Danish people in Omaha, Nebraska

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, 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 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.

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. It was dissolved in 1914. In 2010, the Dana College, founded by the Danes of Omaha in neighboring Blair, Nebraska, closed as well.

The Springwell Danish Cemetery is located in North Omaha. First used in 1868, this cemetery was formally commissioned in 1889 by local Danes. It was designated an Omaha Landmark in 1996.

References

Barkan, E. R. (1999)A Nation of Peoples: A sourcebook on America's multicultural heritage. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 470.
Thernstrom, S. (1980) Harvard encyclopedia of American ethnic groups. Harvard University Press. p. 276.
Andreas, A. (1882) History of the State of Nebraska. Retrieved 10/7/10.
John Mark Nielsen and Peter L. Petersen. "Danish Americans" Everyculture.com. Retrieved 11/3/10.
"Danish Vennelyst Park" Archived 2011-02-02 at the Wayback Machine official website. Retrieved 10/7/10.
Federal Writers' Project. (1939) Nebraska: A Guide to the Cornhusker State. Nebraska State Historical Society. p. 232.
"Trinity Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Church", Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 10/7/10.
Zacher, C. K., and Clayton, A. R. L. (2007) The American Midwest: an interpretive encyclopedia. Indiana University Press. p. 212.
(nd) Springwell Danish Cemetery Archived 2009-06-30 at the Wayback Machine. City of Omaha. Retrieved 6/17/07.

v t e Ethnic groups in Omaha, Nebraska
Groups	African Americans American Indians Asians Canadians Czechs Danes Germans Greeks Irish Italians Jews Latinos Mexicans Poles Slovaks Sudanese Swedes Ukrainians
Ethnic enclaves	Greek Town Little Bohemia Little Italy Near North Side Sheelytown South 24th Street
Institutions	Czechoslovak Museum Danish Brotherhood in America El Museo Latino Great Plains Black History Museum Little Ukrainian Catholic Church Lithuanian Bakery Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame Omaha Jewish Community Center St. John's Greek Orthodox Church
Events	Timeline of racial tension in Omaha, Nebraska List of riots and civil unrest in Omaha, Nebraska Omaha race riot of 1919 1909 Omaha anti-Greek riot
Related	Racial tension in Omaha, Nebraska Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska DePorres Club A Time for Burning History of slavery in Nebraska Public school controversy Meyer v. Nebraska Omaha Star Omaha Star building Rice–Poindexter case

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