publications

Ghost in North Omaha

“‘Do you believe in spooks?’ is the question of all-absorbing interest now being excitedly discussed in Rod and Gun Club bungalows clustered together on the historic shores of Carter lake and by numerous North Omaha residents, among whom the weird ‘ghost’ story related by a Chinese chef is spreading like wildfire.” The Lincoln Daily News of June 21, 1912, is the source of the following tale of the supernatural:



“Gep Sing, employed in the capacity of chef by the Rod and Gun club four weeks ago, firmly avers that he has been visited repeatedly by an apparition from the spirit world. . . . Nineteen years ago there was a tragedy on the shores of Carter lake. Mrs. H. C. Oakley was burned to death as the result of a fire starting in a small dwelling now located on the spot now occupied by the Rod and Gun club café. She had filled a gasoline stove and in some manner touched a lighted match to the oil. Mrs. Oakley fled from the blazing room literally enveloped in a mass of seething flames, to die in the arms of her husband shortly afterwards.



“Several days after taking up his quarters at the Rod and Gun club café, Sing appeared before the management with beady eyes rolling in excitement and reported that his slumbers were constantly disturbed by the spectacle of a woman surrounded by fire and carrying a lighted match in her hand A few nights ago he positively insisted on changing his sleeping quarters from the small room above the café kitchen.



“Sing said that the figure that hovered about his room by night was that of a woman surrounded by such an unearthly blaze of light that he could not plainly distinguish her features. He avers that the first night he slept in the little room above the kitchen he was awakened by a sound like the striking of a match. Then he says the figure came towards the spot where he lay and held the lighted match towards him. . . .



“Sing affirms that he reached out his hand and pushed it to one side, and that although his fingers encountered the blaze he felt no sensation of pain. Afterwards he carefully examined his hand and it was not burned nor even scorched. He says that when the apparition appeared his dog lunged for the stairway with a howl and that he has since been unable to persuade the canine to even mount the stairway leading to his room.”



Sing steadfastly claimed that night after night he was confronted by the ghostly visitor, who failed to appear only when he kept a light burning. Although Sing claimed not to be intimidated, he thought it wise to change his sleeping quarters to avoid further problems.





Undated postcard view of Omaha Rod and Gun Club. 

From USGenWeb Nebraska Archives.

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

Other Publications

The Bachelors’ Protective Union of Kearney

When the Bachelors' Protective Union gave a gala reception for two of its newly married, former members and their brides in March of 1890, the social club for young, ...

U.S. Weather Bureau in 1890s Nebraska

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. It took over the weather service that had been established in the office of the Chief ...

Canning the Way to Victory

During American participation in World War I the U.S. Food Administration, under the direction of Herbert Hoover, launched a massive campaign to persuade Americans to ...

The Shoemaker’s Ashes

"Edward Kuehl, one of the most peculiar characters that ever lived in Omaha, or anywhere else, was found dead in his bed last night in the back room of his place of ...

Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger Foreward

Red Dog, an Oglala Lakota who lived at the Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, 1876-77 (Nebraska State Historical Society RG2955.ph).   In the summer of 1876, following the ...

Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979), a native Nebraskan, produced some of Hollywood's most important and controversial films. He helped found 20th Century Fox ...

The Burlington’s Profitable Pork Special

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington, for example, had a long history of caring for the ...

Bungalow Filling Stations

After the giant Standard Oil Company was broken into thirty-four separate companies in 1911, the newly independent Standard Oil of Nebraska dominated the state's market ...

The Bull Fight

This is the perfect time of year for a visit to the old fishin' hole. But a group of fisherfolk from Plainview discovered that this bucolic pastime sometimes has ...

Buffalo Soldiers West

African-American soldiers on the western frontier are the focus of an exhibit at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln. Buffalo Soldiers West, on loan from the Colorado ...

Protection for Buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo on the Plains occurred largely between 1870 and 1885. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on February 1, 1874, editorialized in vain ...

Buffalo Hunting

In late October 1877 young Rolf Johnson and three friends left their homes in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a buffalo hunt in northeastern Colorado. The hunt was not very ...

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.