I found this old vintage postcard online tonight. What a great 1970's aerial of Omaha. I know it has to be the 1970's as the 1972 First National Bank is there. However, the Gene Leahy Mall is not yet, nor is the 1979 telephone building (so the picture is obviously prior to the late 70's). The original WOW Tower is there. The Woodmen has no lettering (I'm not sure what year the lettering was put on). You can see only one Methodist Hospital Tower (at 84th & Dodge). If you look far out west, the new housing is just getting out to Boys Town and Millard, which would also date this picture as the 1970's.
The grittiness is cool, although I wouldn't take back all the beautification Omaha has done along the river and downtown (except the loss of Jobber's Canyon, although I'm thankful the role Con Agra has played in bringing Downtown Omaha to where it is today).
Enjoy!
P.S. This is for sale on ecrater.com, so maybe somebody wants to buy it... Just pointing that out.
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
Also, I wanted to share this rare shot of 72nd & Dodge (looking west on Dodge from around 69th) from after Omaha's 1975 Twister...I came to know of recently:
I've never seen that picture before (it is not in either of the Omaha 1975 Tornado Souvenir books, or the 1975 World Herald articles), and I was ecstatic to finally see it. Note: The Hinky Dinky sign, the light poles on the median in the middle of Dodge, one Methodist tower standing... So cool. Enjoy!
Last edited by RockHarbor on Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
Excellent find RockHarbor.. Based on what I see, the airial is from either 1973 or 1974. I believe the "Woodmen" lettering was added to the Woodmen Tower in 1975. I was only 13 at the time, but that's what I believe is correct. Maybe someone older than I can verify or correct me on it..
That Hinky Dinky store was at 72nd and Dodge.. The corner where a PetSmart stands today. My grandmother worked at that grocery store and was at work when the tornado hit.. It lifted her car (a new Dodge Duster) into the air and dropped it. Still driveable, but never quite the same..
Never saw that pic before. Thanks again for sharing it RockHarbor...
So glad you enjoyed them... Yeah, once in a great awhile, I find a "gem" photo, and I'll always share it...!
That 1973 or 1974 sounds about right. You would know better than me. I figured the mid-70's sometime, but I wasn't sure... The building looked brighter white back then. I hope they always keep the Woodmen Tower freshened up, a "brighter white" like that.
No problem about sharing the 1975 rare photo. Yes, I just had to share it. (That's so interesting about your grandma working in that grocery store, and her car... I always ask peoples' personal story about that day...)
The 1970's AERIAL POSTCARD: I can see the Boys Town water tower, but I'm wondering if that little white water tower seen further to the left (further left than the 'G' in "Greetings") is Millard, or is it Gretna's old water tower? When I first viewed the postcard, I thought that was Millard's white water tower (at 144th and 'Q'). But, it looks too far south to me to be a water tower on 'Q.' Was Millard's water tower there in 1975? Here's a pic I took out of the Elmwood Tower near 50th & Leavenworth. Just like this postcard, the old Gretna water tower looks closer than you would think from there -- especially with a zoom on a camera. Do you think Millard or Gretna? I think Gretna.
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Last edited by RockHarbor on Sun Apr 10, 2016 2:18 am, edited 4 times in total.
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
RockHarbor wrote:So glad you enjoyed them... Yeah, once in a great awhile, I find a "gem" photo, and I'll always share it...!
That 1973 or 1974 sounds about right. You would know better than me. I figured the mid-70's sometime, but I wasn't sure... The building looked brighter white back then. I hope they always keep the Woodmen Tower freshened up, a "brighter white" like that.
No problem about sharing the 1975 rare photo. Yes, I just had to share it. (That's so interesting about your grandma working in that grocery store, and her car... I always ask people's story about that day. One of our family friends was driving on I-80, and the tornado crossed the interstate behind him near 72nd, and he was near 84th. Talk about a close call with nature!)
I was in middle school when that tornado hit.. 13 years old. I remember it like it was yesterday. Even as a kid, I remember the fiasco of that day and the damage it caused. Something you never forget.. Thankfully only 3 people lost their lives. It could have been much, much worse...
RockHarbor wrote:So glad you enjoyed them... Yeah, once in a great awhile, I find a "gem" photo, and I'll always share it...!
That 1973 or 1974 sounds about right. You would know better than me. I figured the mid-70's sometime, but I wasn't sure... The building looked brighter white back then. I hope they always keep the Woodmen Tower freshened up, a "brighter white" like that.
No problem about sharing the 1975 rare photo. Yes, I just had to share it. (That's so interesting about your grandma working in that grocery store, and her car... I always ask people's story about that day. One of our family friends was driving on I-80, and the tornado crossed the interstate behind him near 72nd, and he was near 84th. Talk about a close call with nature!)
I was in middle school when that tornado hit.. 13 years old. I remember it like it was yesterday. Even as a kid, I remember the fiasco of that day and the damage it caused. Something you never forget.. Thankfully only 3 people lost their lives. It could have been much, much worse...
Ciao..LiO...Peace
Exactly. It was a miracle only 3 died... They had a lot of warning out that day, and anticipated severe weather, so I know that helped (thank goodness). By the way, I just edited my last response and added a pic and a further question. I just didn't want you to miss it.
Well, goodnight...! Glad you enjoyed these.
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
RockHarbor wrote:
The 1970's AERIAL POSTCARD: I can see the Boys Town water tower, but I'm wondering if that little white water tower seen further to the left (further left than the 'G' in "Greetings") is Millard, or is it Gretna's old water tower? When I first viewed the postcard, I thought that was Millard's white water tower (at 144th and 'Q'). But, it looks too far south to me to be a water tower on 'Q.' Was Millard's water tower there in 1975? Here's a pic I took out of the Elmwood Tower near 50th & Leavenworth. Just like this postcard, the old Gretna water tower looks closer than you would think from there -- especially with a zoom on a camera. Do you think Millard or Gretna? I think Gretna.
It's hard to see, but the tower was there in 1962:
Thanks for this! I had no idea Millard had that water tower (standing away from the main old town) as early as 1962. Wow....
Looking at that 70's postcard I posted, I still think that must be Gretna's water tower on the far left. Millard's would be around...probably...straight down from the 'o' in "from" (eyeing the industrial areas along 'L' as a point of orientation). Elmwood Tower (formerly Masonic Manor) is straight down from the 'b' in "Nebraska", and look at my picture (I posted) taken from there. The Millard water tower does not look that far to the SW. Plus, if you look at that 70's postcard, and look at the great distance between the Boys Town water tower and the other mysterious water tower on the horizon, there is no way there is that kind of distance between Boy's Town and Millard's water towers (located both nearby 144th, probably just 4-5 miles apart). So, that has got to be Gretna. I'm just suprised you can see Gretna so well in that aerial.
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
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