Omaha

History

Omaha was established in 1871 as a stop along the Springfield and Illinois South Eastern Railway. A baggage master working for the railroad, Henry Pearce, named the settlement for Omaha, Nebraska, where he had previously worked as a baggage master. After an initial attempt at incorporation failed in 1875, Omaha successfully incorporated in 1888. Omaha is home to many strawberry farms and used to hold an annual "Strawberry Day" in May. In Southern Illinois, Omaha is well known for one of the area's largest and most popular furniture stores, "Omaha Furniture," which has been in business since 1932.

Geography

Omaha is located in northwestern Gallatin County. Illinois Route 1 passes through the village, leading north to Norris City and south to Cave-in-Rock on the Ohio River. Shawneetown, the Gallatin County seat, is to the southeast via Routes 1 and 13. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Omaha has a total area of , of which (or 99.87%) is land and (or 0.13%) is water.

Race & ethnicity