Omaha
Museum and History
Omaha was first named as Morristown in 1880 by former Confederate Lieutenant Thompson Morris; it was stop on the new St. Louis Southwestern Railway, which spurred the town's development as a trading center. The US Post Office had changed the name to Gavett. In 1886, a group of seven men from Randolph County, Alabama drew names from a hat to pick a new name; the winner, Hugh Ellis, was allowed to rename the settlement after a town in his home state, and he chose Omaha.
By 1890 Omaha had three churches, a school, a weekly newspaper, and a population of 450. The town was incorporated in 1914. A new enterprise of raising vegetable-plant seedlings for sale developed in the area. During the twentieth century, Omaha was the site of a shipping operation that sent millions of these seedlings to destinations throughout the United States. In 1980 it had a population of 960 and twenty-three rated businesses, reaching nearly 1,000 by the end of the 20th century and is still growing today.
The Omaha Museum features artifacts of times past donated by members of the Omaha community. It is located in the historic city hall in the downtown area. To view the museum or for any information, please call the Chamber at 903-884-3600.
