Omaha’s early growth was hindered by the large, steep hills just west of downtown along Farnam, Douglas, and Dodge Streets. The problem was so severe that it made it difficult for streetcars—and later automobiles—to reach the top of the hill at 24th Street. While Omaha had expanded both north and south in its early years, expanding west required solving this challenge.
Beginning in the 1880s and continuing for nearly 40 years, city leaders embarked on a series of ambitious projects to do just that. Rather than cutting through the hills, they decided to lower the streets. The focus was primarily on three thoroughfares: Farnam, Dodge, and…..