Situated on the Missouri River, near the mouth of the Platte River, Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska and the seat of Douglas County. Prior to the arrival of settlers, the land was occupied by several Native American tribes, including the Omaha (which means either "Dwellers on the Bluff" or "Against the Current", depending on whom you ask). In 1854, just months after the Nebraska Territory was carved out by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the federal government signed a treaty with the Omaha. Almost immediately, land speculators from Council Bluffs, Iowa rushed across the Missouri River to stake their claims in the newly opened land.

The building boom in Omaha was enhanced by the construction of telegraph lines, which bolstered the freight industry. In 1863, following the passage of the Pacific Railroad Act, Omaha was declared the eastern terminus of the new transcontinental railroad, securing its status as a major transportation center. The stockyards in South Omaha were originally constructed as a resting place for cattle en route to larger markets, but they eventually led to the expansion of Omaha's lucrative beef industry and meat packing operations.