The Danish people in Omaha, Nebraska, were a predominant ethnic group in the city in the 1920s, and were notable for that compared to other cities across the United States. Omaha, as well as its neighbor,
Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...
, had "major colonies of Danes for many years."
History
According to the definitive 1882 ''History of the State of Nebraska'', the first Danes in Nebraska arrived at
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
with the
Mormons in the 1840s.
A Danish language newspaper called ''Den Danske Pioneer'' was founded in Omaha in 1872. 75 percent of its subscribers were Danish farmers in the United States. In 1882, the
Danish Brotherhood in America, a fraternity, was founded in Omaha. In 2010, it counts about 8,000 members.
Legacy
A legacy of the continued influence of Danes in Omaha is the Danish Vennelyst Park, a private facility owned and operated by the Danish American Society of Omaha. The park held
Denmark's Constitution Day celebrations annually for many decades. In 2016, the former
Danish Brotherhood in America National Headquarters at 3717 Harney Street was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
As Danes assimilated into American culture throughout the 20th century, many of their institutions faded and closed. The Trinity Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Church was organized in 1895 and was located on T Street near 28th in
South Omaha South Omaha is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth, due to the rapid development of the Union S ...
. It was dissolved in 1914. In 2010, the
Dana College
Dana College was a private college in Blair, Nebraska. Its rural 150-acre (607,000 m²) campus is approximately 26 miles (40 km) northwest of Omaha and overlooks a portion of the Missouri River Valley. The campus was planned to be purchase ...
, founded by the Danes of Omaha in neighboring
Blair, Nebraska,
[Zacher, C. K., and Clayton, A. R. L. (2007) ''The American Midwest: an interpretive encyclopedia.'' Indiana University Press. p. 212.] closed as well.
The
Springwell Danish Cemetery
The Springwell Danish Cemetery is located at 6326 Hartman Avenue in North Omaha, Nebraska. First used in 1868, this cemetery was formally established in 1889 by Danish immigrants. It was designated an Omaha Landmark in 1996.
About
The Springwell ...
is located in
North Omaha
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...
. First used in 1868, this cemetery was formally commissioned in 1889 by local Danes. It was designated an Omaha Landmark in 1996.
[(nd]
Springwell Danish Cemetery
City of Omaha. Retrieved 6/17/07.
See also
*
Danish American
Danish Americans ( da, Dansk-amerikanere) are Americans who have ancestral roots originated fully or partially from Denmark. There are approximately 1,300,000 Americans of Danish origin or descent.
History
The first Dane known to have arri ...
*
History of Omaha, Nebraska
The history of Omaha, Nebraska, began before the settlement of the city, with speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa staking land across the Missouri River illegally as early as the 1840s. When it was legal to claim land in Indian Co ...
*
Culture in Omaha, Nebraska
The culture of Omaha, Nebraska, has been partially defined by music and college sports, and by local cuisine and community theatre. The city has a long history of improving and expanding on its cultural offerings. In the 1920s, the ''Omaha Bee'' n ...
*
Springwell Danish Cemetery
The Springwell Danish Cemetery is located at 6326 Hartman Avenue in North Omaha, Nebraska. First used in 1868, this cemetery was formally established in 1889 by Danish immigrants. It was designated an Omaha Landmark in 1996.
About
The Springwell ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danes In Omaha, Nebraska
Danish-American history
Ethnic groups in Omaha, Nebraska