghost of Elvis On Union Avenue ..."

Whether or not Memphis is indeed a ghost town, or a ghost town to be, is in the eyes of the observer, literally, as this all-but-abandoned village is the site of many reported sightings and close encounters.

"Some residents assert there are no ghosts, but a stopover in Memphis, Nebraska will make anybody believe." --www.ghostsofamerica.com

Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?

There's not much information on the web about Memphis. Googling "Memphis, Nebraska" brings up mostly those stupid machine-generated pages "Find singles in Memphis, Nebraska", yeah, right -- or else lifted copy from the Wikipedia article, which really doesn't say much.

Memphis lies roughly 5 miles northwest of the town of Ashland, and was once connected to Ashland via a Burlington rail line. Although this has been de-mapped for some time, the route of the railroad is obvious from the air.

(Exercise for the student, follow the railroad right-of-way on Google Maps.) :)

Memphis was once a thriving small town, with two hotels, two saloons, several churches ("yes, I am tonight!"), schools, a town doctor, blacksmith shop, and the Bank Of Memphis.

Today, Memphis is best known for (other than Don's Bar), the Memphis Lake State Recreation area.

This placid lake, just north of the village, is what remains of Memphis's once-thriving industry: ice.

Before the advent of mechanical refrigeration, natural ice was a valuable commodity, and Memphis, Nebraska was home to what was said to be the largest ice production facility in North America, operated by the Armour Refrigerator Line, a subsidiary of the Chicago-Omaha-Kansas City Armour meatpackers.

"Refrigeration Killed My Town" reported Myrna Washburn in her college paper in the 1970s.

In the heyday of ice production, the vast lake was flooded each autumn, and when the ice thickness reached 8 inches, the harvest began. Massive blocks were cut from the ice sheet and were floated to the ice house, where they were lifted into storage by a high-tech for the time steam-powered conveyor system. The ice blocks were packed in sawdust and stored year-round.

As needed, the blocks were cut into smaller sections and transported by rail to Armour's facilities in Omaha and Chicago.

Nothing remains of the facility today.

The site of the former ice house is now a picnic area, the ice house having burned to the ground in the 1920s.

Following the destruction of the ice house, the ice harvest continued in the winter, with the ice blocks being loaded directly into rail cars. However, as mechanical refrigeration took over, the demand for natural ice dwindled, and so did the population of Memphis, reaching a low of 106 as of the 2000 census.

It appears that the ghosts of Memphis prefer driving four-door sedans ...

A few junk cars and a rusty piece of some kind of farm equipment are scattered about this lot.

The best part of Memphis, however, is the State Recreation Area.

The State Recreation Area covers what was one of the Armour ice lakes.

In the early 2000s, the lake area fell into disrepair and turned into what was best described as a muddy swamp.

However the lake was re-dredged and the shoreline beautifully landscaped, and remains quite a hospitable get-away today.

Hmmmm ... Looks like somebody had a spot of bad luck! :(

"But do I really feel the way I feel?" :)

Happy Holidays - Where we come from?

2009-12-17T06:33:00.013-06:00

Happy Holidays! Yes, best wishes to you and yours, no matter what holiday(s) you do or do not celebrate. If not happy and joyous, at least tolerable and as non-sucky as possible. :) :)

Yes, my New Year's resolution is to post more frequently. I've kind of set a goal of one quality post per month, but things like real work, travel, and, uh, other priorities make that sometimes not happen.

How about this? Make ya a deal? You comment more, I'll post more.

Deal? :)

One thing I would like to share with you is some commentary on where the readers of this blog come from, meaning where they heard about it, where they clicked on a link, etc. It's very interesting to go through the logs, as it's really a guestbook so to speak. :)

The most worldly of the visitors here seem to come from Rangefinder Forum, where I have a "My Blog" link in the footer of my posts. Looking at the log today I see hits from Croatia, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, Sweden, Aus-trail-ya (that's me trying to fake an Aussie accent), Malaysia, the list goes on and on.

I have a "My Blog" link on several other sites, and yes, they do generate hits. If you feel like leaving a comment as to where you came from, or where you reside, please do so. :)

Google does index the Blogspot blogs quite well, and it seems that about 1/3 of the non-regular visitors here get here by way of some kind of Google image or verbal search.

It's kind of interesting to see what people are searching for when they end up here.

By far, the most common Google search that seems to land here is a search for "Dido Albert Federowich", a name apparently used as a copyright trap in some maps. In doing a quickie Google search this morning for Dido Albert Federowich, this blog comes up as the first item on the first page. (Wow, and people pay thousands for so-called search engine optimization!)

The original article is HERE.

Of course Google asked me: Did you mean: dido albert fedorowich ? :) LOL! :)

And yes, I'm still in search of any reference at all to Dido Albert Federowich unrelated to an obscure street named in his memory. :)

Another non-street which is occasionally searched for is Querulous Street, yes, another semi-obvious copyright trap.

A writer covering the annual Berkshire-Hathaway big too-doo really "bit" on this one!

In Pilgrimage to Warren Buffett's Omaha, Jeff Matthews refers to "A street called Querulous" and does describe the approximate location (but not the street itself) quite well. :)

It's very obvious that he never visited Querulous Street, or the blog entry. :)

You can read about it HERE, assuming the link still works. :)

You can see actual photos of Querulous Street HERE, just scroll down about half way to the "Where the names have no streets" heading. :)

The surprising one is the number of hits I've received from queries along the line of how to pronounce "Schermerhorn" or "Joralemon", both streets in downtown Brooklyn, to which I made a passing remark.

Those who don't care can skip the next paragraph. :)

If you came here with such a search, Schermerhorn is usually pronounced "sker-mer-horn" with an infrequent "shure-mer-horn" heard occasionally. Joralemon isn't that simple, but if you pronounce it "jor-al-mon", close to the way it's spelled, you won't raise any eyebrows. To be more authentic, kind of blend that first "o" into somewhat of a mix between "o" and "e" and add a very weak unstressed "e" to the beginning of the last syllable. (So? Is it "van-wick" or is it "van-wike"?) :)

I do get a number of people searching for what appears to be an old favorite restaurant here. Sorry, I really don't have any more information on any of those I've mentioned, although I would appreciate comments from anyone who does. :)

Another semi-frequent search which lands here is a search for Jim Baldwin, the long-time hermit of Fontenelle Forest. My original blog entry which mentions Jim is HERE.

Sorry, I don't know any more about Jim, his family, or his homestead days. I would suggest contacting the Fontenelle Nature Association, as they will be the most likely ones to know more.

Anyway, I do wish everyone Happy Holidays and I thank all for visiting. (I also thank those who commented. >>HINT<<) :) See ya in 2010! :)

A Village named Dundee ...

2009-10-15T07:07:00.000-05:00

It can be said that Dundee was the Omaha area's first planned suburb ...

The exact boundaries of Dundee are subject to the whim of the observer. :)

Dundee sits in midtown Omaha, approximately 3 miles west of the main downtown central business district.

The eastern boundary is generally agreed upon to be either Saddle Creek Road, the former right-of-way of the long-defunct Belt Line Railroad, or 46th. St. The western boundary is less clearly defined, since the posh Happy Hollow and Memorial Park neighborhoods, and the northern Carthage district are often included in recent definitions of what is and what is not Dundee.

From south to north, Dundee extends from between Leavenworth and Farnam or so, north to somewhere between Cuming (remember, gang, Cuming is singular!) and Hamilton or so.

Historically, Dundee was a separate village, founded in the 1880s by real estate developers as a planned upscale suburb. This included strict building codes and covenants, such things as a mandatory 25 foot set-back of all buildings, side-clearance regulations (discouraging row houses, tenements, and attached apartments) and prohibitions of houses of ill repute and drinking establishments.

Dundee was annexed to the City Of Omaha in 1915.

We'll be exploring the area from 46th. to 50th. along Dodge, then parts of 50th between Dodge and Underwood, and along Underwood within a short radius of 50th., the areas shaded green on the map below.

Dodge Street is the main drag of not only Dundee but of Omaha as a whole. It's the dividing line between "north" and "south" addresses, and has served as US Highway 6 for many decades.

In the heyday of two-lane highways, route 6 spanned the continent from Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Long Beach, California, with the midpoint being just west of Kearney, Nebraska. As of this writing, route 6 is still contiguous from Provincetown through Omaha, but terminates just east of the Bay Area in California.

Fortunately, the history of many of the buildings in this area is well-documented and easier to research than those in some of the neighborhoods previously explored in this blog. :)

From 46th. to 50th.

We'll begin walking westward from 46th. Omaha can be said to be hilly in general and Dodge runs uphill as the street numbers increase, peaking at the corner of 49th.

One of the first things we notice is that many of the commercial buildings are vacant!

Several of the business properties in this area are of a type of commercial vernacular where a storefront was tacked on to a residence. Original covenants in the Dundee area required buildings to be set back 25' from the street. The storefronts were most likely added when this restriction was relaxed.

A sole surviving unmodified foursquare just west of 46th. on Dodge.

Many of the businesses along this stretch, both consumer-oriented and commercial, are indeed open and thriving.

Notice that the tax office is an addition to a set-back residence.

The streamline moderne Pittman Animal Hospital is a designated city landmark. This was built in 1948 by the late Dr. Arthur Pittman.

Dr. Pittman was well-known as Nebraska's first African-American veterinarian.

For decades, Dr Pittman ran a very successful practice in what was then an almost exclusively white neighborhood.

The existing veterinary practice still bears his name.

The commercial building on the northwest corner of 48th. and Dodge was originally a shoe shop, with mini display windows along the east side.

The shop was built as an add-on to the proprietor's residence in the mid 1950s.

Yes, the traditional service station is alive and well in Dundee, with mechanics on duty.

Until the 1990s, this was a photo studio. In recent years it's seen a number of tenants, none of them being long-lived.

Opposite on the north side of Dodge, again, this building has been turned over countless times in recent years. It originally housed the Louis Sommer supermarket, dating from the mid 1950s.

Dating from the World War II era, the 49er has been the archetypal neighborhood bar, in continuous operation to this day.

The existing sign has a somewhat makeshift appearance compared to the one I remember, which featured a covered wagon, the outline of which is obvious.

The building to the east of the 49er, originally the Farmers National Management Company, is another which has seen countless generations of churn. Ditto for the one to the west of the 49er, on the northeast corner of 49th. and Dodge. It was originally a neighborhood drug store, complete with soda fountain, but has seen many other tenants.

Wake 'n' Bake, coming Real Soon Now.

On 49th. just south of Dodge, originally a residence, then a medical clinic (The WAY Clinic), and now a general office building.

On the northwest corner of 49th. and Dodge, Reiners Pianos And Organs has been a long-time member of the Dundee business community.

The complex on the southwest corner, now a general office and retail building, once housed the fashionable Hilltop House restaurant. (Uh-huh, it's right on the crest of the hill.)

I only remember dining at the Hilltop House once.

It was very nice, but the thing I remember most about it -- the other clientele. I was maybe 28 at the time, and I remember feeling conspicuous as we were decades younger than any of the other diners!

My recollection of the Hilltop House is that it was most definitely upscale, but this vintage postcard shows it being more of a family-type casual restaurant. Not the ambiance I remember.

We're now on the downhill slope, walking west between 49th. and 50th.

The building at 4922 Dodge has an interesting history.

I remember this mostly as Fenwick's, a restaurant and ice cream parlor of the retro-diner genre.

It began life as the Uptown Hardware, one of Dundee's two fiercely-competitive hardware stores, the other being Underwood Hardware, the site of which we will visit shortly.

The last time I was in Fenwick's, I remember the "Lost our lease, everything must go." sign. A few months later, Voila!

The lot just west of what was Fenwicks also has an interesting history. This salmon building was for years a rent-to-own furniture and appliance dealer, but in the post-WWII years the original building housed the Monsky-Louis Mercury-Lincoln dealership, which appears to have been the only new car dealer in the Dundee area.

Monsky-Louis survives, however. Over the years it morphed into the Omaha Auto Auction in the Millard area.

Next we come upon *THE* landmark of the Dundee community, the Dundee Theater.

The Dundee Theater, which began life as a Vaudeville house, is the Omaha area's sole surviving still-in-operation single-screen theater. It currently features foreign and art films, as well as midnight screenings of various cult films. (It's just a jump to the left!)

Immediately to the west of the Dundee Theater is a long-standing bar and grill, now signed as the Old Dundee Bar and Grill.

Long-timers will remember this as the original home of the Dundee Dell, which recently moved to a new location on Underwood. We'll visit this shortly.

Is this now a biker bar? (Look closely.) :)

To call this particular area (49 to 50 on Dodge) "walkable" is pushing it! The sidewalk is quite narrow and there's almost no clearance. Dodge is a major thoroughfare and there are cars and trucks zooming by at what I would guess to be 45-50 MPH just inches away!

On the corner of 50th. sits Merle Norman, occupying this storefront for at least three decades.

For the foodies among us, no, I haven't forgotten.

Yes, viewers, the good old greaso-spoono neighborhood diner is alive and well in Dundee!

Cecil's, only open for breakfast and lunch, has a very loyal, regular clientele.

Eat your heart out, Guy Fieri! :)

West of Cecil's ...

Cris Rexall Drugs originally occupied this building on the southeast corner of 50th. and Dodge.

They moved to the current larger catercorner facility in the mid 1950s. The current proprietor (Kohll's) retains the Cris name. Until the 1990s, Cris was home to Omaha's only surviving original drug store soda fountain. You now have to drive to Springfield (Nebraska) to find one.

Along 50th. to the north of Dodge are various small businesses in a well-maintained commercial flat row, a barber shop, a frame shop, etc.

Locals tell me that a side-business, underground OTB for the AkSarBen racetrack, thrived on this stretch for years. :)

End of Part One.

Intermission!

(Take a brief stroll, drive, actually, up 50th northward.)

End of intermission.

Part Two.

To Underwood and Beyond The Infinite. :)

Dundee's business community is disjointed. The hectic hustle and bustle of Dodge gives way to a nice walkable section centered around 50th and Underwood.

Several eateries, drinkeries, and snackeries (is that a word?) have sprouted up in the block just east of 49th. on Underwood.

The Blue Line Coffee Shop now occupies the former Forbes Bakery and Delicatessen.

An antique gas pump, guarded by four bollards, graces the area outside yet another convenience store, most likely as a momento to a long-standing Phillips station on this corner.

Get the lead out! :)

This was an old fire station, now a dry cleaner.

The building on the southeast corner of 50th. and Underwood was for many decades a hardware store, the Underwood Hardware, longtime competitor of the Uptown Hardware, the site of which we visited on Dodge just a few blocks to the south. It remained a hardware store through the mid 1990s and had an appearance as such in the film Citizen Ruth. It's now a bar, "Beer And Loathing", an awful pun!

The logo design has an obvious connection to the name.

It's styled upon the famous Yesco "Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas" sign.

The hardware store moved catercorner to a vacant supermarket on the northwest corner of 50th. and Underwood. It remained in business until quite recently. The building now houses a medical clinic.

A few more eateries have appeared just south of Underwood, occupying what had been a barber shop and a shoe repair shop.

Cork and Bottle and Amsterdam Falafel and Kabob.

Amsterdam Falafel and Kabob?

Uh? Yeah, right!

Sounds almost oxymoronic. It might go well with Colonel Van Dijk's Dutch Fried Chicken! :)

The Harte Block occupies the southwest corner of 50th and Underwood. For the better part of a century, this housed the Carl Baum Drug Store, a "friendly competitor" to Cris down the street. It's now an ice cream parlor and Subway sandwich shop.

A 1950's view of the Harte Block appears Here. Notice the trolley wires and tracks. More on that below.

West of the Harte Block is the new Dundee Dell. Dundee Dell moved a few years ago from its original location on Dodge.

Dundee Dell is famous for fish and chips and single-malt Scotch.

Shades of SNL -- "If it's not Scottish, it's craaaaapp!" :)

I don't normally photograph strip malls. I loathe strip malls! Tres ordinaire! They are to architecture what McDonalds is to fine dining.

However, I'm making an exception here.

The bay now occupied by the "1020" for many years was Trovato's Italian Cafe. This was a neighborhood operation, similar to, but smaller than the many Italian restaurants covered in a previous item. Trovato's closed quite recently, but the new cafe "1020" is said to offer some of the Trovato's recipes.

Across Underwood to the north, we find the offices and studios of radio station KFAB (and FM station KGOR). KFAB is Omaha's only "Clear Channel" radio station, and is well-known for the broadcasts of the University Of Nebraska football games.

Except for the games which are not on TV, I very seldom listen to KFAB, which is a news-talk station, broadcasting mostly hardcore right-wing propag^H^H^Hgrams. In my not so humble opinion, the trio from Canada is the only Rush worth listening to! :)

KFAB does have a rather interesting history. KFAB began life as a sister station of Chicago's WBBM, the two stations simulcasting the same programming. They assumed their own identities in 1948 and KFAB moved into this facility at that time. Johnny Carson interned at KFAB while attending college.

For avid technoids, more about radio station KFAB can be found here.

The building at 5015 Underwood may not look familiar to you, but the name of the business here certainly will be. This was the "new" home of Buffett Grocers, operated by Sidney, Ernest ("nobody calls him Ernie"), and Fred Buffett.

Yes, it's *THAT* Buffett family!

Warren himself worked here doing such things as stocking, deliveries ("Buffett's - We Deliver!"), and cashiering.

Buffett's original location on 14th. St. was founded in 1869. The Underwood location finally closed in 1969 as one of the area's few surviving independent supermarkets. It's often said that Buffett's was the last survivor of this genre. Many shops make this claim. I do know, for example, that Clanton's on Center and Tony's Grand Central, both independent grocers, survived well into the 1970s, and A. Marino, the building of which was noted in a previous blog item, survived until around the turn of the 21st. century. However, one century of service, 1869 to 1969, is a hard act to follow and deserves to be commended!

The building now houses a bank.

The Dundee Line

In the 1890s, the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway ran the Dundee Line from its then western terminus at 40th. and Dodge to the new suburb. Originally a horse-car line, it was electrified in the early 1900s and became part of Omaha's once-extensive trolley network.

From downtown, the line ran westward along dodge, turned north at 49th and thence to Underwood, then west to 50th., where it turned south and headed back to Dodge and downtown. Some runs continued further west via a one-track spur along Underwood to Memorial Park before returning via 50th. to downtown. The Dundee line operated until 1955.

A restored car of the type which ran on this line is on display at the Western Heritage Museum.

A brick haute relief, commemorating the Dundee Line, stands on the corner of Underwood and Happy Hollow Boulevard.

More photos of the haute relief appear here.

Notice the lamp post to the left ...

Most of the residential streets in the areas we've been exploring are graced by a very unique and unusual type of street lights, the elusive cast-iron "bubble gum machine" globe-top lamp post. These particular lamps are indigenous to Dundee, Twin Ridge, and the Country Club addition here in Omaha. (Yes, those are row houses in the background, but please note that they are indeed set back the required 25 feet.)

Since the city maintenance of the lamp posts can be spotty, local neighborhood associations have instituted an "Adopt A Lamp Post" program to help out. Some of the lamps have been cleaned and repainted by volunteers. Several of these adopted lamps are adorned with hanging planters during the spring and summer months.

The only other location where I can remember these lamps is part of Chicago's Gold Coast, just north of North Avenue, as seen below.

The subject of architecture in Dundee is a topic by itself.

Historically speaking, in the first third of the 20th. century, Dundee was one of the most upscale neighborhoods of Omaha in which multiple dwellings were permitted. Apartments were prohibited by building codes in such areas as Happy Hollow, Fairacres, and Memorial Park.

This led to a plethora of beautiful apartments, most of which are standing today and remain in excellent condition.

Although single-family homes do predominate, Dundee is sprinkled with various duplexes, row houses, and apartments of all sizes from six-flat to almost-highrise.

Recent apartments lack the character of the legacy multi-unit dwellings of Dundee.

Newer housing units, if placed in Astoria, might be known as "Queens Crap!" Yes, the habitat of the "Fedders Special" includes Dundee.

WW II Bombing raid over Dundee!

Yes, it's true. A Japanese balloon bomb exploded over Dundee in 1945. The incident was classified until the end of the war. A plaque commemorating the "bombing" lies just west of 50th. on Underwood.

More about the "bombing" appears here..

Technical information: Olympus Stylus Zoom, Canon GIII, Fuji 200; haute relief shot on Fuji 800 with Mamiya SD.

Dust of the (star)dust ...

2009-10-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

Continued from last post ...

The only constant in Las Vegas is change!

Las Vegas is always re-defining and re-inventing itself.

It seems to go in phases. From the 1950s to the 1960s it was Old West and Desert Theme. In the 1960s and 1970s it was Mob Rule.

In the 1990s we had the Great Disneyland Experiment, a new "Family Friendly" Las Vegas with theme parks, pirate battles, and Lions and Tigers and Sharks (Oh My!). That didn't last long, LOL! :)

In the late 1990s and 2000s it was bigger, bigger, bigger, and upscale, upscale, upscale. Every property on the Strip aspired to be the biggest (and most upmarket) with $200 rooms, $100 dinners in absentee celebrity chefs' eponymous eateries, hotels within hotels, and yes, that oh-so-trendy velvet rope ultra-lounge for the El-Lay 20-bopper party crowd!

Marina became (the new) MGM Grand, Hacienda became Mandalay Bay, Dunes became Bellagio, Desert Inn became Wynn (and Encore), Sands became Venetian (and Palazzo).

San Remo became Hooters. (Does that one count?) :)

Boardwalk is becoming City Center.

Stardust is becoming Echelon Place -- uh, not so fast! Hold that thought. ...

But anyway ...

Several weeks before the Big Bang ...

From the perspective of the Frontier parking lot (at that time the Frontier was still open) it looks almost normal by day.

Looking closer, the demolition was obvious.

At night, however, it was eerie and foreboding, illuminated mainly by the reflected glow from the still-open.

Here are some various shots of the closed property, taken from whatever vantage points I could find. Many were shot through gaps in the fence.

About a week before the Big Bang ...

The denuded West Tower, ca. 1991, stands tall, ready to meet her fate.

Likewise the East Tower and Villa are stripped to the bones.

Try as I might, I could not rearrange my schedule to be present for the actual implosion.

In a way, I didn't want to see the implosion and concomitant celebration. I really would not have felt like celebrating at all. :( I admit to getting misty-eyed seeing the Westward Ho lying there, fatally injured, waiting for the bulldozers to haul off her unwanted remains. Had I seen the 'Dust bite the dust, so to speak, I think I would have come totally unglued. :(

It would have been like witnessing the execution of a dear friend, one I had known well, and one who served me well. A friend whose only crime was the capital offense of showing her age, of not being "hip" enough to hobnob with Paris and Britney and the anointed others, but choosing the company of the girls and boys from the other side of the tracks.

Oh, and my did we know how to party! Oh yes, we certainly had more fun together than Britney and Lindsay and Paris and ... the only difference being that we didn't get paid $20,000.00 just to show up!

Yeah, yeah, I know, you're here to see pictures, and not listen to me motormouth and wax nostalgic and such, right?

And then it happened ... >>>>BANG!<<<<

I returned a few days after.

I took four rolls of film with me as I set off to shoot the aftermath. I intended to take maybe 90 shots or so. (Yes, I shoot film exclusively.) I ended up shooting less than one full roll. There wasn't really that much to see. It was really one big pile surrounded by several smaller piles.

Everything in the vicinity was covered in a thick coating of dust.

Stardust to dust!

What, no room specials? No $5.95 prime rib? No Tony Roma's ribs? No bonus players club points? No Wayne Newton, no Rick Thomas, no Lido, no Enter The Night? :( Not even thanks for 48 wonderful years? :(

(No Frank Rosenthal Show?) :)

One thing there still was plenty of, unfortunately, is pornslapper litter! :(

So, where'd the sign go???!!!

Fortunately the greatest sign ever to grace the Strip will be preserved for posterity, remembering the days of Vegas the way it should be.

Epilogue:

Stardust was to become Echelon Place, a mega-complex of a mega-casino and something like six hotels! (Hey, I need only one room in one hotel, not six!) :)

Then something happened that the Powers That Be did not expect, the recession! Work on Echelon Place remains on hold as of the date of this post.

The Powers That Be sure blew it this time! They killed a cash cow, the Stardust. It wasn't the biggest or the most opulent, but it was a thriving popular place. What do they have to show for it? A huge vacant tract with no cash flow! Way to go ... NOT! :(

Will this to-be phoenix ever rise from the dust of the Stardust? Time will tell.

Oh well, so it goes (and so do I). :)

Stardust To Dust ...

2009-08-12T23:14:00.000-05:00

This is part one of two ... I had originally planned to cover the Stardust up through it's untimely demise, but it kept getting longer and longer.

Anyway, my absolute favorite Las Vegas casino-hotel of all times is unquestionably the Stardust.

The Stardust was the indisputable anchor of the North Strip in the Las Vegas area, surviving from 1958 to 2006, and at several times during its history being the property with the largest casino and the largest room count.

My first encounter with the Stardust was on an extended family vacation back in the mid 1970s, when we stayed downtown but visited the Stardust on the Strip. I was very impressed, and convinced my late father (MHRIP) that we should stay there the next year, which we did. ...

My first STAY at the Stardust was a major let-down! :(

Here I was expecting this palatial suite with majestic appointments and what did I get? A dorm room! :(

Most of the Stardust rooms at the time were in long two-story "motel" buildings out to the rear of the main casino. To use the term "austere" for these rooms would be a compliment!

This is the only photo I have of the "dorms", scanned from an old print. All the room needed was a black-light poster and a bookshelf of construction blocks and bare boards and it could have easily passed for dorms at the University Of {whatever}!

A couple of those in my extended family started calling it "The Stalag", but I didn't think it was that bad!

The view above, taken shortly after the larger "west" tower was built shows the "dorm room" buildings still extant to the left. The "dorms" were closed around 1997 and torn down in 1999.

In the heyday of the Stardust, the "Campus" included such features as an auto racetrack, drive-in theater, television studio (see Frank Rosenthal Show below), rodeo arena, countless swimming pools, saunas, etc., and several generations of a convention center, the last of which was housed in a large metal quonset type of structure situated upon the land of the demolished "dorm" rooms.

Lido de Paris, a Stateside version of the famous French production show was the Stardust's feature entertainment until Lido finally closed in 1992.

The former Royal Nevada Hotel, a portion of which is shown above as the Stardust "Villa", preceded the Stardust and was absorbed into the Stardust, adding to its total room count. Originally in an "H" shape, portions were gradually chipped away until in the Stardust's later years, this section resembled more of the letter "F".

The Stardust Race and Sports Book was the standard to which all others in the Las Vegas vicinity were compared! The "Stardust Line" was a term well-recognized by (legal and illegal) bookmakers and players.

The Stardust comes complete with a rich and colorful history, much of it not quite so honorable. It was allegedly built with mob money and in much of its heyday operated by such characters as Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and Tony "The Ant" Spilatro.

It's well documented that Frank and Tony ran the Stardust for the mob, even though all the money in Las Vegas could not buy Frank a gaming license. They just simply rotated him from one schlock job to another (Director of Food and Drink, Entertainment Manager, etc.) under temporary authority. Tony was the "muscle", who was said to be fond of mayhem and violence, as long as he was the one doing the inflicting!

When Frank was Entertainment Manager, he hosted the Frank Rosenthal Show, a weekly talk show featuring many well-known celebrities of the time.

Frank and Frank appear on the Frank Rosenthal Show in the mid 1970s.

Things came to a head during some "family" disputes! Franks car was booby-trapped, and he barely escaped death by inferno after dining at Marie Callenders, having been pulled from the blazing wreck by a quick-to-act waiter. Tony and his brother ended up being buried alive in a midwest farm field following a "disagreement". If all of this sounds familiar, yes, these real-life events, among others, formed the basis of the film Casino.

Eventually, in the mid 1980s, the Nevada Gaming Commission revoked the license of the Stardust, following years of investigation into skimming and book-cooking. The Boyd Group (Sam's Town, Fremont, et. al.) was allowed to purchase and re-open the Stardust, and was in charge until the very end.

The iconic 190 foot sign, perhaps the most-recognized sign in Las Vegas's history, is now part of the Neon Museum's collection.

This particular "cloud of stars" sign replaced the original Stardust sign in the mid 1960s.

The original Stardust sign, a "googie" design of a space-age theme, lasted only about 8 years.

(From a ca. 1960 postcard.)

The particular typeface used for the original Stardust signage and logo is frequently referred to on the web by such names as "Electrajag", "Electra-Jag", "Electra Jag" and even "Electro Jag".

Having previously worked in the printing industry, I'm somewhat familiar with typefaces and fonts, and I had never heard of this particular typeface name. I've been unable to find that name in any typeface catalogs, current or historical. The Linotype Corporation does have several typefaces in their "Electra" series, but nothing like this one.

Doing a Google search for variants of "Electrajag" seems to always bring up the Stardust sign. :)

Anyway ... the original 1960s design of the "cloud of stars" sign retained the Electrajag typeface.

(Above photo from "Mtnman79", Creative Commons attribution)

In the 1980s, the lettering was replaced with what looks like a non-deco Futura Bold, which matched most of the Stardust's newer signage.

The Stardust had two hotel towers, the smaller 1960s vintage East Tower ...

... and the much larger 30-story 1980s vintage West Tower, which was considered to be the first "mega-tower" on the Strip.

The campus was quite compact when compared to today's megaresorts. You could walk from corner to corner in 15 minutes or so at a leisurely pace. There was a lot there, however, as we explore some of what was ...

Leaping waters!

Attractively-lit buildings ...

... very photogenic at night!

The Villa area was complete with such things as swimming pools, hot tubs, jacuzzis, gazebos, a fitness center, palm trees, and yes, outdoor cocktail service.

Yes, the North Strip once revolved around the Stardust ...

... and its footprints which lasted from 1958 through 2006!

Expensive room! :)

Expensive towels! :)

In Part Two (I see you shiver with antici ... {say it!}) we'll look at the demise and aftermath of the Stardust.

The Final Frontier ...

2009-07-01T03:29:00.001-05:00

Cold Beer and Dirty Girls!

Uh, yeah, if you say so ... :)

This report has been a long time coming, almost two years ... anyway ...

On July 15, 2007, I was lucky enough to be in Las Vegas for the closing of the Frontier Hotel and Casino, sometimes known as the Last Frontier and the New Frontier.

The Frontier began its life in 1942 as the second hotel-casino on what would become the Las Vegas Strip. It was preceded only by the original El Rancho, which was destroyed by fire in 1960. Nope, despite what you heard, Bugsy's Flamingo was not the first hotel-casino on the Strip!

At the time of the closure, the Frontier was the oldest continuously-operating hotel-casino on the Strip.

There's so much written about the Frontier's history. Google a bit if you want to read about it. It's been the home of many headliners, in particular Siegfried and Roy with their Beyond Belief show.

The Frontier was also the location of the longest strike in the history of organized labor, lasting from 1991 to 1998.

Anyway, I arrived at about 7:30pm on the 15th and stayed almost until the very end.

This was also one rare opportunity to photograph the action in a legacy Las Vegas casino with impunity. Many casinos prohibit casino photography entirely. Those that permit it (tolerate it) have quite a few restrictions, and very few ever allow photography of gaming tables in play.

There were many cameras present, thousands of photos being taken right in front of management and security, who did nothing at all to discourage it!

When I arrived, several of the complex's facilities were closed or closing.

Notice the expression on the one guy in the gift shop above! :)

Totally vacant sports book ...

One of the arcade shops going out of business ...

Here we look through the glass in the door of what was Gilley's, a nightclub and saloon which featured such things as mud wrestling and mechanical bull riding. Things I've always wanted to do -- NOT! :)

You can see the partially-removed "Gilley's" logo on the glass.

... and the band played on!

A jazz/swing tribute-to-Frank type band played almost until the very end, somewhat reminiscent of the final hours of the Titanic. Oh well ...

Quite a contrast in style here ...

"Like Frankie said, I did it my way!" :)

... and the people played on!

... almost as if it were just another day in the casino!

The Frontier was the home of one of the few surviving Sigma Derby games, a mechanical horse race game with kind of a cult following.

As of this writing, the only remaining Sigma Derby is at the MGM Grand.

As a souvenir, I wanted a cash-out ticket, but I was afraid that if I waited until midnight, the slot machine would turn into a pumpkin or something, so I cashed out of one I was playing which ran down to $0.01 a couple hours before. :)

I found the following coin on one of the bartops. It was of very light metal, not intended as a casino chip or gaming token.

Various photos on display for the employees and regular players ...

Over the years I've managed to be in a few casinos (Wynn, Red Rock, Encore) on opening day, but never at a casino closing. It was a bittersweet affair, but the mood was festive until the very end. I was watching for any celebrities who might be there, but I didn't see any. Most of the crowd appeared to be employees and friends, regular casino players, visitors who happened to be in town, etc. Nope, Mayor G. wasn't there, but the Frontier (as well as almost all of the Strip) is outside the Las Vegas city limits.

So, what are the plans for the site?

There were several announced plans over the years, including a San Francisco themed resort and a Swiss themed Montreux (/me puts on an old Deep Purple album and cranks it) resort, but the latest plans are to build a Las Vegas version of New York's famed Plaza Hotel.

I guess I should book a room on the tippy-top floor, bring my pet turtle, and phone room service and tell them to "charge it, please!" :) (Nobody seems to get that one.) :)

Sin City Nights

2009-05-27T03:44:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite places to vacation, and to photograph, is Las Vegas.

Las Vegas at night is exceptionally photogenic!

Here are a few I've taken over the years which I think are different than the typical postcard views ...

The Strip, looking south from Flamingo Road:

A few unusual angles, ultrawide rectilinear ...

ESPN Zone, nee' Motown Cafe.

Notice the Brooklyn Bridge!

Tropicana, one of the remaining "legacy" casino-hotels:

And now {pause - deep breath - sigh} the World's Largest Gift Shop:

Direct to your room! (yeah, right):

Sahara Hotel and Casino, another of the Old Vegas genre, to the left.

Excalibur (aka "Egg Salad Bar"):

New York, New York, a casino so nice they named it twice!

Smith And Wollensky. Las Vegas branch of the NYC steakhouse of the same name:

They tell me (the ubiquitous "they") that nobody actually named Wollensky was ever part of the business. :)

The casino formerly known as the Aladdin:

Just prior to the transition to the Planet Hollywood name.

Harley-Davidson Cafe:

Las Vegas Monorail station:

Room At The Wynn:

(... blow on fingernails, wipe on blouse) :)

Looking from the Room At The Wynn across to Treasure Island. (Mirage to the left, Rio in the background):

The Mirage:

Nobody knows what this is supposed to be, but it's right in front of the Fashion Show Mall, right across from the Wynn:

Slots-A-Fun, on the North Strip. Westward Ho and Stardust (both now demolished) in the background:

Penny Town, low-roller annex to the Riviera Casino:

Riviera is another of the surviving legacy "Old Vegas" casino-hotels.

The Luxor light illuminating the clouds:

(Taken from the balcony of the Stardust East Tower, now demolished.)

Imperial Palace tower. It's blue at night. :)

Las Vegas Hilton sign, from the Las Vegas Monorail:

Technical information:

Canon QL17 GIII
Mamiya SD rangefinder
Olympus Stylus Zoom
Pentax K1000, Sigma 18mm f3.5 ultrawide

Various Fuji C41 films, ISO 400-1600

The Street That Almost Never Was ...

2009-03-20T05:48:00.000-05:00

Street oddities, revisited, again.

(Yet again, I'm claiming fair use of a few copyrighted works, for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and educational purposes.)

To make a long story long ...

Going back into ancient history - not really relevant but it sets the scene - shortly after I moved to Omaha, I and a friend got into this habit of occasionally wandering about the cemeteries of North Omaha during the wee hours. We weren't doing anything wrong, just enjoying each others's company and taking in the, uh, scenery. We were 20-something, old enough to know better, but young enough to say "what the {f-bomb}"!

Mormon Cemetery and B'nai Jacob Cemetery were trivial to enter, but Forest Lawn was more of a challenge as it was well-fenced and locked up tight after dark. Can't risk any escapes, can we? :)

Anyway, yes, we were trying to find a way to sneak into Forest Lawn and we wandered a couple of blocks southwest of the old 40th. St. entrance gate, trying to find a way across the brook that flows along the south side of the developed portion of the cemetery.

We didn't find one.

What we did find was evidence of some abandoned but very significant road construction. Lanes were graded, but unpaved and overgrown with weeds and brush. This was very obvious, since the natural terrain in the area is quite hilly.

This would have been just southwest of what is now the junction (it really isn't an intersection) of 42nd. St. and Hanover St.

Had we discovered a true ghost road? :)

We figured it was some kind of road construction effort, abandoned during the gas shortage days of the 1970s. I didn't even think of this again, until ...

... I was looking over an old map, undated but probably ca. 1960s or so, and there it was! The road that never was!

This map, of uncertain vintage, clearly shows Forest Lawn Avenue running through southwest from roughly what is now the 42nd. and Hanover junction to, yes, Forest Lawn Avenue, a length of which is extant and signed, in the vicinity of 50th. and Redick.

Notice the railroad tracks, long since abandoned and torn up, the right of way now used for Sorensen Parkway.

I was curious (meow!) so on an otherwise sunny Saturday afternoon I took off in search of the street that never was. I ventured to what is the existing west end of Forest Lawn Avenue, paved and signed, and ...

I thought I found the Holy Grail of Street Necrology! Wow!

From 50th. looking northeast, what at first looked like the the continuation of the once-to-be or once-was Forest Lawn Avenue was obvious, but a few things did not make sense.

Decades before, we had stumbled upon what was to be the eastern end of this stretch, those days being in the late 1970s, and it had been abandoned for several years at that time. However, this section looks like a fairly recent abandonment. The pavement here is solid, no major cracks, weed growth, etc.

I'm not at all a streetlight expert (sorry, Kevin and Jeff) :) but it appears to me that the lights are of recent vintage and probably operable. The No Parking signs with the circle-slash icons also date the poles to a time later than the 1970s.

The barricades, in particular, look not very old, indicating that this was a fairly recent closure.

Doing a little homework uncovered the true nature of this section of the street. It was, until recently, running through an apartment complex, the Wintergreen Apartments, and really had no connection to the planned but never constructed section of Forest Lawn Avenue.

Googling a bit brought forth many headlines such as these:

You know the drill, blighted apartments, absentee slumlord, hotbed of crime, city eventually seizes and razes the property.

This aerial view shows the Wintergreen Apartments ca. 2004.

Also obvious in the view is the once-planned right of way for the never-constructed section of Forest Lawn Avenue.

This map, from The Phone Book<tm>, shows things more or less as they are today.

The barricades shown in the photos above are at the green dot, the closed-off Newport Avenue, shown in the photo below, is noted by the red dot.

Notice the stop sign (somewhat difficult to make out, but it's there, look closely at the right, taller post), facing west toward Forest Lawn Avenue. This was the farthest east that this section of Forest Lawn Avenue made.

If we peer through the brush, we can see some remains of the now-leveled Wintergreen Apartments, such as abandoned furniture and a still-standing street light.

The remains of a parking lot can easily be seen looking west into the former complex.

From the barricaded terminus of Forest Lawn Avenue, the remains of another of the former complex's parking lots is evident as well.

Looking northeast from Newport Avenue just east of the barricade, we can see the western end of the planned right of way of the unconstructed section of Forest Lawn Avenue.

Returning to the Scene Of The Crime<tm>, along what is now 42nd. St. just south of Hanover, the path to the once-graded future Forest Lawn Avenue extension is still visible, looking westward.

So, what's the story? What happened?

I don't really know, but my guess is that Forest Lawn Avenue had been planned for some time to span from its existing eastern section to its existing western section, but after a false start and the lack of a real need, the project was abandoned. That's my guess, anyway. :)

But wait! There's more!

Another chapter of Street Necrology unfolding!

It appears that the section of 42nd. St. between Newport and Read is destined to be abandoned. Barricades and signs are up, it appears to be inaccessible.

The Yahoo map (above) shows most of this discontinuity, the Google map (also above) still shows 42nd. as being complete through this area.

To those unfamiliar with the area, yes, these photos look more like they were taken in rural Kentucky than in Omaha. This particular area, around 42nd. and Read, although surrounded on some sides by regular fully-developed urban neighborhoods, is very primitive and rustic, lacking infrastructure and in some cases even paved streets.

Looking at a topographic map of the area, several very steep hills in the sparsely-developed region are shown.

The green dot shows the barricaded southwest end of the section that passed through the Wintergreen apartments and the red dot shows the limit of the eastward progress of Forest Lawn Avenue in this area. The orange dot shows the barricades to the west of 42nd. St. where Forest Lawn Avenue was to continue west, roughly in parallel to the stream. The blue dots show the locations of the barricaded blocking off the now-abandoned portion of 42nd. St. Notice the very sharp downhill drop-off just north of the barricade.

Looking at the lack of development in the area it's very obvious why Forest Lawn Avenue was never completed and parts of some streets, such as 42nd., have been closed.