Bee Building

Infobox Historic building
name=Bee Building


caption=
map_type=
latitude=
longitude=
location_town=Omaha, Nebraska
location_country=United States
architect=
client="Omaha Bee"
engineer=
construction_start_date=1887
completion_date=1888
date_demolished=1966
cost=$500,000
structural_system=
style=
size=

The Bee Building, later called the Peters Trust Building and finally the Insurance Building, [ [http://www.historicomaha.com/ofcchap6.htm "Omaha Began Early to Develop Its Role as Packing Center"] , HistoricOmaha.com. Retrieved 3/30/08.] was located at 17th and Farnam Streets in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It was an architectural landmark in early Omaha that was built in 1888 by newspaper editor Edward Rosewater to house his "Omaha Bee" newspaper as well as several other companies. [ [http://www.memories.ne.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/opl&CISOPTR=48&CISOBOX=1&REC=7 "City Hall and Bee Buildings"] , Nebraska Memories. Retrieved 3/30/08.] A period review remarked that the building was "probably only second in the United States to that of the "New York Herald"." [Bates, C.A. (1897) "American Journalism from the Practical Side: What leading newspaper publishers say concerning the relations of advertisers and publishers." Holmes Publishing Company. p 269.]

History

Located next to Omaha's second City Hall, Rosewater built the Bee Building on the site on his family's former homestead. It was a seven-story red granite structure, with detailing such as carved beehives as exterior ornaments and carved miniature beehives on the doorknobs, playing off the name of the newspaper. Built for almost $500,000, the paper billed itself as operating the world's largest newspaper plant. Circulation in 1889 was 18,736. [ [http://www.memories.ne.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/opl&CISOPTR=48&CISOBOX=1&REC=7 "City Hall and Bee Buildings"] , Nebraska Memories. Retrieved 3/30/08.] The noted Omaha National Bank Building was built the same year on the same block. [ [http://www.historicomaha.com/chap11.htm "Enter the Opera,"] HistoricOmaha.com. Retrieved 3/30/08.]

According to a "New York Times" article, Edward Rosewater died at his office in the building on September 1, 1906. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=980CE2DA1231E733A25752C0A96F9C946797D6CF&oref=slogin "Edward Rosewater Dead"] , "New York Times." September 1, 1906. Retrieved 3/30/08.] On March 5, 1909, the Mutual Benefit Health and Accident Association opened its doors in the Bee Building, which has been called Mutual of Omaha since 1944.

Both the Bee Building and the Old City hall were torn down in 1966 to build the Woodmen Tower.

ee also

* History of Omaha

References

External links

* [http://www.nebraskamemories.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/opl&CISOPTR=395&REC=3 Historic postcard]