Linoma Realty Company (Omaha, Neb.) [RG5452.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG5452.AM: Linoma Realty Company (Omaha, Neb.)

Records: 1920-1992, mostly 1921-1931
Omaha, Douglas County, Neb.:
Size: Approximately 5.0 cu.ft.

BACKGROUND NOTE

Linoma Realty Company, co-founded by Lawrence G. Simpson of the Chicago Lumber Company of Omaha and Harry E. Schellberg of Lyman-Richey Sand Company, established a “pleasure resort” in 1924 at Linoma Beach between Lincoln and Omaha (hence the name) as one of its main projects. The resort amenities included a beach, cabins, cafe, dance pavilion, bus and train rides to and from the beach, and evening entertainment including membership to the Ben Ahamo dance club (believed to have been started by Linoma Realty Company). Linoma Beach also offered bathing suits to rent.

Circa 1925 Ramsay Chapman managed Linoma Beach, and in 1926 Jerry Farrar oversaw operations. Though the beginning and end dates of each manager’s tenure are not apparent, Gary Life Sandy was the manager for the remainder of Linoma Beach’s glory days (until ca. 1931). During the off-season, Milo Snodgrass cared for Linoma Beach by guarding and maintaining the property, and collecting money from those who took ice from the lake. Additionally, Linoma Realty Company leased land for people to build cabins, arranged many of the dances and entertainment acts for the dance hall, and leased the cafe for restaurateurs to manage. The cafe was first operated by Alfred Jones in 1924. It is important to note that Mr. Jones was an African American. The Linoma Realty Company may have been ahead of the times by hiring him, a minority, in a prominent position at the resort.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection relates to the Linoma Realty Company, a real estate agency land brokerage company and to its management of Linoma Beach, a resort complex located on an inlet of the Platte River. The records include correspondence, newspaper clippings, financial records, handbills and posters advertising scheduled entertainers, product literature, drawings, blueprints, and legal documents. Other companies associated with the collection include: Chicago Lumber Company of Omaha, Inland Development Syndicate, Lyman-Richey Sand Company and Beacon View. Based on the documentation it can be assumed that prior to 1924, the Linoma Realty Company was called Inland Development Syndicate.

The collection is arranged into four Series: (1) Linoma Realty Company Legal Documents; (2) Linoma Realty Company Business Management Records; (3) Linoma Beach Business Documents; and (4) Miscellaneous Materials.

The first two series contain documents pertaining to Linoma Realty Company’s business and management affairs. The third series deals specifically with Linoma Beach including the following subseries: (1) General Business; (2) Entertainment; (3) Linoma Beach Cafe; (4) Marketing/Newspaper Publishing; (5) Newspaper/General Advertising; and (6) Renters and Guests. The final series, Miscellaneous, contains travel information, unidentified photographs and information pertaining to Beacon View, a development believed to be operated initially by Linoma Realty Company and the source of most of the recent materials in the collection.

INVENTORY

Series 1 – Linoma Realty Legal Documents
Subseries 1: Taxes, 1922-1930

Box 1
Folder

1. Correspondence, ca. 1922-1928
2. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1925-1929
3. Property Assessments, ca. 1926-1930

Subseries 2: Insurance, ca. 1924-1930

Box 1
Folder

1. Correspondence, ca. 1924-1930
2. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1924-1930
3. Policies/Forms, 1925-1930

Subseries 3: General Legal Documents, ca. 1923-1953

Box 1
Folder

1. General Legal Documents, c1923-1953

Series 2 – Linoma Realty Company Business Management Records
Subseries 1: Property & Site Maintenance, ca. 1921-1971

Box 1
Folder

1. Correspondence, 1924-1927
2. Correspondence, ca. 1928-1971
3. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1924-1925

Box 2
Folder

4. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1926-1928
5. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, ca. 1929-1967
6. Reports, ca. 1921-1967
7. Product literature

Subseries 2: Capital Improvements, ca. 1924-1927

Box 2
Folder

1. Blueprints
2. Design Development Drawings, ca. 1925-1927
3. Correspondence, ca. 1924-1927

Box 3
Folder

4. Product literature

Subseries 3: Miscellaneous Purchases & Information, 1924-1930

Box 3
Folder

1. Correspondence, 1924
2. Correspondence, 1924-1927
3. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1923-1930
4. Product Literature

Subseries 4: Financial Records, ca. 1920-1943

Box 3
Folder

1. Correspondence, ca. 1924-1930
2. Bank Statements/Deposit Slips, ca. 1924-1939

Box 4
Folder

3. Bank Statements/Deposit Slips, 1939
4. Bank Statements/Deposit Slips, 1939 (cont.)
5. Ledgers/Lists, ca. 1920-1943
6. Cancelled Checks/Check Stubs, ca. 1925-1939

Series 3 – Linoma Beach Business Documents
Subseries 1: General Business, 1924-1930

Box 4
Folder

1. Correspondence, 1925-1930
2. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1924-1930
3. Employee Materials/Time Records, 1924-1930

Subseries 2: Entertainment, 1925-1930

Box 5
Folder

1. Correspondence, 1925
2. Correspondence, 1926
3. Correspondence, 1927
4. Correspondence, 1927-1930
5. Correspondence, 1926-1930
6. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1927
7. Promotional Materials, 1925-1929
8. Dance Club/Dance Pavillion, 1925-1929

Subseries 3: Linoma Beach Cafe, 1924-1930

Box 6
Folder

1. Correspondence, 1924-1928
2. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, 1924-1930
3. Restaurant Checks, 1925

Subseries 4: Marketing/Newspaper Publishing, ca. 1923-1981

Box 6
Folder

1. News/Advertisement Clippings, 1923-1924
2. News/Advertisement Clippings, 1925
3. News/Advertisement Clippings, 1926
4. News/Advertisement Clippings, 1926 (cont.)
5. News/Advertisement Clippings, 1927
6. News/Advertisement Clippings, 1927 (cont.)
7. News/Advertisement Clippings, 1928
8. News/Advertisement Clippings, ca. 1929-1981
9. News/Advertisement Copy, ca. 1925-1930

Box 7
Folder

10. Correspondence, ca. 1924-1929
11. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, ca. 1924-1930

Subseries 5: Marketing/General Advertising, ca. 1924-1929

Box 7
Folder

1. Postcards/Handbills/Posters, c1927
2. Correspondence/Mailing List Information, c1924-1927
3. Invoices/Bills/Receipts, c1924-1929
4. Competitive Market Materials

Subseries 6: Renters & Guests, 1924-1930

Box 7
Folder

1. Correspondence, 1924-1930
2. Boarder’s Papers/Information
3. Daily Reports, 1925
4. Daily Reports, 1926
5. Daily Reports, 1927

Box 8
Folder

6. Daily Reports, 1929-1930
7. Bathhouse Tickets

Series 4 – Miscellaneous Materials

Box 8
Folder

1. Travel Information, 1924-1926
2. Photographs
3. Beacon View, ca. 1955-1992
4. Stationary

Subject headings:

Douglas County (Neb.) — Businesses
Linoma Beach (Sarpy County, Neb.)
Linoma Realty Company (Omaha, Neb.)
Omaha (Neb.) — Businesses
Resorts — Nebraska

Revised 10-11-2007 TMM