2015 Events

2015 Past and Current Events in Historic Florence:

• January 2015
  • Sunday, Jan. 11th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M. CST:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk:
      • Reading of "Minstrel Show, or The Lynching of William Brown"
        • "Minstrel Show, or The Lynching of William Brown" is DCHS researcher Max Sparber's 1998 play about the 1919 courthouse riot in Omaha, Nebraska. It debuted at the Blue Barn Theatre and since then has had a dozen productions throughout the country, receiving glowing reviews from Variety, The New Yorker, and the New York Times.
        • The play retells the story of the riot from the point of view of two fictional itinerant performers. Come hear a reading of the play, featuring one of the performers from the Blue Barn's most recent, critically acclaimed production. The run time for the play is about an hour and fifteen minutes, and the reading will include a brief talkback session with Max Sparber and the actors.
      • 2 P.M. at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 10, Room 110
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Tuesday, Jan. 27th, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past:
      • Three Bodies Burning: The Anatomy of an Investigation into Murder, Money and Mexican Marijuana
        • Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) will feature author Brian Bogdanoff's book Three Bodies Burning: The Anatomy of an Investigation into Murder, Money and Mexican Marijuana at our January 27th Page from Our Past author event taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the DCHS Library Archives Center. The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction. A Page from Our Past is a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
        • Brian Bogdanoff retired from the Omaha Police Department after twenty-two years of service. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and graduated from the Omaha Police Academy. Before his service as a homicide detective, Bogdanoff was an undercover narcotics detective for the City of Omaha.
        • A haunting triple murder... the inside story of the investigation. When two worlds collide-the illegal transportation of tons of Mexican cartel marijuana to inner city gang members in a Midwestern city's “hood”-three bodies end up burning, caught in a web of greed as a major international drug deal goes very bad. The chilling trail of evidence from a remote wooded area where three bodies are set on fire leads homicide detectives across the country chasing down witnesses and conspirators in a two-year search for cold-blooded killers. This case has it all: murder, piles of cash stashed in the most unlikely of places, a blood-soaked crime scene, the remote dump site for bodies, luxury cars, flashy jewelry, and hundreds of pounds of illegal dope. An unbelievable break takes detectives down the rabbit hole where CSI meets Law & Order and where good old gumshoeing and meticulous forensic procedures bring down a mega-million-dollar drug conspiracy and lock up the bad guys for life. Follow the case through the eyes of the gritty homicide/narcotics detective. A handbook for the amateur criminologist, this book is for true crime fans, prosecutors and defense attorneys, and cops and robbers. Warning: This book contains graphic crime scene photos and adult language.
      • Time: 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. CST at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Website: Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  
  
• February 2015
  • Thursday, Feb. 5th, 2015 at 5 P.M.-7 P.M. CST:
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Very Special Exhibit:
      • My Dearest Julia: Love Letters from Early Douglas County

        • Join the Douglas County Historical Society as we celebrate Valentine's Day with a very special program. We are pleased to present the exhibit My Dearest Julia: Love Letters from Early Douglas County. This collection of 30 very special love letters was written by Mr. Gurdon Wattles to Miss Julia Vance during the years 1917 and 1918. Mr. Wattles was the head of the Omaha and Council Bluffs Streetcar Company, was instrumental in the organization of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of 1898 and was responsible for the construction of Omaha's Fontenelle Hotel. Miss Vance was the head of the Department of Home Economics at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. They met while serving together on the F.F.A. (Federal Food Administration) for “Mr. Hoover” and were married on June 26, 1918 in Estes Park, Colorado.

          To open this very special exhibit we will be having Eunice Levisay present a talk on the History of Valentines. Join us on Thursday, February 5 for our exhibit opening. The talk begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Education Room of the General Crook House Museum and admission is free for members and a $5 donation is requested of non-members. Please RSVP by emailing members@douglascohistory.org or calling 402-455-9990 ext. 101. The exhibit will continue to be on display in the General Crook House Museum throughout the month of February.

      • 5 P.M. CST at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Education Room of the General Crook House Museum
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Saturday, Feb. 7th, 2015:
    • Florentine Players Improv All-Stars featuring the 88-Improv and The Weisenheimers
      • BOTTOMLESS Cup of Beer for $5
      • Time: 7 P.M. CST
        Tickets: $10
        Doors open at 6:00
        Show starts at 7:00
        Reservations: 402-455-6341
        Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
        
        
  • Sunday, Feb. 8th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M.:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk:
      • Sister Kathleen O'Brien of the Sisters of Mercy

        • DCHS's monthly Second Sunday event will feature Sister Kathleen O'Brien of the Sisters of Mercy, one of Omaha's leading charitable institutes, which just celebrated 150 years. Sister Kathleen O'Brien is the author of an expansive history of the organization, from its humble start with seven original Sisters who arrived in Omaha in 1864 to provide for the education of young Omahans. Soon the organization grew to assisting anyone in need, including the orphaned, the homeless, the hungry, the poor, and the ill.

      • 2 P.M. at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 10, Room 110
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Sunday, Feb. 8th, 2015:
    • Florentine Players audition for May Melodrama “No Name City” or “Florence, the finest seat in the county”
      • Time: 7 P.M.
        Auditions: 402-312-3785
        Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
        
        
  • Monday, Feb. 9th, 2015:
    • Florentine Players audition for May Melodrama “No Name City” or “Florence, the finest seat in the county”
      • Time: 7 P.M.
        Auditions: 402-312-3785
        Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
        
        
  • Tuesday, Feb. 24th, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past:
      • Busting Bad Guys, My True Crime Stories of Bookies, Drug Dealers and Ladies of the Night

        • Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) will feature author Mark Langan's book Busting Bad Guys, My True Crime Stories of Bookies, Drug Dealers and Ladies of the Night at our February 24th Page from Our Past author event taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the DCHS Library Archives Center. The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction. A Page from Our Past is a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.

          Mark Langan retired after a twenty-six-year career with the Omaha Police Department. In 1978 Mark was the youngest police officer ever hired on the Omaha Police Department at age eighteen. He worked as a uniformed officer and as a detective in the Burglary, Vice, and Narcotics Units. Mark was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1988, working as a supervisor in the Narcotics Unit until his retirement in 2004.

          In his gripping memoir, Sergeant Mark Langan relives his front-row seat working the seamier side of crime during his decorated twenty-six-year career from youngest rookie in 1978 to narcotics sergeant on the Omaha Police force. Busting Bad Guys delivers a graphic and authentic look at solid policing on the streets of America's heartland and takes readers inside the high-adrenaline, top-secret investigations to develop innovative tactics to outsmart the criminals.

          This book is currently available in our bookstore located in the General Crook House Museum. Participants who have registered to take part in the program receive a 5% discount off of the retail price of the books! Get your copy today!

      • Time: 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Website: Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  • Thursday, Feb. 26th, 2015:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Lunch and Learn, Noon:
      • Architecture student Linda Williams will return for a second year with a discussion of Omaha-trained architect Cap Wigington, an African-American man who built several historic structures in Omaha and went on to be one of the defining architects in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Williams has led tours of Wigington's buildings in Omaha, and will discuss his legacy and the buildings he left behind locally
      • Time: 12 P.M. to 0 P.M. at Fort Omaha
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990
      • Website: Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  
  
• March 2015
  • Sunday, Mar. 8th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M.:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk: Retired historian and professor at Creighton University, Dennis Mihelich
      • A History of the Creighton family

        • DCHS's March Second Sunday Talk will feature Dennis Mihelich, retired historian and professor at Creighton University. An author of an extensive history of the University, he will be presenting a history of the Creighton family. The Creightons were among Omaha's leaders in business and philanthropy. They were involved in all manner of business from banking and the stockyards to the transcontinental telegraph. When Edward Creighton died in 1874 his fortune passed to his wife, Mary Lucretia Creighton. After her death in 1876, Mary's will provided $100,000 as a memorial to her late husband “to purchase the site for a school in the city of Omaha and erect buildings thereon for a school of the class and grade of a college.”

      • 2 P.M. at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 10, Room 110
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Tuesday, Mar. 24th, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past: Author, Tim Dempsey
      • Well I'll Be Hanged: Early Capital Punishment in Nebraska

        • Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) will feature author Tim Dempsey's book Well I'll Be Hanged: Early Capital Punishment in Nebraska at our March 24th Page from Our Past author event taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the DCHS Library Archives Center. The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction. A Page from Our Past is a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.

          Tim Dempsey is a native of Omaha, Nebraska and retired thirty year law enforcement officer. He has a B. S. in Criminal Justice and a M. P. A. from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Tim was a part-time instructor at U. N. Omaha for over twenty-five years, and now serves as a member of the Board of Governors of Metropolitan Community College. In 2004, the Police Officers Association of Nebraska inducted Tim as a member of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Hall of Fame.

          Sam Richards was more than likely Nebraska's first serial killer. Among his many victims were a mother and her three children who were savagely beaten to death. In 1879, Richards was hung for his crimes in Kearney County, Nebraska, and his skull eventually placed on display in the window of the local newspaper. George Morgan was a pedophile who raped and then choked an eleven year old to death on November 3, 1895 in Omaha. Morgan was hung in Douglas County, Nebraska in 1897. From 1867, when Nebraska became a state, until 1897, fourteen convicted killers were condemned to their fate on a gallows erected in county jail yards across the state. Thirteen of these doomed men died at the hands of a county sheriff and one was executed by a United States Marshal. This book looks at all fourteen of these cases. They represent the workings of Nebraska's criminal justice system in the late nineteenth century, and the men that made it work.

      • Time: 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  • Sunday, Mar. 29th, 2015 (Palm Sunday):
    • St. Philip Neri Church Annual Roast Beef Dinner
      • Location: St Philip Neri Blessed Sacrament Parish at 8200 N 30th St (In Omaha's Historic Florence Area)
      • Event Start Time: 11 A.M. CDT
      • Event End Time: 6 P.M. CDT
      • Event Cost: Adults: $10.00; Seniors(65+): $8; Kids (6-12): $5.00; Under 5: Free
      • Contact Phone: Rim Kiuntke / 402-571-8600
        Invites you to their Annual Roast Beef Dinner on Palm Sunday, March 29^th from 11:30 - 6 P.M. CDT, downstairs in the Parish Center.
        Featuring tender sliced roast beef with all the fixings, and delicious homemade salads & desserts. Takeouts available too!
        Elevator also available for handicap access.
        Located at St Philip Neri Blessed Sacrament Parish, 8200 N 30th Street ()
        
        
  
  
• April 2015
  • Sunday, Apr. 12th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M.:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk:
      • 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War.

        • DCHS's April Second Sunday Talk will feature a panel discussion to honor the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. We are proud to welcome Dave Wells, historian to the Civil War Veterans Museum of Nebraska City, and Dr. Mark Scherer, Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department at UNO, who will discuss Nebraska's role in the war. Featured at the discussion will be a few Civil War artifacts with direct ties to Nebraska and the Nebraskan men who served.

      • 2 P.M. at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 10, Room 110
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Sunday, Apr. 19th, 2015:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Opening of New Exhibit:
      • Gangsters and Tunnels: Prohibition in Douglas County

        • Come learn about some of the notorious characters who helped shape Douglas County in the early 20th Century. Phone: 402-455-9990 for more information or to book a tour. The exhibit will run through Spring 2016.

      • Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, General Crook House Museum, Lower Level
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
    
    
  • Sunday, Apr. 26th, 2015
    • Notre Dame Sisters Annual Pork Dinner.  (See details) 
      • Location: at St. Phillip Neri Activities Center
        • 8200 N 30th St (30th & Mormon Street) (()).
      • Time: 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. CDT
      • Enjoy great Czech food, music, baked goods, and prize giveaways, all to benefit the Notre Dame Sisters' Retirement Fund! Carryout is available!
      • Contact: Sr. Rosalee Burke, ND 402-455-2994* ext 103
        
        
  • Tuesday, Apr. 28th, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past:
      • Author James Potter
        • Standing Firmly by the Flag: Nebraska Territory and the Civil War, 1861-1867
        • Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) will feature author James Potter's book Standing Firmly by the Flag: Nebraska Territory and the Civil War, 1861-1867 at our April 28th Page from Our Past author event taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the DCHS Library Archives Center. The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction. A Page from Our Past is a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
        • James Potter is a senior research historian at the Nebraska State Historical Society. He is the co-editor, with Edith Robbins, of Marching with the First Nebraska: A Civil War Diary.
        • From a pool of barely nine thousand men of military age, Nebraska–still a territory at the time–sent more than three thousand soldiers to the Civil War. They fought and died for the Union cause, were wounded, taken prisoner, and in some cases deserted. But Nebraska's military contribution is only one part of the more complex and interesting story that James E. Potter tells in Standing Firmly by the Flag, the first book to fully explore Nebraska's involvement in the Civil War and the war's involvement in Nebraska's evolution from territory to thirty-seventh state on March 1, 1867.
      • Time: 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  
  
• May 2015
  • Thursday, May 7th, 2015:*
    • Douglas County Historical Society Annual Standing Bear Commemoration:
      • Banished: Nebraska Tribes and the Indian Removal Act

        • Douglas County Historical Society recognizes the anniversary of the Standing Bear Trial by examining the forced displacement of mid-19th century American Plains tribes in our annual tribute, Banished: Nebraska Tribes and the Indian Removal Act.

        • Kent Blansett, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, will be our featured guest speaker of the evening. His major areas of research and teaching include American Indian History and Western American History. Blansett is a descendant of five Tribes: Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Shawnee, and Potawatomi.

        • To conclude this discussion, representatives from the Ponca, Winnebago, Santee Sioux, and Omaha tribes have been invited to participate in a talk back panel.

        • Prior to this featured event, the public is invited to join us at the Crook House Museum at 5:30 for a Frontier meal, and entertainment provided by the Many Moccasins Dance Troupe. At 7:00 we move next door to the Swanson Conference Center for a musical performance by Michael Murphy playing the Native American flute, followed by Professor Blansett's presentation and talk back panel.

      • This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required as seating is limited. Please contact Douglas County Historical Society at 402.455.9990, or email us at members@douglascohistory.org.
      • 5 P.M. - Reception at General Crook House
      • 7 P.M. - Discussion and Talk Back Panel at Swanson Conference Center
      • Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, General Crook House Museum, Lower Level
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
    
    
  • Thursday, May 7th – Saturday, 9th, 2015 (Thu-Fri-Sat):
    • Florentine Players • 52nd Annual Melodrama,
      “No Name City” or “Florence, the finest seat in the county”
      • Ticket Prices: $10, Seniors & Groups of 8 or more: $8; available by mail, or at the door.
        Doors open 6 P.M. (one hour before curtain).
        Show starts at 7 P.M. Thu-Fri-Sat
        Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
        Phone: 402-871-8791
    • Auditions for this show: February 8th & 9th (Sunday-Monday) - 7 P.M.
    
    
  • Saturday, May 9th – Sunday, 10th, 2015 Second weekend of May, 10 A.M. - ?:
    • Florence Days 
      • Florence Days Parade, 1-3 P.M. from Miller Park to McKinley Street.
        • The parade details are not fully official but dates are!
        • There are several new entries in this very special year's parade.  See Parade Details
        • See pictures from the 2007 parade.
      • Mike Brock at D's Frontier Bar (()) 402-451-9610
        • Times: 3 P.M. - 7 P.M.
      • Shadow Ridge at Kelley's North Bowl, (8701 N 30th St ()) 402-453-5500
        • Times: 5 P.M. - 10 P.M.
    
    
  • Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 (3rd Tuesday):*
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past: Author Matt Holland
      • Title Ahead of Their Time
        • History of the Omaha DePorres Club
        • prelude to Affirmative Action
      • Time: 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  • Wednesday, May 20th, 2015:
    • Florence Mill - Workshop: "Food for Thought"
      • Admission is free. The presentation will be located in the Florence Mill.
      • 2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
        • 2 P.M. Demonstration by Chad Lebo of The Cure in Fort Calhoun
          • Fermenting Foods: making pioneer sauerkraut and sour-dough pita bread
        • 3 P.M. Joan Allen, my favorite dietitian, will talk about shopping & eating smart
          • with the “Clean-15,” “Dirty-Dozen,” and harmful additives found in some processed foods.
      • Florence Mill 9102 North 30th Street, ()
    
    
  
  
• June 2015
  • Saturday, Jun. 6th, 2015:
    • Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department: Annual Dance
      • Featuring the Jason Earl Band.
      • Location: The Fire Barn
        12919 Ponca RD (()).
        Time: June (1st Sat) 8 P.M. to 1 A.M.
        402-453-6656
      
      
  • Sunday, Jun. 7, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Jun. 7th, 2015:
    • Florentine Players audition for August Farce “Engaged”
      • Time: 6 P.M.
        Auditions: 402-312-3785
        Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
        
        
  • Monday, Jun. 8th, 2015:
    • Florentine Players audition for August Farce “Engaged”
      • Time: 7 P.M.
        Auditions: 402-312-3785
        Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
        
        
  • Sunday, Jun. 14, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Jun. 14th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M.:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk:
      • Title The Blackstonian: The Story of the Blackstone Hotel

        • The Blackstone Hotel was once Omaha's signature venue for luxurious accommodations, one of the premiere hotel along America's First Highway, the Lincoln Highway. At its peak, the Blackstone offered a fleet of Pierce-Arrow limousines for use by important guests, a ballroom, a publication called The Blackstonian, and a number of well-loved restaurants. One of those restaurants produced the Blackstone's most famous legacies, the Reuben sandwich, but the hotel was also responsible for introducing Butter Brickle ice cream to the world. DCHS researcher Max Sparber takes a look at the hotel, its legacy, and its many stories.

      • 2 P.M. at Fort Omaha Campus, Building 21 (Mule Barn)
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Sunday, Jun. 21, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Tuesday, Jun. 23rd, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past:
      • Title Theodore Wheeler's novella On the River, Down Where They Found Willy Brown
        • Douglas County Historical Society will feature Nebraska author Theodore Wheeler's novella On the River, Down Where They Found Willy Brown at our June 23rd Page from Our Past author event taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the DCHS Library Archives Center.
        • On the River, Down Where They Found Willy Brown is the story of an immigrant boy who's caught up in a race riot and lynching, based on events surrounding the Omaha Race Riot of 1919. While trying to find a safe place in the world after being exiled from his home during a global war, Karel Miihlstein is caught in a singular historical moment and one of America's most tragic episodes.
        • Theodore Wheeler lives in Omaha with his wife and two daughters, where he is a legal reporter covering the civil courts of Nebraska.
      • Time: 5 P.M. to 6 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  • Sunday, Jun. 28, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  
  
• July 2015
  • Sunday, Jul. 5, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Jul. 12, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Jul. 12th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M.:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk:
      • Title Omaha's Immigration History

        • Presented by Dennis Mihelich

          Join us as we welcome retired Creighton University professor of history Dennis Mihelich who will analyze Omaha's rich immigrant population. Learn how immigration patterns and world crises have shaped the people and culture of Omaha – from the German immigrants of the 1880s to the Sudanese influx of the 1990s. The talk is presented by the Douglas County Historical Society with funding provided by the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Memorial Foundation.

          This Second Sunday Talk will be held on July 12 at 2 pm at the Fort Omaha campus of Metro Community College in Building 10 Room 110. The event is free for members and $5 for non-members. Please call 402-455-9990 ext. 101 or email members@douglascohistory.org for reservations.

      • 2 P.M. at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 10, Room 110
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Sunday, Jul. 19, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Jul. 26, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Tuesday, Jul. 28th, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past:
      • Title Nebraska author Paul Hedren's book Ho! For the Black Hills: Captain Jack Crawford Reports the Black Hills Gold Rush and Great Sioux War
        • In 1875, a young man from Pennsylvania known as Captain Jack joined the Dodge Expedition into the Black Hills of Dakota Territory, penning letters to the Omaha Daily Bee during that time and for six months in 1876. His correspondence featured unusual and intriguing details about the relative merits of the gulches, the vagaries and difficulties of travel in the region, the art of survival in what was essentially wilderness, the hardships of inclement weather, trouble with outlaws, and interactions with American Indians.
        • Paul L. Hedren of Omaha is a retired National Park Service superintendent. He is the award-winning author of ten books, including First Scalp for Custer and After Custer: Loss and Transformation in Sioux Country.
      • Time: 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Website: Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  
  
• August 2015
  • Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Saturday, Aug. 8th, 2015:
    • Notre Dame Sisters Annual Garage Sale. 
      • Also, Residents' yard, craft & bake sale
      • Location: at Seven Oaks at Notre Dame.
        • 3501 State St (30th & Mormon Street) (()).
      • Time: 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. CDT
      • A variety of goodies will be available for sale and will benefit the residents' fund.
      
      
  • Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Aug. 9th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M.:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk:
      • Title The Signal Corp

        • Presented by Max Sparber

          Douglas County Historical Society researcher Max Sparber will discuss the signal corps, the telegraph, and the secret lives of the people who ran the singing wire.

          Before there was the Internet, before there was the telephone, before even radio, there was the “singing wire” – the telegraph. There wouldn't be an Omaha without the telegraph – city founder Edward Creighton helped string the transcontinental telegraph across Nebraska, and the railroad followed that line, and Omaha was born because of the railroad.

          The telegraph had its own language, Morse Code, and so was run by a series of specialty trained telegraph operators, who developed their own culture, including specialized slang.

          The military quickly adopted the telegraph, as it needed an effective way to communicate orders and information along long distances. This was entrusted to the Signal Corps, a branch of the United States Army responsible for communications in the various branches of the military.

          In 1905, Omaha's Fort Omaha was reactivated as a training school for the Signal Corps, teaching, as a document explained it, “electricity, telephony, telegraphy, radio-telegraphy, line-construction work, and special instruction in telegraphic accounts ...” How appropriate that the military would teach the telegraph in a city that would not exist without it?

      • 2 P.M. at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 10, Room 110
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for DCHS members; A $5 donation is requested of non-members.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Thursday, Aug. 13th – Saturday, 15th, 2015 (Thu-Fri-Sat):
    • Florentine Players - Annual Comedy Farce - “Engaged”
      Phone: 402-871-8791
      Reservations: 402-455-6341
      Time: Doors open at 6 P.M.; show starts at 7 P.M. CDT Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
    • Auditions for this show: June 7th & 8th (Sunday 6 P.M.) and (Monday 7 P.M.)
    
    
    
  • Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Aug. 16th, 2015:
    • Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department: Annual Summer Barbecue
      • Location: The Fire Barn
        12919 Ponca Rd. (()).
        Time: 12 P.M. to 6 P.M.
        402-453-6656
      
      
  • Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Tuesday, Aug. 25th, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past:
      • Nebraska author Manya Nogg's book Age is Just a Number and Mine's Unlisted
      • Time: 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Website: Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  
  
• September 2015
  • Sunday, Sep. 13, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Sep. 20, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Sunday, Sep. 27, 2015 (Each Sunday of the summer months):
    • Florence Mill — Farmers Market.
      9102 N. 30th St. (()).
      From: 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CDT
      
      
  • Tuesday, Sep. 22nd, 2015 (4th Tuesday):
    • Douglas County Historical Society A Page From Our Past:
      • Title Black Print with a White Carnation: Mildred Brown and the Omaha Star Newspaper 1938-1989
        • Douglas County Historical Society will feature Nebraska author Amy Forss' book Black Print with a White Carnation: Mildred Brown and the Omaha Star Newspaper 1938-1989 at our September 22nd Page from Our Past author event taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the DCHS Library Archives Center. The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. A Page from Our Past is a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
        • Mildred Dee Brown (1905-89) was the cofounder of Nebraska's Omaha Star, the longest running black newspaper founded by an African American woman in the United States. Known for her trademark white carnation corsage, Brown was the matriarch of Omaha's Near North Side-a historically black part of town-and an iconic city leader. Her remarkable life, a product of the Reconstruction era and Jim Crow, reflects a larger American history that includes the Great Migration, the Red Scare of the post-World War era, civil rights and black power movements, desegregation, and urban renewal.
        • Amy Forss has a PhD in African American history and teaches at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska. Her work has appeared in journals such as Nebraska History and Great Plains Quarterly.
      • Time: 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society Library Archives Center
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11A ()
      • The talk is $5 for DCHS members, $10 for non-members
      • Seating is limited to 20 participants
      • Reservations Required
      • Reservations and Information e-mail members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 x101
      • Website: Douglas County Historical Society
      • The program focuses on history-based authors, both of fiction and non-fiction, and is held the fourth Tuesday of each month in the evening. We have a casual and intimate roundtable discussion, where the audience has the opportunity to get up close and personal with the authors. Each program concludes with a book signing and time to meet one-on-one with the featured author.
    
    
  • Sunday, Sep. 20th, 2015:
    • St. Philip Neri Blessed Sacrament Parish Annual Festival. Details 
      • Time: Noon-6 P.M. CDT
        Location of event: 8200 N 30th St (30th & Mormon Street) (()).
        Cost: Free
        Contact Phone: Rectory Office: 402-455-1289 Tim Kiuntke/Publicity Chair: 402-571-8600.
        
        
  
  
• October 2015
  • Saturday, Oct. 3rd – Sunday, 4th, 2015:
    • Omaha North Hills Pottery Tour at the Florence Mill
      • Located at Florence Mill, 9102 N 30th Street ()
      • Times (Extended hours):
        • Saturday: 10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
        • Sunday: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.
      • Full Pottery Tour details
      • Information: 402-551-1233
    
    
  • Saturday, Oct. 10th, 2015:
    • Omaha Camera Club at the Florence Mill
      • Located at Florence Mill, 9102 N 30th Street ()
      • Times (Extended hours):
        • Saturday: 10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
        • Sunday: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.
      • Full Omaha Camera Club show details
      • Information: 402-551-1233
    
    
  • Sunday, Oct. 11th, 2015:
    • Tombstone Tour - 2015.
      • North Tour:
        • Our first tour, on October 11, will take us to three cemeteries in North Omaha, including Prospect Hill, Omaha's Potter's Field, and the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery.
      • With refreshments provided at each cemetery stop, we will toast to the memory of those who have gone before us. Your tour guide will regale you with cryptic commentary, plus you'll receive a souvenir booklet on cemetery history.
      • The tour begins and ends at the Crook House, Historic Fort Omaha (arrive at 1 P.M.; bus departs at 2 P.M.) and returns at 5 P.M.
      • Ticket Prices: $50 for members; $55 for non-members.
      • Time: 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
      • Located at Douglas County Historical Society, 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • Information: 402-455-9990
      
      
    
    
  • Sunday, Oct. 18th, 2015:
    • Tombstone Tour - 2015.
      • South Tour:
        • On our second tour on October 18, we will be visiting the cemeteries of Temple Israel, Holy Sepulchre, and the Bohemian National Cemetery. Learn their stories and see their final resting places!
      • With refreshments provided at each cemetery stop, we will toast to the memory of those who have gone before us. Your tour guide will regale you with cryptic commentary, plus you'll receive a souvenir booklet on cemetery history.
      • The tour begins and ends at the Crook House, Historic Fort Omaha (arrive at 1 P.M.; bus departs at 2 P.M.) and returns at 5 P.M.
      • Ticket Prices: $50 for members; $55 for non-members.
      • Time: 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
      • Located at Douglas County Historical Society, 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • Information: 402-455-9990
    
    
  • Dates not decided yet but could be around Sunday, Oct. 11th, 2015
    • Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department: Annual Pancake Fundraiser
      • Location: The Fire Barn
        12919 Ponca RD (()).
        Time: 8 A.M. to 1 P.M.
        402-453-6656
    
    
  • Thursday, Oct. 15th – Saturday, 17th, 2015 (Thu-Fri-Sat) plus a matinee on Sunday, Oct. 18th, 2015:
    • Florentine Players - 2015 October - Florence Horror Show - “Errorplane:” An Adaptation of the Famous Movie About An Airplane, That May or May Not Have Starred Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 
      A Variety Show
      
      • Ticket Prices: $15 (Reservations required).
        
      • In past years:
        • $15 gets a cup and unlimited beer. Snacks available.
        • Dress for the occasion! (Hint: The Audience is part of the melodrama).
      • Reservations: 402-871-8791
      • Time: Doors open at 6 P.M.; show starts at 7 P.M. CDT
      • Sunday Matinee Time: Doors open at 1 P.M.; show starts at 2 P.M.
      • Located at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
  
  
• November 2015
  • Sunday, Nov. 8th, 2015 at 2 P.M.-3 P.M.:
    • Douglas County Historical Society Second Sunday Talk:  
      • Title 100th Anniversary of Gordmans Panel Discussion
      • 2 P.M. at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 21
      • General Crook House 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • The talk is free for everyone.
      • Reservations are required. Please email members@douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990 to reserve your spot.
    
    
  • Thursday, Nov. 19th, 2015:
    • Happy Days are Beer Again
      • Celebrate the End of Prohibition in Nebraska November 6, 1934 with a Beer Pairing Event
      • Location: General Crook House Museum
        5730 N. 30 St, #11B Omaha, NE 68111 (()).
        Time: 7 P.M. to 9 P.M.
        402-455-9990
      
      
  • Friday, Nov. 20th – Thursday, Dec. 31st, 2015:
    • Mormon Trail Center Gingerbread House Display 
      • Theme: Christmas in the Heartland
      • 8283 N. 34th Street ()
        View times: 10 A.M. to 8 P.M. 402-453-9372.
        Gingerbread House Display is open to the public.  See Mormon Trail Center page for more details.
    
    
  
  
• December 2015
  • Friday, Nov. 20th – Thursday, Dec. 31st, 2015:
    • Mormon Trail Center Gingerbread House Display 
      • Theme: Christmas in the Heartland
      • 8283 N. 34th Street ()
        View times: 10 A.M. to 8 P.M. 402-453-9372.
        Gingerbread House Display is open to the public.  See Mormon Trail Center page for more details.
    
    
  • Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 2015:
    • Douglas County Historical Society - Gerald Dickens - Mr. Dickens is Coming to Town
      • Gerald Charles Dickens performs
        • Mr. Dickens is Coming to Town
      • 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society General Crook House Museum
      • Address: 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • Reservations Required
      • The price is $75
      • Reservations and Information: To reserve seats
    
    
  • Friday, Dec. 4th, 2015:
    • Douglas County Historical Society - Gerald Dickens - Nicholas Nickleby
      • Gerald Charles Dickens performs
        • Nicholas Nickleby
      • 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society General Crook House Museum
      • Address: 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • Reservations Required
      • The price is $75
      • Reservations and Information: To reserve seats
    
    
  • Saturday, Dec. 5th, 2015:
    • Douglas County Historical Society - Gerald Dickens - All in the Dickens Family; Memories of Christmas
      • Gerald Charles Dickens performs
        • All in the Dickens Family; Memories of Christmas
      • 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. at Douglas County Historical Society General Crook House Museum
      • Address: 5730 N. 30 St, #11B ()
      • Reservations Required
      • The price is $75
      • Reservations and Information: To reserve seats
    
    
  • Sunday, Dec. 6th, 2015:
    • Annual Bank Open House 
      Location: 8502 N. 30th at Mormon St., 8502 N. 30th St ()
      • Coffee and Cocoa will be served.
      • No reservation is required.
      • The Bank of Florence will have open hours from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. CST
        • Come get your picture taken with Santa.
          
          
  • Saturday, Dec. 19th, 2015:
    • Florentine Players Caroling Party
      • Starts at Florence City Hall, 2864 State Street ()
        From 5 P.M. to 11 P.M. The bus leaves promptly at 6 P.M.
        Information: 402-880-9402
        Bring drink, appetizer, and soup to share.
        We visit shut-ins to sing. See Details for full itinerary
        
        
  
  

Others

• 2016 Events in Florence
  
  
• 2014 Events in Florence
  
  

We rest and prepare for another year from January to early May, although there will be Florentine Players performances starting in January or February, and the Douglas County Historical Society has some events near Florence that are listed as well. Check our Events page for details and final dates as we learn about them.