Here’s a fascinating map of streetcar lines in Omaha, Nebraska in 1927, beautifully hand drawn on top of a pre-printed single colour map of the area produced by the City’s engineering department. Not only does the map show the extent of all the streetcar lines (with 64.6 miles of track), but also colour-codes them to show which predecessor company originally laid down the tracks. The original Omaha Horse Railway Company, founded in 1867, is represented by a healthy 12 miles of track! All the companies shown in the legend were absorbed by the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway Company (O&CB) by 1902, which continued on as the Omaha Traction Company until being succeeded by Metro Area Transit in 1972. On this map, the “Council Bluffs” part of the name is only represented by showing the loop that cars used in Omaha to turn around.
It’s not quite clear who added the hand drawn elements to the map: the O&CB was a privately-run company, but the base map was drawn by city engineers. Text that reads “Exhibit No. 7” down the bottom right suggests that this is one of a series of maps, either about the streetcar system, or the city as a whole. A report to City Council? One thing is certain: the draftsmanship is meticulous in its execution, and the lettering used is superb!
Some historical notes: the City Superintendent named on the base map, Roy N. Towl, became mayor of Omaha in 1933 and served one term before continuing on as a city commissioner for many more years. The Omaha Traction Company itself is perhaps most infamously remembered for the violent streetcar strike of 1935, when the city was put under martial law to restore order.
Just guessing, but I suspect that a records check would show that the company was seeking to renew its franchises with the City at this time. The map was intended to show the history of previous city-granted franchises, and also notes where the north and south city boundaries were in the past.
Steve Dotterrer,