Pop over to Ralston: A Bit of History Series
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Quick park and grab along Main Street in Ralston. Parking can be found very near the cache location. Muggles may be driving by or out on the streets so be aware of who may be watching before making the grab. Bring your own pen/pencil.
************************* A Bit of History *************************
Ralston is a town within a town, surrounded on three sides by the City of Omaha and on the south by La Vista. It has, however, managed to maintain its autonomy, complete with mayor, council, and its own city hall.
The picturesque landscape that is now Ralston was once a simple farm. Dr.George Miller, English born a physician and politician, established the "Omaha Herald" newspaper (forerunner to the "Omaha World-Herald") in 1865. He purchased some land west of Omaha belonging to Erastus Chandler in 1867, and had 40,000 walnut, catalpa, and oak trees "furrowed in," then stocked the area with deer.
An artesian well was drilled in 1892, which gushed thousands of gallons of water per hour, and quickly filled a 47-acre lake. The Cudahy Company established an icehouse, and a railroad spur was built to move ice from the lake to its meat packing plant at 36th and Q. Miller designed a recreation area with rides, boating, a dance hall, and water slides around Seymour Lake.
In 1907, after a series of unfortunate events, Miller sold about 270 acres of land to the Ralston Townsite Company. The town was named for Charles Ralston of Chicago, who promised to build a locomotive railway repair shop "to rival Havelock." The shop, however, never materialized. The Rogers Motor Car Plant, with plans to make Ralston the "new Detroit," brought great excitement and improved roads, but the company built only eight cars before it was sold.
In 1909 Ralston was made a rural post office. An interurban trolley was established in 1910 by the Nebraska Traction & Power Company, connecting it to other suburbs and Omaha. By June 1912, with inhabitants of 200 or more, incorporation papers were initiated.
Ralston worked to upgrade its fire department, improve streets, and provide a ball diamond "to curb difficulties experienced with some of the local youth." There was a fine town band. The Women's Club started a library, sponsored free outdoor movies, and established a local newspaper. Still several miles from Omaha, Pitzel's pasture became a golf course, and the Country Club saw tremendous growth.
During World War II, while everyone was doing their part for the war effort, Ralston continued to grow. After Seymour Lake was drained, a housing development was built. With the end of the war, life took on an even more futuristic outlook. Business was booming as new growth continued to swell Ralston's population.
By 1960 the population of Ralston was nearly 3,000. In 1967 the Ralston Post Office became a substation of Omaha. In 1976, the year of the nation's bicentennial, the Ralston community commemorated its early history in word and song. As a First Class City with 5,800 residents and a valuation of nearly $120 million, Ralston has grown far beyond the dreams of those who established it as a quiet English estate.
Information source: http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/douglas/ralston/
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)