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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1905)
4 THE OMAHA ILLUSTRATED BEE. April IS. Omaha's Fine Residence Sections and Growing Suburban Districts V Pen end Picture Glimpses of (he Pretty Spots that Make Home Life in Omaha Not Only Worth the Living but Most Enjoyable from Each and Every Point ol View 11 " 1 H .1 lit Js vi. . ....... i-SVi ... a'. J it SOUTH TENTH 8TREKT A VERITABLE SHOW FLACK. BEAUTIFUL BEMIS PARK. -.''".' 4 f - ?-..S,,Vf .1 i. . . 53 I- l4Brl.l BOULEVARD TERRACE IMPROVING STEADILY. HE original aspect of Omaha when It was a bunch of green home spun clad hills and valleys and . not the place of residence of many thousands, taken Into the mind's eye together with the present pic ture ,of assembled homes, makes an In teresting study. The vicissitudes of the various additions to the Hist little town slfo make Interesting history. During the Inspiration of the boom the work of ex ploitation was carried to such a range that the present city, with Its additions, covers more actual ground than many of the, old and honored cities of the east. At one time during the chill reaction of hard times, It seemed as though most of these additions must Inevltahly he returned to the peaceful farms from which they were cut, and the first residents must move further" toward the heart of the metropolis or become farmers. This' Idea, however, was unfounded Tin so far as additions were concerned which were located with any Insight of the future growth of the city. The hard times hung around He a wolf at the door and kept these outlying residence sections from prospering they merely fought off the pas ture land for a time;' but now that the pendulum has swung the other way and conditions have returned to the normal, and the people of Omnha have come to understand that there vlll be no sudden shifting In population cither backward or Into the 300,000 class, the city Is found to have a circle of handsome and prosperous suburban residence districts. , Start on West Farnam. '. The growth of a city Is always Interest ing, and some of the prosperous residence suburbs of Omaha have had varied his tories. Those who lived In Omaha about 1M0 can distinctly remember a country road leading over a very steep hill west from Sixteenth street, on Fa mam, with a few small houses scattered along both sides of the street, from Twentieth street west to about Twenty-sixth, which at that time was practically the extreme west end of I lie west Farnam street section. About that time, however. the -Ity coun cil decided to extend Farnam street fur 'thcr west, which was practically extend ing It Into the country, so to speak, and It was extended west to Thirty-sixth, and afterward further on n additions were platted. The ground was rough and hilly, n to make a passable street it was' nec essary to fill the low places and make deep excavations In the high places, with the result that west Farnam street from Twenty-fifth west had more the appearance of a railroad grade than a city street. There were high clay banks on both sides of the street and it was anything but Inviting for a choice residence location, as it has since become. About the first house built on West Far nam street was erected by William Kier stead. Just opposite Thirty-second avenue, Mr. Klerstead being practically the pioneer of the west Farnam street section. The house at thnt time standing on the eust slope of the hill with a forty-foot clay bank on the west side of It. A little after this time F. I'. Kirkendnll anil Charles Coe purchased a block of ground between Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth streets and Jackson nnd Junes streets and erected thereon two very handsome brick veneered residences for those days, this particular spot being one of the highest points in what Is known as West Furnum addition proper, having a commanding view at that time of the city on the east and the larger part of Douglas county on the west, ns there were no other houses nnd hut few trees to obstruct the view in every direction. Host everybody at that time thought these men had gone so far Into the country that they would have to drive through muddy roads for all time to reach the city. Days of Boom anil Depreioloii. It was only a short tlm artcr this, how ever, until Jtichard Wlthnell built liis handsome home on Thirty-seventh, now the General Cowan residence, and from that time on people began to realize that west Farnam section was to eventually be the aristocratic residence section of the city. About 18Sti property began to change hands rapidly and each time at largely increased prices. Choice resilience sites were picked out by those who contemplated building; the high banks on Farnam street were gradually taken down, and choice residence sites "between Thirty-first and Thirty-eighth streets on Farnam, or either side of there, on the high ground, were selling at prices ranging as high as $13 per foot. This, too, was before the streets were paved or be fore the car line was even extended. From ISStj to 1S91 the west Farnam section was transformed from practically' a cornfield, to a handsome residency section, and many fine homes were erected during those years, and It was during those palmy days that Farnam street was paved witli cedar block, which, like all cedar block paving, had its disastrous effects on property in general. In less than three or four years after this paving was laid the street was practically impassable, and from 1810, the year of the panic, until about 38flO, the west Farnam section had Its reverses, as did other sec tions of the city. Values decreased and property that used to sell for per foot could not be sold for 150 per foot. About 1900 Charles Turner decided to offer his residence lots between Thirty-second and Thirty-fourth streets at prices that .today would be sold In twenty-four hours, yet at that time It was hard to move them at the prices offered. Since thep some of these lots hnve been sold for more than double the price paid for them. Many handsome homes are being erected In the West Fa run m section this year and" many others lire con templated, sites hav ing been purchased for that purpose, atid without doubt it Is and always will be the choicest residence sec linn in the city. I. V. Sholes, who 1 heavily Interested In this section, pre dicts thnt within the. next few yean, considering the limited u it of choice ground in this section and com paring prlcen with other cities of equal population and prominence, that those who wish to erect handsome homes will consider themselves fortunate to get a choice corner lot for SluO per front foot, which to day can be bought for less than $100 per foot. The West Farnam residence section Is ad mired by all non-realdents and nearly every one iho stes It comments upon its beauty and says It cannot be surpassed. Dundee's (trowth a Development. Dundee Is the natural continuation ofr the West Farnam neighborhood und In time will undoubtedly be annexed to the city. It is already a part of the city In everything except government, or to make a more concrete illustration, in tuxes. The taxes are Just on;-rlfth of the levy in the down town districts. The suburb,' however, has the telephone, gas. electricity, city water and a continuation of perhaps the best street car line which enters the city. True, the service is only a twenty-minute service now, but the headway is to be shortened In the near future. Many people wlil be sur prised at the statement that a car goes from the center of the city en Farnam street to Dundee In lesn thhn twenty min utes. The distance is only two and -a half miles from the postofllc-e, but pei pie who live" further away in other directions popu larly suppose Dundee to ba at a greater distance. This subuvb has tne advantage of having been laid out with a' d' tlnite plan, which has been carried out. The Patricks sold Ail5 1 afres June 4, 1SST, for $030,000 to the Patrick Land company. June 16 of the following year Dundee Place was platttd. Some of the lots ai tne eastern side of the audition sold at that time for 700 or $1,000. At the present time some of thee are worth $760, but of course this is with all the improvements. .The Pn:rick Land company built and maintained a street car line to connect with the city service. The addition was afterward turned Into a village without the aid or constnt of any other municipal government iu the state. Among the charter provisions is one that theie shall be no saloons. Another forces all the business houses to locate on one avenue. There arc cement sidewalks and all the trees, planted are maples. In some sections a minimum for building of JL'.uOO has been placed. The village now has a population of fitfl people and the spirit of Improvement is abroad in the land and things are shaping up better and faster than for a number of years. In 1904 there were twenty-three new houses built and more than twenty-five have been arranged for to date this spring to be built this year. C. C. George & Co. are among those Interested in Dundee property. The vil lage neems to be keeping in touch with the city in the present advance. i i, a .n ... f,i"t r I r 3 i I! "V'. ;'if ... 1 in I, i M I, ii.i i n ', i WFST FATTTCATir CTTOTCW A WD frELF.frT. I wanted it. The tlrst traction was horses then came h steam motor, after which electricity. There were a few houses built in the first boom, Hnd these people weve kept together during the hard times and faith and courage kept up. Ten years ago thre were about two hundred people; In Benson, now there are 1,800. Some time ago the school board, wishing to enlarge Its ground, offered, Peter Graven R.000 for two lots In the center of the town. Iots now run from $150 to $250, and are said to be selling fast. Bensonlilrst is a new one. Mr. Benson will put It on the market soon, and prom ises It shnll be something new for Omaha. It runs north from Military avenue Just west of the Country club. When the lots are put on sale the .streets will be mac adamiscd, there will be permanent walks and other Improvements, and the addition will be planted with elm trees. lien u I fill Mentis Park. One returning from u look at Hrnson cannot help but be attracted by Bemis par!;. Nature evidently meant to defeat the waflle iron system of city building when It laid out that portion of tiie Lowe estate which no answers to the name of Bemis park. It is up and dwn and covered with springs nnd heavy limber. When the George P. Bends company con veyed tiie park to the c.y It saw that contour streets were necessary In order to utilize to tiie best advantage the hind lying back cf.tlio ptiblio park. The sec tion extends :f;o7n' Thirty-third, street west to Thirty-eighth. Suid from Cuming north ' to Hamilton. It Is the only purt of Omaha that has been laid out with regurd to the topography bf the lsnd. und as a conse quence has never bten burdened with cut and fills nnd unsightly special taxes. If the boulevard l bidlt northwest from the adiltloijt ns the Bemis pafkers hope, the Improvement will help the neighborhood wry much. A. P. Ttikey. who has con siderable Interest in this part of the town, Is yearning for municipal ownership of the water works, because then the city could throw the fifteen-acre tract belonging to the company Into the present ten-acre park and make something tine of it, in idditlou to keeping the lalce full of re:tl witter all the time. About fifty houses have been built, are building and are planned all within a year in Bemis park. One man has sold sixty lots In the park nnd thnt vicinity within n year, largely for use at once. There are some lots left In the park, but not very many, us its area is limited. The lots are of all shapes and sizes und sell from $.i00 to $1,000. Fewer houses are rented In the addition, it Is said, than In any other, for the owners live in them themselves. Very Attractive Neighborhood. One of our most attractive properties present tini- there are four houses build ing on Harney street, at or near Thirty fifth street, running in value from H.niH) up to $.1,01)0 as to cost of construction. Ten years ago there were only four houses on Harney sin i t li e -t w e e n Thirty-third and Thirty- sixth streets; now there are twenty-two. with four more building, and wiea nt lot on Harney, In years, will be covered with HANBCOM TLACE-inGH AND DRY. PTTMM1T APTTTTfV MrTtoT ATC MOPFRATB. Benson Sorely Flourishes. Benson bears a good deal the same rela tion to Cuming street that Dundee does to Farnam. Benson is the real busy little burg Just now, for one real estate man says he personally knows of fifty houses building or contracted for to be built this year. Many of these are nice two-story residences, and three of them are stores. The Odd Fellows have Just finished a two story hall, which, by the way, Is all paid for. The new Catholic church will be dedi cated M;iy 1. Tho city has its own town hall, presented by E. A. Benson, who also furnbdifd' the ground on which lias been bijjlt a good school house. The St. James orphanage Is the larg est building In the village. Mr. Benson v. laid out this suburb I : sixteen years u g o, I . . when there were not more than half a dozen houses between Benson and Dr. Mer cer's house at For tieth and Cuming streets. He built a cur line from Benson to Thirty-sixth and Cuming streets, but ss It was run at a loss he gave It up piece by piece as the Omaha company proba! H1 side of two a building. The Reeds find it best to build houses themselves In till? district and to sell them when completed, rather than to sell the lots and allow them to be Im proved at the will of the purchaser, as they secure houses of n better grade and greater cost in tills way. What Was Once a Hilltop, Moving across the western front of the city toward the south, the- presumptive house owner arrives at the Field club, where he bus a drink and something to eat and a game of golf, after which he wants a place to rest and sleep. This is the way In which property owners in that part of the city urgue, for they belieye now that the club Is anchored. Many of Its members will build themselves tine homes close to the links. Boulevard terrace runs next to the east of the club lands. It was formerly a hilltop, but tho graders camped on its trull for about four months last summer and cut off the lop and consider able of the underlying clay, which was put in lowlyir.g lots In the neighborhood. The terrace runs from the southwest corner of Thirty-fifth and Poppleton to Thirty-sixth and contains thirty lots. Tills newest plat already has one house: occupied and two others are now building, tcr lie finished by the middle of May. There Is a restriction for any building of less than $2.6ui cost. These lois. which were fivmerly unsalable, are now nrKod at 5t, ai d tM. Boulevard terrace, for which It. C. Peters & Co. is the agent, .whs a part of the original Grif fin & Smith's addition. ' Pretty IIhiiscoiii I'laer. Haiijicoiu i.iaCe i;? another growing rusi ocinee district in tins iiuaitcr ol the city. Ol li Geo: at P. i.emis s.ijs: "Mansion) plate, th,s bcuUiiful .en uence district, 1.- lileT UK li uoej on tne nej-i ui ai least seven hills, lis streets we, I paved, its waJks pe.tectly shaded witn trots artistically placed, well built homes, the domiciles of Omaha s best citizens, ll is no wonder that the happy couple, possessed or BUlllcient wealth to enable them to lo cale within Its charmed circle, invariably do so. This means another decrease In its vacant aiea, which now has beta re duced to a point where a premium is of fered for a locution which In unother part of the city would go begging lor want of a purchaser. It Is easily within walking distance of the heart of "the city, and it offers to tiie man of business excellent stieet cur facilities, churches, boulevawls, its beautiful parks and in fact all that makes home life pleasant. It is Hue that in other cities property as favorably lo cated would command still higher prices, and, in my Judgment, the lucky holder of Hanscom park realty will soon notice a BLUFF VIEW-FINE AND SIGHTLY. from Ames avenue along the on the Iowa side. Today there are ten to Miller park, on a diagonal new modern houses that are comnleiert tion runs boulevard from Twentieth to Twenty-fourth streets C. F. Harrison says that if anyone drives he does It on the north boulevard, and If it Is necessary to cut out part of the drive this Is done on other parts of the boulevard system and not In North boulevard. The addition started business as Forbes' sub division of acres and sold at $12,000 for a live-acre tract. The Christie estate has just sold to one White a five-aero tract for $4.0tl. This Is a little down from boom days, but It Is much better than a few years ago could have been done. Tho lots hnve doubled in the last few years and sell for from JH'O to $0u. The boulevard which was put In ten years ago was a great thing for this part of the city, the residents of which up to tliet time had depended on Twenty-fourth stieet. The denizens of the bi ulev.ird, ol course, enjoy the puteruai care of the Park board, which sprinkles their re.Ki, macadamizes It, gives them sidewalk and keeps the snow off the latter In winter ' Kmintrr I'Isce and Hlnn View. Kountze Place is one of, Omaha's beau tiful additions and is slfuated between Sixteenth and Twenty-fourth streets, and from locust street north to Tlnkney. It has all the public Improvements such as pavement, pt r:r.a neut walks, sewers, gas, water and electric, light, and is said by partisans to be the most finished residence district in Omaha as far as these improve- and plans are In the hands of contractors for a number more to bo started at once. TheSO hmiSP Am nil nwnnd tir hnmA ....... ers, with the exception of two, which are being offered for sale. All lots havo been Jf sold but six, the prices on which are $o00, JjLjf $."o0 and $0. This firm has Just put onsn sale another block containing twenty-four ' lot?, situated four blocks south, of this ad- dltlon, running from Binney to Wirt and ' I east of Sherman avenue. This irrotimi .1 is at tne soutn end of the old exposition grounds, while Bluff View is at the. north end. This block Is covered with young trees and the park commissioners have figured a good deal on buying part of this ground for the park and liouleVard sys tem. It Is convenient to car, pavod street, schools and churches, and Is only ten minutes' ride to the heart of the city. Along: South Tenth Street, South Tenth ntreet and that part of the city undoubtedly would have made one of the finest, perhaps tho finest, residence dis tricts in the city. The rolling nature, of the country with its heavy, fine timber and the splendid view over tho river fit It for contour streets and all that goes with them, but a mistake waa made, at least po the partisans of the southeastern quar ter claim, and tho section can nover be come the great residence district. In St. Paul and Dubuque, nnd elsewhere tho best residences are on the river bluffs. One ad vantage which South Tinth streets enjoys meats go. The homes In this addition are is the Farnam cur line with Its rapid for residence purposes that is classed good, healthy enhancement of his holdings. ana me rar-slghted investor or man of a speculative turn of mind who buys. Hans com park real, estate will surely increase his wealth and have the satisfaction of good returns from a wise Investment." StiQgis place, in which E. K. Iiwer & Co. Is interested, is off at the southwest corner of the city. Just against the South Omaha line at Twenty-third and Boule vard. The new school house which I. ., along with the bunch as West Farnam Is Reed's fifth addition, being on Harney street and Dewey avenue, from Thirty third to Thirty-sixth streets. The twenty five acres which it comprises was prairie sod up to the year 1887 or 1888, at which time the land was surveyed and platted Into lots. The property had been pur chased by Byron Reed about the year 1H65, at which time, it is a matter of note, that all '.mill on a uniform building line, giv Ing a symmetrical eppearanee, and no house In this district Is allowed to be built costing less than $:'.50a. While not the locality of the wvtltr.y four hundred. It Is enjoyed by n great number of Omaha's well-to-do home lovers. Not less thuil sixty homes have been built there In the Inst twelve months or are In course ot construction, and in no part of Omaha. Is there such a uniform appearance. No che"p shanties mar the binuty of the Kounf.e Place home. Thomas Brennan Is an enthusiastic supporter of this addi tion. Bluff View is, another north side addi tion, was a part of the old exposition grounds and was platted und laid out Into lots In June, 1904, at which time It was graded and leveled off and water and sewer put In at the expense of Hastings & Heyden. It lays east of Sherman ave nue, between Pinkney and Pratt streets, and cornering on Kountze Place, and is net-v ice. The property owners look forward to the time when tills line shall be extended to Riverview park. Tenth street talis the p-'rk in Its very liept place mui the prop erty owners, who mushier this I he lust park in the city, point out that with tho line -cutting r!i,lit Into the heart of the park so that no one would have to walk several blocks, as N now tin cane, the traffic would be much heavier to the pleas ure ktoiiihI, and the ailvii I'tage to thii: p irt of the city as a resilience sc ti nj w 'Ulil he very great The n-w South Omaha lltv, which Is (lie extension of the Thirteenth Hlreit service, has been of very great ad vantage to the property ill that part of the city, it Is the mirln line- now through from South Omaha to Omaha nnd will bring many prople through these street, who will see the natural ndvantnges of the place for building. W. Farnam Smith Is the holder of a. large amount of land In this part of the city, land which was once the propertv of Tom Murray. He says that one of the most sightly, pieces of ground many new house? are going tip In the soufh-.j In the north part of the city, affording a fine view up and down the Missouri river for a long distance, Florence and Cut-Off lake, Courtland Beach and the high bluffs eastern streets and as South Omaha con-r tlnues Its rapid growth he expects the whole of the South Tenth street section to be filled up with small houses, It was worth about $ln0 an acre. At the be built Just north nf thi. AAi,t present time fifty-foot lots run from $l,5e peeted to have a verv good effect on nm,,' erty there. Fifteen lots have been sold in the place within u few weeks and there are four or five houses contracted for to be built (his siirlnu. up to $-,. Vn) In value, and during the last five years the neighborhood has advanced in Improvements very rapidly. At the y t .', ''.,. ; ..." . ft r uKi ss i ; N g J. Xm?zf V J1. a M if Grueling, tree plum ing and other im provements are on. The northern part if the city Is doing Just as well as the western In Increase of population and of values. North boule vard is naturally a handsome part of the cliy, for it abounds in large, natural trees and park-like effects. There Is it splendid view over to the Iowa bluffs. The addi- ,.fT' .... BENSON ADJOININO COUNTRY CLUB. WTST JONWI ffl'H RWP-f OHT ATTRACTTVTJ. p iiii i mmi ) IP fw.m . mm nij unnn n limn i .ni .mail -s ' , iiytrilf J t. Jatf!lf!y!l;l T ' 1 ".'ll I I J II I I 1 1 mm mmmm '" 'Vi' :' " 'ff -.;t' , . ''Wj, -" - ! , -': r If r A HED'S FIFTIt ADDITION RAPIDLY FILLING UPt DUWDBB-4W ORKAT FAYOB. PICTUREflQUB "NORTH bOUUCVARJX- I J