The Gate City: A History of Omaha (Enlarged Edition) [Paperback]

Lawrence H. Larsen (Author), Barbara J. Cottrell Larson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 1997

'Lawrence Larsen and his wife Barbara Cottrell have written a marvelous urban biography. They have done what other historians often fail to do - relate local happenings to the larger regional and national picture. And Larsen and Cottrell have skillfully used sophisticated historical works and concepts, incorporating them in an understandable fashion. Throughout this book the authors write in a delightful manner; they make you want to visit Omaha!' - "North Dakota History".'The authors organize their splendid urban biography around a limited number of events of national magnitude. The husband-wife team take as their story's major units the building of the transcontinental railroad, the penetration of the Great Plains by homesteaders, the establishment of the meat packing industry, and the creation of an elaborate national defense system. They fill in their story with intriguing descriptions of the push-and-pull factors that brought diverse ethnic groups to Omaha in the years since 1854 - the years when town promoters first settled at the Missouri River ferry landing in the newly established Nebraska territory. Because their narrative is so well organized, their treatment of political, social, and cultural affairs is clear and cohesive, while their discussion of urban unrest, vice, and crime remains tightly linked to the general outlines of their lively portrait of Omaha's history' - "Business History Review".Lawrence H. Larsen is a professor of history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is the author of "The Urban South: A History" (1990), "Federal Justice in Western Missouri: The Judges", the "Cases", the "Times" (1994), and other books. Barbara J. Cottrell is a historian with the National Archives-Central Plains Region. Harl A. Dalstrom is a professor of history at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Lawrence Larsen and his wife Barbara Cottrell have written a marvelous urban biography. They have done what other historians often fail to do—relate local happenings to the larger regional and national picture. And Larsen and Cottrell have skillfully used sophisticated historical works and concepts, incorporating them in an understandable fashion. Throughout this book the authors write in a delightful manner; they make you want to visit Omaha!”—North Dakota History

(North Dakota History )

“[The authors] organize their splendid urban biography around a limited number of events of national magnitude. The husband-wife team take as their story’s major units the building of the transcontinental railroad, the penetration of the Great Plains by homesteaders, the establishment of the meat packing industry, and the creation of an elaborate national defense system. They fill in their story with intriguing descriptions of the push-and-pull factors that brought diverse ethnic groups to Omaha in the years since 1854—the years when town promoters first settled at the Missouri River ferry landing in the newly established Nebraska territory. Because their narrative is so well organized, their treatment of political, social, and cultural affairs is clear and cohesive, while their discussion of urban unrest, vice, and crime remains tightly linked to the general outlines of their lively portrait of Omaha’s history.”—Business History Review

(Business History Review )

About the Author

Lawrence H. Larsen is a professor of history at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. He is the author of The Urban South: A History (1990), Federal Justice in Western Missouri: The Judges, the Cases, the Times (1994), and other books.

 

Barbara J. Cottrell is a historian with the National Archives–Central Plains Region.

 

Harl A. Dalstrom is a professor of history at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press; Updated edition (July 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803279671
• ISBN-13: 978-0803279674
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #350,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong timely piece, May 6, 2007

By 

A. Sanderford "History Lover" (Lincoln, NE United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gate City: A History of Omaha (Enlarged Edition) (Paperback)

This history offers an in-depth look at a midwestern city that is growing in both scale and importance. It does so in a very approachable manner, and it does so without boring readers with unnecessary specificity.

As a newer Nebraskan and someone who is even newer to Omaha, I very much appreciated having a text to fall back upon as a means of learning about Nebraska's largest city. It was a worthwhile read for anyone interested in how Omaha came to be and a worthwhile companion for anyone interested in the urban midwest.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written history of the City of Omaha, January 21, 1999

By 

A. Rathbun (Chicagoland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gate City: A History of Omaha (Enlarged Edition) (Paperback)

As a born-and-raised Omahan, I'm biased.. but this book is great. As some of the reviews mention, it does a great job of tying local events in Omaha's history into the national goings-on of the time.

This is a wonderful book about the incredible history of Omaha.