Minne Lusa

According to the Omaha Public Library, "Minne Lusa" comes from a Native American word of unknown origins that means "clear water". The Minne Lusa Pumping Station was built at the Florence Water Works north of the area in 1899. Presumably the neighborhood, established 17 years later, took its name from that. Southeast of the newly annexed community of Florence, Minne Lusa was touted as the "largest addition ever platted in Omaha." It included 800 lots on 33 blocks. Lot prices ranged from $450 to $1,000. Minne Lusa Boulevard bisected the subdivision and meandered north from Miller Park. Most homes reflected craftsman bungalow and period revival architectural styles. In general, larger homes were constructed on lots fronting Minne Lusa Boulevard while more modest homes were constructed along cross streets. That house, the Henry B. Neef House, was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in September 2010. ==Notable buildings not contributing==

Several buildings are located within the geographic boundaries of the district but not considered as contributing to the historic district due to their significant alterations. Another local landmark called the Viking Ship is, according to a local neighborhood group, "a building of distinctive architecture at the corner of Minne Lusa Boulevard and Redick Avenue... [it has] been known at different times as the Prettiest Mile Club, Hayden House, and the Birchwood Club." The Hayden House eventually took turns moving from the Viking Ship to Eppley Airfield, and was to the Union Station in downtown Omaha. Today it is a fully restored art deco icon that sits in the Durham Western Heritage Museum. The area is home to the former Minne Lusa Theater, a one-screen neighborhood movie house that opened in the mid-1930s along North 30th Street. It seated 400. The theater closed sometime in the mid 50s. Minne Lusa Water Works The Metropolitan Utilities District operates a huge system at the Florence Water Works to filter Missouri River water. The Minne Lusa Pumping Station, demolished by the city in the 1960s, was a massive building of Warrensburg sandstone with a central tower rising four stories over an arched entrance. Designed by Omaha architects, it was built in 1889 in a classical style reflecting the influence of the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition. This building contained the high service pump and boilers, and sent the filtered water to city water mains for the entire city of Omaha. ==See also==