Downtown in Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
J.P. Cooke Building 1885-1889
The Old Market Historic Walking Tour
Omaha's first municipal swimming pool, "The New Natatorium," originated in the basement of the westernmost of these three buildings; and vestiges of it can still be seen there. The ornamental work at the building's top announces that E. Homan Thayer constructed it in 1889. The cast iron facade is considered a classic, and the immense windows suggest the then-contemporary development of the curtain wall and skyscraper in Chicago. Skinner Manufacturing's first plant was located here briefly in 1911-12, and later it was home to Peterson Litho & Printing Co. In the early 1960s, J.P. Cooke & Co., makers of a variety of rubber and metal stamps, moved here. It succeeded the Cooke Time Stamp Company, founded in Omaha in 1887. The construction of the properties abutting to the east was begun about 1885. The notable occupant of these buildings was Tribune Publishing, which printed the Daily Tribune, at one time the only German-language daily in the West. It was one of the few German papers that survived the harsh feelings occasioned by Germany's participation in World War I.
Erected by The Old Market.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.
Location. 41° 15.322′ N, 95° 56.021′ W. Marker is in Omaha, Nebraska, in Douglas County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on Howard Street near 13th Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1311 Howard Street, Omaha NE 68102, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Baum Iron Company Building 1880 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Skinner Macaroni Building 1914-1915 (about 400 feet away); Morse Coe Building (about 600 feet away); The Omaha Bolt, Nut and Screw Building (about 700 feet away); Omaha Firehouse 1903-1904 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Anheuser-Busch Beer Depot 1887 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Millard Block 1880-1881 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Woodmen of the World (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Omaha.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,265 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 1, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.