In 1893 William Paxton, Alexander Swan, and others organized the Union Stockyards Company at this place, and by 1892 the meatpacking firms of Cudahy, Armour, and Swift were here employing more than 1,000 workers. This type of development was characterized as an "industrial suburb” similar to Pullman in Illinois and Homestead in Pennsylvania.

      Dubbed the "Magic City" by newsmen of the time, South Omaha was incorporated in 1886 and eventually annexed by the City of Omaha in 1915. Due to its closeness to the stockyards and rail lines and the presence of a streetcar line, South 24th (part of the longest north-south street in Omaha) became the major commercial district of South Omaha. By the 1930s it was the largest retail center in Omaha outside of downtown.

	Then - Photo Gallery Click Here

      The WPA guide to Omaha in 1943 had this description of the South Omaha business district in 1939: "A Saturday night town, the taverns and retail stores have tremendous business at this time. From early afternoon until dark all types of automobiles, shining and new, old jalopies and trucks, stream in from Sarpy and Saunders counties, and from Iowa across the new bridge. The cars are parked along the curbs and in them farm children wait for their parents who come presently with armfuls of groceries…innumerable packages fill the back seats-summer sausage and bananas, candy and cold cream from the dime store, modish hats and rayon formals from Phillips Department Store…”

      Upstream Metropolis reports on South Omaha in the 1960s and 70s - "South Omaha had little in the way of new construction; many houses had fallen into disrepair; I-80 divided the community; and the commercial district had badly decayed.”

	Now - Photo Gallery Click Here