History of Department Stores in North Omaha. The idea of going to a single store to shop for many different types of products came around in the 1750s in England. Omaha’s first department stores opened downtown in the 1870s and 1880s, with the biggest ones staying around for a century. However, in a city as segregated as Omaha it was important that the Black community and Jewish community needed their own shopping opportunities. Also, each suburb needed their own small department stores. Adam has the history of department stores in North Omaha.

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