You may be mistaken for thinking of Scotland when the name Dundee comes up. Dundee is the fourth largest city in Scotland. However, there is another city thousands of miles away that also goes by the name Dundee.
In the United States of America, Dundee is situated west of Omaha in the state of Nebraska. It was founded in 1880, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that it was annexed into Omaha NE. At the time, it became Omaha’s very first suburb.
Dundee is located in midtown Omaha, roughly three miles west of the central business district. When it was founded towards the end of the 19th century, Dundee used to be a separate village.
A group of property developers known as the Shannon Brothers chose it to create a high end suburban area. Initially, their plan was to build half a dozen homes. They had recently renovated parts of Kansas into a residential area and were looking for similar results in Omaha Nebraska.
Their objective included certain building codes and regulations. For instance, they announced that all buildings constructed under their supervision should have a distance of at least twenty-five feet from the street.
They even stated that the minimum cost should be 2,500 dollars and that these establishments should not be used for any illegal purpose such as the provision of alcohol.
In the beginning, these properties did not find buyers, which prompted the construction company to make it a village of sorts. This led to another massive undertaking as more than two thousand maple trees were planted alongside the roads.
It wasn’t until 1905 that genuine interest began developing in Dundee. A developer known as Luke O’Keefe offered free land to buyers as long as they would build it. Plus, if they resided in the property for longer than a year, they were eligible for a five-hundred-dollar bonus as well.
Interest piqued significantly in the aftermath of this scheme. In time, this led to the expansion of the area too. More specifically, it was C.C. and J.E. George who designed Happy Hollow Boulevard in Dundee. Their ideas included filling in the creek along 50th street and also complemented it with sidewalks and street lights.
Furthermore, residential properties in this area were heavily influenced by the Tudor, Georgian and Colonial eras. Upon its annexation, Dundee had a size of 0.7 square miles and a small population of approximately 2,500 people.
A tragic part of Dundee’s history is that it was on the receiving end of an attack in World War II. In April 1945, the Japanese exploded a fire balloon over Dundee. This strike was just one aspect of a grander plan to incite chaos in American cities.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in the explosion and the story only came to light once the war was over.
In the 21st century, Dundee is known for being the home of Warren Buffett, a magnate and philanthropist who is known as one of the richest men on the planet.
While you’re in Omaha, you’ll definitely want to check out the #1 zoo in the world …. The Henry Doorly Zoo.
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