Florence
Florence is the oldest part of Omaha, up on the river bluff where Mormon pioneers wintered in 1846. The bank building went up in 1856. The mill still stands on North 30th Street. The neighborhood never really stopped being a small town at the top of the map.
The walk links the Mormon Trail Center, Harold's Koffee House, the Bank of Florence, Zesto, and the Florence Mill. The landmarks are open to visitors. The diner and the ice cream counter are what make it a neighborhood.
Give it a quiet morning. The buildings tell the story.
The story
Florence sits on the site of the Mormon Winter Quarters, where thousands of Latter-day Saints camped during the harsh winter of 1846-47 while migrating west, and hundreds died and were buried here. The town of Florence was platted in the 1850s and briefly rivaled young Omaha as a Missouri River settlement. The Bank of Florence opened in 1856 and is one of the oldest surviving bank buildings in Nebraska. Florence was annexed by the City of Omaha in 1917 but has kept a distinct small-town identity. Today its history is preserved at the Mormon Trail Center, the Historic Florence Mill, and the restored Bank of Florence.
Historic Florence Loop
- 1Start at Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters, 3215 State St, Omaha, NE
- 2Continue to Harold's Koffee House, 8327 N 30th St, Omaha, NE
- 3Continue to Bank of Florence, 8502 N 30th St, Omaha, NE
- 4Continue to Zesto Shoppe, N 30th St, Omaha, NE
- 5Finish at Florence Mill, 9102 N 30th St, Omaha, NE