STORY #13: Selling the Dream: What Did You Buy in the Country Club District?
When the Metcalfe Company platted the Country Club District in late 1925, they weren’t just selling land — they were selling a vision of modern living.
Lots were priced between $950 and $1,600. The first homes were completed in 1927 and construction continued through the 1940s. Buyers weren’t choosing from a grid of ordinary streets. Instead, they were offered “beautiful home sites for the discriminating buyer” with “sightly views.”
What made these lots special?
Curving, park-like streets that followed the gentle slopes of the former golf course
Country Club Avenue, shaped by the path of an old creek bed
A wide green terrace between sidewalk and street
Ornamental streetlights and underground utilities
The street layout itself was part of the sales pitch. Curves framed views, intersections created dramatic home sites, and certain lots were positioned so the house became a focal point in the landscape. Traveling through the neighborhood was meant to feel like a series of unfolding scenes.
And it was modern. Promotional materials boasted that Country Club was just 20 minutes by streetcar and 15 minutes by automobile from downtown. It was one of Omaha’s earliest developments designed for cars — every home included a garage, many attached, and some even built for two vehicles.
The Metcalfe Company confidently claimed the lots would “sell themselves.” Beauty, convenience, and prestige did the work:
Tree-lined streets. Picturesque homes. Nearby schools. Easy transit.
A neighborhood built not just for houses — but for a way of life.
What buyers really purchased in the Country Club District was the promise of living in “The Show Place of Omaha.”
Tell us, why did YOU buy in the Country Club District?
Sources: Reserving Lots in the Country Club District Omaha World-Herald Oct.11, 1925 p61; Metcalfe Co. Lots for Sale Ad OWH Oct. 13, 1925 p19; Metcalfe Co. Lots for Sale Ad Omaha World-Herald Oct. 14, 1925 p23;
Photo Captions:
The Oct. 11, 1925 Omaha World-Herald announces that reservations are now being taken for lots in the Country Club District.
Metcalf Company ad from Oct. 13, 1925 Omaha World-Herald entices prospective buyers.
Metcalfe Co. advertisement for selling their lots in the Oct. 14, 1925 issue of the Omaha World-Herald.
Country Club District plat depicts the unique street layout that was an important selling point.
