User:Freechild/GT

Did You Know?
I wrote each of the following leads and the articles they are describing that ended up featured on Wikipedia's front page...
 * 1) ... that, by 1900, there were so many Swedes in Omaha, Nebraska, that people started calling the north side of the city "Little Stockholm"?
 * 2) ... that 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in The Bronx has been recognized as the "birthplace of hip hop"?"
 * 3) ... that Native Americans in Nebraska who live on reservations generally do not pay State of Nebraska taxes?
 * 4) ... that a United States district court decision against the Omaha Horse Railway Company allowed cable car tracks to be installed in Omaha, Nebraska?
 * 5) ... that the Union Pacific Railroad made the Herndon House its headquarters 12 years after celebrating the launch of construction on the First Transcontinental Railroad there?
 * 6) ... that the namesake of the Paxton Hotel in Downtown Omaha, William A. Paxton, was also instrumental in founding the Omaha Stockyards, the Omaha Driving Park and the South Omaha Land Company?
 * 7) ... that North 24th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, considered the heart of the city's African American community, has not fully recovered since several riots destroyed businesses along the strip in the 1960s?
 * 8) ... that the Omaha Star building housed the DePorres Club after they were asked to leave Creighton University because of their activism in Omaha's civil rights movement?
 * 9) ... that the ethnic population of Omaha, Nebraska, including new and first generation immigrants, comprised fifty percent of that city's population in the 1920s?
 * 10) ... that the Irish in Omaha, Nebraska were singled out by the American Protective Association for exclusion from public office in the 1890s?
 * 11) ... that the Gottlieb Storz House in Omaha, Nebraska is home to the Astaire Ballroom, which is the only memorial to Adele and Fred Astaire in their home city?
 * 12) ... that Omaha pioneer Andrew J. Hanscom started a large-scale fight in the Nebraska Territory House of Representatives over the location of the territorial capital?
 * 13) ... that dissidents within the Polish community in Omaha burnt down a church in the Sheelytown neighborhood in 1895 rather than relinquish control to the local Roman Catholic bishop?
 * 14) ... that the Nebraska Republican Party nabbed Democratic candidate Max Yashinin's namesake domain name and posted unflattering photos of him there after he stood for Nebraska's 1st congressional district?
 * 15) ... that the most popular tourist attraction in Omaha has been voted the best zoo in America?
 * 16) ... that Omaha's zoo was renamed in honor of longtime Omaha World-Herald publisher Henry Doorly in 1963?
 * 17) ... that Omaha University was first located in the Redick Mansion of North Omaha's once-affluent Kountze Place suburb?
 * 18) ... that Jane Addams, Mother Jones and Abe Fortas have all made notable contributions to the history of children's rights in the United States?
 * 19) ...that George W. Woodbey was the sole African American delegate to the Socialist Party of America conventions in 1904 and 1908?
 * 20) ...that the Camp Dump Strike in Omaha was Nebraska's first organized labor strike and the first to receive national attention?
 * 21) ...that a recent report released by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has shown an increase in felony waivers by U.S. military recruiters?
 * 22) ...that anti-German and anti-Chinese sentiments have motivated two riots in the history of Calgary?
 * 23) ...that Omaha, Nebraska has a history of riots and civil unrest beginning just twenty years after the city was founded?
 * 24) ...that Reuben Gaylord, the recognized leader of missionary pioneers in Omaha City, Nebraska Territory, has been called the "father of Congregationalism in Nebraska?
 * 25) ...that Thomas R. Kimball gutted the central part of the Burlington Headquarters Building in Omaha to make it resemble the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad headquarters in Chicago?
 * 26) ...that George Francis Train promoted Columbus, Nebraska as "the new center of the Union and quite probably the future capital of the U.S.A." in order to sell Credit Foncier land there?
 * 27) ...that the Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company was among the earliest and the last major electric streetcar systems in the United States?
 * 28) ...that pioneer Omaha physician George L. Miller served as president of the Nebraska State Historical Society after being labeled a "raving maniac" by the press?
 * 29) ...that despite being called the "Aladdin's Castle of George Francis Train," the Cozzens House Hotel in Omaha operated for only four years before sitting empty for several more?
 * 30) ...that during a period of widespread family ownership in the industry, the Falstaff Brewing Corporation was one of the few publicly-traded breweries in the United States?
 * 31) ...that the economy of Omaha, Nebraska has expanded to embrace the burgeoning information technology sector since the city was labeled the "Motor Mouth City" by the New York Times?
 * 32) ...that despite inundating Omaha, Nebraska for more than 26 days the Great Flood of 1881 killed only two people there?
 * 33) ...that Omaha, Nebraska's Peony Park became famous after the Lawrence Welk Band made it their official headquarters during the Great Depression?
 * 34) ...that Dodge Street in Omaha, Nebraska is often erroneously said to be a namesake of Union Pacific Railroad chief engineer Grenville Dodge, when it was actually named for Iowa Senator Augustus C. Dodge?
 * 35) ...that John Latenser, Sr., an early architect in Omaha, Nebraska, designed more than 12 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places?
 * 36) ......that the Great Platte River Road through the Nebraska Territory is considered today to be an early superhighway in the American Old West?
 * 37) ...that Hillary Rodham called children's rights a "slogan in need of a definition"?
 * 38) ...that Laurence C. Jones, the founder of the Piney Woods Country Life School near Jackson, Mississippi, once convinced a white mob not to lynch him by telling them about his educational mission?
 * 39) ...that financier Gurdon Wattles was responsible for building the historically signficant Wattles House in Omaha and the Wattles Mansion in Hollywood?
 * 40) ...that a 1907 mansion in Hollywood, California known as Jualita was the location for scenes from the film Rain Man and the TV show The O.C.?
 * 41) ...that at 2,300 miles long the Missouri River Valley drains one-sixth of the United States, and is the longest river valley on the North American continent?
 * 42) ...that Omaha, Nebraska pioneer gambler Dan Allen was buried with his madam girlfriend under a concrete slab with columns resembling bedposts?
 * 43) ...that Jesse Lowe, the first mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, is credited with naming the city after the local Native American Omaha Tribe?
 * 44) ...that the first Lutheran church in Omaha, Nebraska became the largest Lutheran congregation in the United States by the 1920s?
 * 45) ...that Omaha pioneer real estate agent Byron Reed was one of the greatest collectors of the 19th century, with a collection currently valued at almost $8,000,000?
 * 46) ...that after serving as the Treasurer of the Nebraska Territory Augustus Kountze went on to establish a banking institution with branches in Omaha, Denver and New York City?
 * 47) ...that Half-Breed Tracts were set aside for people of Mixed Blood descent in several U.S. states, including Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin?
 * 48) ...that Antonine Barada was a 19th century mixed blood fur trader in Nebraska whose mythic strength and heroic actions against slavery prompted his status as a current-day folk hero?
 * 49) ...that Count John A. Creighton was ennobled by Pope Leo XIII in recognition of his contributions to Creighton University, the Catholic community in Omaha, and the city of Omaha in general?
 * 50) ...that the Midwestern United States territory band leader Nat Towles' fear of losing his best musicians kept him from striving for national prominence in the 1930s and 40s?
 * 51) ...that the Douglas County Courthouse in Omaha, Nebraska was almost destroyed by mob violence only five years after it was built?
 * 52) ...that the events surrounding the lynching of Joe Coe in Omaha, Nebraska in 1891 are said to foreshadow the lynching of Willy Brown 28 years later?
 * 53) ...that Clarence W. Wigington, the first African American municipal architect, designed four buildings in two cities that are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places?
 * 54) ...that the Broomfield Rowhouse in Omaha, Nebraska was designed for a 1909 competition sponsored by Good Housekeeping magazine?
 * 55) ...that the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska introduced both the Reuben sandwich and Butter Brickle ice cream to the world?
 * 56) ...that Omaha gained an important place in the history of the First Transcontinental Railroad against the will of President Abraham Lincoln?
 * 57) ...that the kidnapping of Edward Cudahy, Jr. caused a national uproar in 1903 because Cudahy's father, a meatpacking magnate in Omaha, Nebraska, paid the ransom request?
 * 58) ...that its central location as a transportation hub for the United States led to the branding of Omaha, Nebraska as the "Gateway City of the West"?
 * 59) ...that when Nebraska completed construction of its stretch of Interstate 80 in 1974, it became the first state in the U.S. to complete its mainline interstate system?
 * 60) ...that nearby town officials caused an uproar when they moved highway markers from the Lincoln Highway in Omaha, Nebraska to their local roadway after the highway was rerouted there in 1930?
 * 61) ...that autobiographer Lois Mark Stalvey's 1960s anti-racist activism in Omaha, Nebraska was responsible for her husband's job transfer to Philadelphia?
 * 62) ...that Matthew Ricketts was the first African-American to graduate from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and be elected to the Nebraska Legislature?
 * 63) ...that research has shown the 80-plus miles of trails in Omaha, Nebraska increase homeowners' perceptions of the value of their houses?
 * 64) ...that Alfred D. Jones, the original surveyor of Des Moines, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska, was known for delivering mail from his stovepipe hat as the first postmaster of Omaha?
 * 65) ...that the boulevards in Omaha, Nebraska are part of a 1889 system designed by Horace Cleveland that Omaha city planners are currently starting to reutilize to guide suburban street design?
 * 66) ...that Florence Boulevard in Omaha, Nebraska was originally called the "Prettiest Mile in Omaha Boulevard" when it was designed by Horace Cleveland in 1892?
 * 67) ...that Kellom Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska is the alma mater of Fred Astaire, Gayle Sayers and Bob Gibson, as well as youth programs once led by Whitney Young?
 * 68) ...that Omaha, Nebraska's Krug Park was the site of the worst roller coaster accident in the U.S. when it happened in 1930?
 * 69) ...that the Storz, Krug, Willow Springs and Metz breweries were regarded as Omaha, Nebraska's "Big 4" breweries?
 * 70) ...that the Storz, Krug, Willow Springs and Metz breweries were regarded as Omaha, Nebraska's "Big 4" breweries?
 * 71) ...that the Storz, Krug, Willow Springs and Metz breweries were regarded as Omaha, Nebraska's "Big 4" breweries?
 * 72) ...that James Dahlman, Omaha, Nebraska's "perpetual mayor," was regarded as the "wettest mayor in America" after the number of saloons doubled during his term?
 * 73) ...that Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando and Nick Nolte were all born to German-American families in Omaha, Nebraska?
 * 74) ...that despite being open for only two years, the Naomi Institute earned a reputation as one of the leading educational institutions in pioneer Nebraska?
 * 75) ...that the original cuisine of Omaha includes the Reuben sandwich, Omaha Steaks and ConAgra Foods?
 * 76) ...that U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Nobel Prize winner Gary S. Becker and baseball player Joe Garagiola were all School Safety Patrol members?
 * 77) ...that the Nebraska School for the Deaf became nationally known within the Deaf community for its fight against an anti-American Sign Language state bill endorsed by Alexander Graham Bell?
 * 78) ...that after spending seven years traveling across the Saskatchewan District, Rev. Robert Rundle was allowed to establish a mission in 1847, only to be forced to leave a year later due to health issues?
 * 79) ...that the Indian Congress of 1893 drew more than 500 Native Americans representing 35 tribes to Omaha, Nebraska?
 * 80) ...that Downtown Omaha is home to 31 historic buildings, two historic districts, and the site of the largest loss of historic buildings ever from the National Register of Historic Places?
 * 81) ...that DeWitty, the largest African American village ever founded in Nebraska, existed for only 29 years?
 * 82) ...that the location of William D. Brown's Lone Tree Ferry landing, which prompted the founding of Omaha, Nebraska, was lost to historians until 2004?
 * 83) ...that pioneer claim clubs were used in the American Old West to protect land claims by settlers against claim jumpers and to promote claim jumping against absentee land owners?
 * 84) ...that madame Anna Wilson, the "Queen of the Underworld" in early Omaha, Nebraska, bequeathed her 25-room brothel mansion to the city to use as an emergency hospital upon her death?
 * 85) ...that the vigilante actions of the Omaha Claim Club, including many founding fathers of Omaha, Nebraska, were later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in Baker v. Morton?
 * 86) ...that the Christian Specht Building is the only existing building with a cast iron facade known in Nebraska today, and one of the few ever built there?
 * 87) ...that the Union Station in Omaha, Nebraska was the first Art Deco style train station in the United States?
 * 88) ...that the demolition of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District in Omaha, Nebraska represents the largest loss of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places to date?
 * 89) ...that Anna Mae Winburn led the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the only integrated, all-female big band of the 1940s?
 * 90) ...that Anna Mae Winburn led the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the only integrated, all-female big band of the 1940s?
 * 91) ...that in three years during World War II, the U.S. Army prisoner of war camp called Camp Atlanta had more occupants than the nearby town of Atlanta, Nebraska has had in its entire existence?
 * 92) ...that although Lloyd Hunter played trumpet and led a big band for 38 years, he only recorded once, for the race record label Vocalion?
 * 93) ...that though students and educators agree on the importance of student engagement in learning, there is little consensus on a working definition?
 * 94) ...that the First National Bank of Omaha founded by Herman Kountze is the oldest bank west of the Mississippi River, and continues as a privately held company in its sixth generation of family ownership?
 * 95) ...that although the No Child Left Behind Act in the United States prescribes the consequences for schools failing to meet Adequate Yearly Progress, it leaves responsibility for defining that progress up to each state education agency?
 * 96) ...that the Logan Fontenelle Housing Project in Omaha, Nebraska, along with restrictive covenants and redlining, were used to segregate African Americans in the Near North Side neighborhood?
 * 97) ...that Nkiru Books, the oldest African American bookstore in Brooklyn, was saved from being closed down by rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli in 2000?
 * 98) ...that Edward Rosewater was the telegraph operator responsible for sending out Abraham Lincoln's "Emancipation Proclamation" in 1863?
 * 99) ...that the Union Stockyards of Omaha, Nebraska was the largest livestock market and meatpacking center in the United States from 1955 until 1973?
 * 100) ...that Omaha chief Logan Fontenelle sold the Omaha land to the U.S. government and was subseuqently killed by Brulé and Arapaho?
 * 101) ...that Tom Dennison got a mayor elected eight times, instigated a race riot and controlled all sale of liquor, gambling and prostitution during his 30+ year reign as Omaha's political boss?
 * 102) ...that Sergeant George Jordan received the Medal of Honor for repulsing 100 Chiricahua Apache warriors led by Victorio with 25 Buffalo Soldiers in the Battle of Tularosa?
 * 103) ...that Omaha, Nebraska's Little Italy neighborhood was largely the result of two brothers' efforts to help their countrymen?
 * 104) ...that Mogollon, New Mexico had a reputation as one of the wildest mining towns in the American West?

Awards
I have also added your name to this list. Keep it up! Broken Sphere Msg me 03:40, 30 August 2007 (UTC)