Omaha History Podcast

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces infamously stormed the beaches at Normandy. The five beaches were given code names: Gold, Sword, Juno, Utah, and Omaha. How did Omaha Beach get its code name? Omaha carpenter Gayle Eyler was drafted in 1943, and found himself converting apartments in London into the headquarters utilized for planning the invasion of … Continue reading "Episode 06: Code Name Omaha Beach"

In 1885, there was quite the presidential scandal, originating from a saloon in Omaha. Rutherford B. Hayes, a temperance man who famously banned alcohol from the White House, was found to be the owner of the property on which a saloon was operating in Omaha. Discover the fickle nature of temperance politics, the twenty year … Continue reading "Episode 05: The Omaha Saloon Scandal"

This episode we bring you the fascinating life of Byron Reed. Reed was one of the founding fathers of the city of Omaha, and left behind an incredible legacy. His impressive collection of rare books, documents, and coins was gifted to the city and is now displayed and kept at the Durham Museum. We discuss Reed’s life, projects, … Continue reading "Episode 04: Byron Reed"

Larry Bader disappeared after a storm on Lake Erie, and his empty boat was found the next day. A few days later, a man who looked just like him showed up in Omaha, Nebraska, claiming to be Fritz Johnson. The Bader/Johnson saga is a fascinating tale of a popular Omaha disc jockey and television personality.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce ourselves, and let you know what we have in store for the duration of this project. Tune in on January 7 for our first episode!