Omaha Bee

Founded in 1871 by Edward Rosewater — a Bohemian-born immigrant who, as a Union Army telegraph operator, personally transmitted President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation over the wires — the Omaha Bee grew into what one historian called "the most successful and influential journal in Nebraska." As the state's first regional newspaper, the Bee shaped public discourse across the Midwest for decades, championing civic reform and public education while building one of the largest circulations west of Chicago.

This edition is part of The Living Archive Series, an ongoing archival preservation project dedicated to protecting America's historic press. Using advanced artificial intelligence restoration technology, this landmark publication has been carefully digitized and restored for permanent access by collectors, historians, researchers, and readers who value American journalism heritage.

The Omaha Bee is now published under Shumake Media Group, carrying its legacy forward into a new chapter.

A must-have for collectors of vintage American newspapers, Midwest historians, journalism scholars, and archivists of 19th-century American press history.