Tug of War was serious business in 1890s Nebraska. Just ask the Omaha Danes, reigning state champions in 1892.
Tug ’o War was serious business in Nebraska in the 1890s. In multicultural Omaha it became a way of expressing ethnic identity. The Omaha Danes, shown here with a US flag, were reigning state champions in 1892, but they faced taunting challenges from the Omaha Swedes. As in other communities, the rest of the Omaha league sounded like an international competition. The Omaha Bee on April 21, 1892, listed teams representing “Denmark, America, Sweden, Scotland, Indians, Ireland, Bohemia, Germany.”
(Photo: NSHS RG2341-552)
