THE NORTH BOTTOMS
N 40° 49.525 W 096° 42.405
14T E 693381 N 4521907
The North Bottoms neighborhood was settled by Germans from Russia beginning in the 1870s.
Waymark Code: WM3WW7
Location: Nebraska, United States
Date Posted: 05/27/2008
Views: 14
The North Bottoms neighborhood was settled by Germans from Russia beginning in the 1870s.
During the preceding century they had colonized in Russia, attracted by offers of free land,
military exemption, and political autonomy. In 1871, when the Czar revoked these privileges, a
flood of German emigration to the Americas began.
Immigrants were drawn to the Great Plains by land and jobs. Lincoln became a major
destination. Here most took residence along the bottom lands of Salt Creek, where frequent
flooding diminished land values and rail yards offered employment. Settler from the same
villages clustered together, creating a distinct neighborhood.
The North Bottoms ethnic enclave developed its own businesses, social groups, churches, and
schools. Small houses on long, narrow lots followed either Old World models or the new
American styles. In the backyards, chicken coops, tiny barns, and summer kitchens recalled the
old country agricultural community. Descendants have largely dispersed throughout Lincoln and
the nation, but North Bottoms reminds us of the old "urban villages" immigrants built in a new
land.
City of Lincoln
Faith United Church of Christ
Immanuel Church
Nebraska State Historical Society
Tenth and Charleston Streets, Lincoln
Lancaster County
Marker 396
Marker Name: THE NORTH BOTTOMS
City: yes
Web Address if available:: [Web Link]
Roadside: Not Listed
Other: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
Post Pictures:
1. Close up of historical marker
2. Picture of surrounding area (would prefer to have the marker in the picture also). Thanks!