Story #59: When a Future President Came Through the Country Club Neighborhood

In September 1932, New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt brought his presidential campaign to Douglas County.

After arriving at Omaha's Union Station, Roosevelt led a parade through the city before heading west. His published itinerary called for the motorcade to travel along Farnam Street, north on Happy Hollow Boulevard and 52nd Street, then west on Military and Maple Roads to the Clearview County Home, located near today's 156th Street and West Maple Road. Roosevelt continued west toward the Gus Sumnick Farm in between Elkhorn and Waterloo Nebraska where hundreds gathered for a chicken dinner and campaign rally.

Imagine the Country Club residents lining 52nd Street to watch his motorcade go by.

Only weeks later, Roosevelt was elected the 32nd President of the United States. His administration's New Deal programs would soon leave a lasting imprint on Omaha.

Nearby projects included:

Saddle Creek Underpass: The historic Saddle Creek grade separation underpass, at the crossing of Dodge St. and Saddle Creek Rd., was constructed with the help of the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and completed in 1934.

Benson Station Post Office: The historic Benson Station Post Office was completed in 1941 with Treasury Department funds.