The Long School neighborhood was established in 1868 and is bounded by Lake Street on the north, Hamilton Street on the south, North 24th Street on the east, and North 30th Street on the west. The neighborhood is named after Eben Knapp Long of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Omaha Public School board because of his involvement with city operations. In addition to having a neighborhood named in his honor, an elementary school called the Long School was named after him. Built at 2520 Franklin Street in 1893, the school attracted a variety of working-class ethnic groups to join the neighborhood, including Scandinavians, Jews, and African-Americans. After the influx of residents moving to the neighborhood, many small businesses, often Jewish owned, began to line up along 24th Street, providing everyday amenities for residents. These businesses were all in close proximity to one another, ensuring that residents did not have to travel far to meet their needs. This also ensured that money and resources stayed within the community and kept the area vibrant and thriving. Residents could board the Omaha streetcar at 24th and Franklin and ride to Lake Street to visit a variety of clubs for entertainment or walk to meet their shopping and practical needs; they had access to everything they needed.

At the turn of the 20th century, however, the neighborhood began to decline due to a pattern of white flight and red-lining. Real estate agents would tell white residents that their neighborhood was going to be taken over and run down by African-Americans, and then encourage them to sell their houses for cheap and flee the area. White residents fled not only their homes, but their businesses. In addition to businesses and home-owners leaving the area, black residents were being prevented from leaving North Omaha because of the insurance discrimination they would face if they tried to move outside of the lines drawn up by the city. Black residents essentially found themselves trapped into a community that the city lost interest in. Furthermore, Long School, along with the rest of North Omaha, was troubled by several different events of racial unrest. Riots incited by multiple cases of police brutality and lynchings led to several buildings being burned by protesters, many of which were left as empty lots or vacant buildings. These riots accelerated the process of neighborhood decline initiated by red-lining and discrimination. Without accessibility to amenities, more residents fled along with businesses, leaving behind economic and social distress in the neighborhood.

Shown are several examples of advertisements from the former building located at 1837 N 24 th Street. As can be seen from the ads, over the course of decades, the building shifted in businesses to serve the residents of the Long School neighborhood.

Built in 1911, 1814 North 24th Street was home to the Alhambra Theater from 1911 to 1930, the second largest theater in the city at the time. Originally run by Frank Goff, who was also known as “Big Daddy Goff” and considered “Omaha’s pioneer showman,” the Alhambre staged vaudeville performces and local amateur acts with an accompanying 5-piece orchestra in its earliest days. Goff is also credited with bringing the first motion pictures to Omaha, screening them first at his Franklin Theater and then at the Alhambre. In its hey-day, the theater was described as a “glittering movie palace.” The Alhambre also hosted a series of special events and charity benefits. Despite the theater being white-only, African American boxers were featured in fights at the Alhambre in 1911 and 1912. In the tumultuous 1919, the theater faced rancorous labor protests when it hired a non-union worker to run the film projector. That same year, the lynching of Will Brown spurred a tightening of racial segregation in North Omaha and the start of white flight from the area, marking it as an increasingly African American neighborhood. Nonetheless, the theater continued to be a white-only venue through the mid-1920s, when it finally began to admit black patrons. During the second half of the twenties, the Alhambre screened mainstream films, as well as African American-produced movies, including those directed by Omaha’s pioneering black filmmaker, George Johnson, and his Lincoln Film Company, which is often credited as the first all-black motion picture company in the United States. Facing increasing competition from other theaters and growing economic challenges in the neighborhood, though, the Alhambre closed in 1930.

The vacant lot at 2428 Franklin Street began as a housing development in 1938. During the peak of the Long School neighborhood, the residents at this address were in close proximity to many businesses on 24th Street. As tough times plagued the area as a result of social unrest and many moving out of the area, the building was demolished in 2001. It has remained unused through today. In 2015, Bethel AME Church purchased the lot with the intent to expand and renovate the church. However, city codes and an assessment of the structural surroundings kept that from coming to fruition. Today, the land is valued at $90,000.

This artifact is a photo of Bethel AME Church. The 2428 Franklin now vacant lot is currently owned by this church. It was purchased in 2015 with the purpose of renovating and expanding the church. However, due to city codes and structural concerns, the church was unable to complete this vision.

The building at 1806 N 24th Street was built in 1922. Like many buildings in this neighborhood, the first wave of businesses to occupy the space during the 1920s and 1930s were Jewish-owned and operated. The first tenant was a general merchandise store operated by Nathan N. Bernstein. In 1925, this space was used for Harry Belmont Clothing, but one year later it became home to Sol Lewis Jeweler. Lewis’s jewelry store remained open until 1932, when a hardware store owned by Max Rosenstein moved into the space. During WWII, from 1941-1945, the building remained vacant as the impacts of red lining and white flight began to take effect in the area. In 1946, African American entrepreneur, Harold Kaplan, opened a successful dry goods store that was later bought by Canfield’s in 1966. Kaplan was a member of the Mid-City Businessmen’s Association, a largely African American group of Northside businessmen that sought to promote their own businesses on the Northside and across the rest of the city. The building briefly housed an Economy Beauty Salon in 1967, but soon became vacant. The history of 1806 N. 24th Street highlights the relationship between the Jewish and African American communities in North Omaha during the early and mid-20th century.

This advertisement for Harold’s Dry Goods and Variety Store ran in the Omaha World-Herald on May 3, 1946. Harold’s Dry Goods was owned and operated by Harold Kaplan, the first African American business in the space after two decades of Jewish-owned shops at the address.

La’Nya W. - My business is La'Nya’s Medical Center at 1806 N 24th Street. The purpose of this “one-stop-shop” center is to meet the needs of the residents in the neighborhood. Currently, there are no medical resources in the area. The goal is to have a start up medical center, with expectations to expand as the neighborhood hopefully grows, as well. Included in this location will be a general physician for family medical needs, for both regular well visits and illnesses. An after-hours Urgent Care center will also be available. A pharmacy will be at this location, as well, to meet the pharmaceutical necessities of patients. In addition to physical health, a mental health professional will be employed, as well. For routine visits or emergency interventions, mental health is as important as one’s physical well being. Lastly, a family dentist will be available for routine dental care, in addition to further dental procedures needed.

A. K. K. W. - My business is a charity called Share. The charity is intended for the immigrant/refugee and relies on donations from people or businesses. The charity is a 2-story building that has donated items on the bottom floor and a living space on the top floor. The room on the top provide a place for people without a home. My goal is that Share will partner up with Habit for Humanity on 24th Street.

Angel G. - My business will be a new 2-story grocery store called Angel Groceries. What makes this store unique is the product? I will make sure that what I provide products that are specific to the community around me. In addition, on the upper floor, there will be a room open for renting of charity and other social events. By including this large space for events, it further encourages the surrounding neighborhood to utilize a location in their own area for their needs.

A’Ron B. - Royal B. Performing Arts Academy is a community “Hollywood”. The people, especially the youth, have an opportunity to pursue instruction and practice in a number of liberal arts: theater, dancing, art, and singing. In addition to classes and individual instruction available, community theater and other live performances will be held at the auditorium/stage theater.

Alize’e W. and Jayden R. - My partner and I developed a business is a job center / community center. At this location, people can have a place to spend some of their free time with others in the neighborhood. In addition, people struggling to find jobs can utilize the job assistance program to find employment. Lastly, it is also a donation center in the basement.