Scriptown: Bribes, Annexation, and the Near North Side

Published September 25, 2024 | Updated August 8, 2026

September 25, 2024

Omaha has often been criticized for its aggressive annexation of surrounding communities, including Florence, South Omaha, Benson, and Dundee, not to mention Millard and Elkhorn. Today we go back to where it all started: the annexation of Scriptown.

Scrip issued by Omaha City Bank. Courtesy of Douglas County Historical Society.

When Omaha City was incorporated in 1854, the first plat divided the area into 320 blocks. Prominent businessmen who had formed the Omaha Land Company purchased the land north and west of the original plat by 1855. They also included representatives from the Council Bluffs and Nebraska Ferry Company which had previously operated as the Lone Tree Ferry. The ferry was critical in getting people across the Missouri River and into the city. Most people involved in the company were from Council Bluffs, which predated Omaha.

Google Earth view of the approximate area that encompassed what would become known as Scriptown. On the western edge is 24th Street which became the heart of Omaha’s black community. On the east is 16th Street. Cuming Street is on the south and Fort Street is on the north.

The area got its name from scrip, the only currency available in the territory at the time, which was used to purchase the land. It was essentially a bribe awarded to legislators who supported Omaha’s efforts to become the permanent territorial capital. The scrip represented promises of lots in an area that would eventually become part of Omaha proper.

1890 Durham Museum photo of the Woodmen Linseed Oil Works at the southwest corner of 17th and Nicholas Street. Built in 1872. There is a small locomotive engine parked at the side of the building.

When Nebraska’s Acting Governor Thomas Cuming declared that Omaha would be the site of the first meeting for the new legislature, it proved controversial, as other towns including Florence, Bellevue, and Nebraska City felt they should become the territorial capital. The bribe worked, and Omaha was officially named the capital on February 22, 1855. It remained as such until 1867, when it was moved to Lincoln.

Google Street View of the southwest corner of 17th and Nicholas Street. None of these buildings still stand.

The exact borders of Scriptown and whether it was surveyed at all have been disputed. Some sources claim that before becoming Omaha’s mayor from 1865 to 1867, Lorin Miller had surveyed the area. Research by North Omaha History states that by Miller’s own admission, he had never surveyed the area of Scriptown despite having surveyed 1,500 blocks surrounding it. Despite that, it seems that the borders would have run approximately from Cuming to Fort (south to north) and from 16th to 24th Street (east to west) adjoining the town of Saratoga to the north. Due to land disputes, the plat was left off of regular maps. These lots included Harbach’s, E.V. Smith’s, Denise’s, Paulson’s, Lake’s, and Foster’s Additions.

1914 Durham Museum photo looking north on Sherman Ave (now 16th Street) from about Nicholas Street. The Updike Mills and Storz Brewery are in the background. Streetcars are coming up the street.

Whatever the borders, the area was quickly divided into lots that were slightly smaller than the original lots and sold to developers, with each of the supporters earning a tidy profit. The lots were quickly developed, and soon the area outside of downtown Omaha contained a number of grand Victorian homes owned by prominent white residents, like the bankers and politicians who received the scrip.

Google Street View looking north on 16th and Nicholas Street. None of these buildings still stand.

As Omaha continued to grow, it asserted itself with the annexation of Scriptown in 1877. Lots that once sold for $15 were now selling for $150. Just ten years later, those lots were among the most desirable in the city, selling for as much as $3,500 each. Many of the founding fathers made a fortune in the process.

Please feel free to comment to share your thoughts.

Until next time, keep exploring!

More pictures

1935 Durham Museum photo looking east on 16th and Grace.

Google Street View looking east on 16th and Grace. The building no longer stands.

1911 Durham Museum photo of the Storz Brewery looking northeast on 16th Street.

Google Street View of the site along 16th Street where Storz used to sit. The smoke stack and a few other buildings are all that still stands.

1948 Durham Museum photo looking east on 16th and Corby Street.

Google Street View looking east on 16th and Corby. The old Corby Theater building still stands.

1970 Durham Museum photo looking east at 16th and Locust.

Looking east at 16th and Locust. Only one of the buildings still stand.

Photo of Scriptown Brewing Company in Blackstone. Its name was inspired by the area that was later annexed by Omaha. Courtesy of Scriptown Brewing Company.

Thomas Cuming is on the left and Lorin Miller is on the right. Cuming was Nebraska’s Territorial Governor and Lorin Miller would later become Omaha’s mayor.

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