Omaha Claim Club facts for kids
The Omaha Claim Club was a group formed in 1854 in the Nebraska Territory. It was also known as the Omaha Township Claim Association or the Omaha Land Company. This club was created to help build a city and protect the land claims of its members in the area that would become Omaha City. At its busiest, the club had "one or two hundred men." Many important early Omaha leaders were members. The club stopped operating after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1860 called Baker v. Morton, which went against their forceful methods.
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Why the Club Started
The very first "claim club" in the United States was set up by settlers near Burlington, Iowa. These clubs were formed even though they went against federal laws. Early settlers in Nebraska, including those in Omaha, were also breaking the law. They moved onto land that belonged to the Omaha tribe. The United States had a claim to this land from the Louisiana Purchase, but it didn't actually own it yet.
Many people believed that the government's land laws were unfair. They thought these laws made it harder for regular people to get land. Instead, they felt the laws helped rich people who bought land just to sell it later.
In 1834, the government declared lands west of the Missouri River as "Indian Territory." This stopped Americans from settling there for 20 years. But in 1846, Mormon settlers got permission from the Omaha tribe. They set up their Winter Quarters near the Missouri River. By 1853, people from Kanesville (now Council Bluffs, Iowa) were already marking land in the area that would become Omaha.
On March 16, 1854, Logan Fontenelle and other Omaha tribal leaders signed away rights to their lands. Then, on May 30, 1854, the Kansas–Nebraska Act was signed. This act opened up the Nebraska Territory for settlement. Just 11 days after the U.S. government announced the treaty with the Omaha tribe, Omaha City was officially founded on July 4, 1854.
How the Club Met
The Omaha Claim Club held regular meetings. They made rules and chose leaders. In February 1857, a big meeting happened at the "Claim House" in downtown Omaha. Over one hundred men were there. Groups from nearby towns like Bellevue, Florence, Elkhorn, and Papillion also attended. They offered to help Omaha's Claim Club protect its members' rights.
First Meeting of the Club
An injury to one is the concern of all.
When the Nebraska Territory was created in 1854, there were no laws about land claims. There were also no rules against "claim jumpers," who would try to take land already claimed by someone else. The important Homestead Act, which helped with this, didn't become law until 1862.
So, a group of early settlers in Omaha formed the Claim Club. They wanted to protect their land interests. The first meeting of the Omaha Claim Club was on July 22, 1854. It took place at the "lone tree," which was the only landmark in Omaha City at that time. This tree was also where the ferry landed from Kanesville, Iowa.
At this first meeting, they wrote and approved a constitution and bylaws. They also elected officers. Samuel Lewis became chairman, and M. C. Gaylord was secretary. Alfred D. Jones became the judge, and R. B. Whitted was sheriff. Many other important early Omaha figures were members, including John M. Thayer, A. J. Hanscom, and George L. Miller. By 1855, almost all the men living in Omaha were members. The club's motto was: "An injury to one is the concern of all."
The main goals of the Omaha Claim Club were to protect new settlers from claim jumpers. They also wanted to help Omaha City grow. However, some people said the club also used unfair tactics. They claimed the club sometimes worked together to control land prices. The club had rules about how much land a member could own. For example, no member could own more than 80 acres (32 hectares) of timber. They also had rules for claiming land and keeping ownership. The club even decided on punishments for settlers who broke their rules.
Club's Influence on Government
Many members of the First Nebraska Territorial Legislature were also members of claim clubs. Federal law said that people could only claim up to 160 acres (0.65 square kilometers) of land. But the state senators passed a law that made it legal to claim 320 acres (1.3 square kilometers). This new law also set penalties for trespassing on these larger claims.
In 1855, Colonel Lorin Miller, who later became Omaha's mayor, surveyed an area called Scriptown. He did this for the Omaha Claim Club. This land was used to convince members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature to vote for Omaha as the state capital. Omaha remained the capital until 1867.
Baker v. Morton Court Case
A court case started when Alexander Baker sued William Morton. Both were early Omaha settlers, and Morton was part of the Omaha Claim Club. The local court in Nebraska first decided against Baker. But Baker appealed to the United States Supreme Court. In 1870, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Baker in the case of Baker v. Morton.
During the trial, it was revealed that A. H. Baker was forced to sign over his land to another person for free. This happened because members of the Omaha Claim Club threatened him. Important Omaha figures like John Redick and James Woolworth testified. The court found that the club often used threats and force to make landowners sell their property. In Baker's case, the club threatened to hang or drown him. The judge decided that Baker had been forced to sign the contract because of these threats. This overturned the earlier court decision that favored Morton.
End of the Club
There are a few reasons why the Omaha Claim Club ended. The Supreme Court's ruling in Baker v. Morton ordered the club to break up. Other sources say that the club was simply no longer needed once the United States Land Office opened in Omaha. In 1856, the U.S. government surveyed the land in Douglas County, which included Omaha. The U.S. Land Office then opened on March 17, 1857.
The Omaha Claim Club, along with many other claim clubs in Nebraska, stopped operating by 1860.
What the Club Left Behind
The Omaha Claim Club and similar groups are sometimes given credit for bringing order to the wild frontier. By making and enforcing their own "laws," they created a system where the U.S. government wasn't ready to. In 1857, the Buchanan Administration announced that land sales in Nebraska would start in 1858. Claim clubs across the state, led by Omaha, protested. They argued they wouldn't be ready for the sale. The Administration was convinced to wait until 1859.
The Saratoga Claim Club, formed in 1857 north of Omaha City, was created because they admired Omaha's club. Later groups like the East Omaha Land Company (1882) and the South Omaha Land Company (1887) were not related to the original Omaha Claim Club.
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