On a beautiful spring evening, Amelia Rosser, the owner of Sheelytown Market sat at the counter telling me the history of Sheelytown. The door was propped open, and we were surrounded by a charming display of plants and art that are available in the store. It’s the type of place you might expect to see in a walkable downtown area, and not off a busy 4 lane street – an unexpected oasis.

Many longtime residents of Omaha may not have even heard of this part of town, which is located on the East side of Highway 75 between Vinton and Martha.  It is an historic ethnic neighborhood – home to populations of Irish, Polish, and other first-generation immigrants that came to work between the 1860s and 1870s. The area was named after Sheely Brothers Packing Houses, where many of the immigrants came to work. Over the last 60 years, it has experienced dramatic changes.

Sheelytown was known for its street dances, weeklong weddings, and blue-collar mentality. Despite this, it had a reputation as a tough neighborhood, which kept outsiders away.

Polish immigrants transformed Sheelytown into a Polish neighborhood. But, the community experienced conflicts, including a division in the St. Paul’s Catholic Church. The “Lambs” backed the bishop, while the “Goats” favored Polish nationalism, led by Stanislaus ‘Stephen’ Kaminski. The Goats purchased the church property, which led to a dispute, and a fire erupted in the church two weeks later. Kaminski and four others were seen leaving the scene with boxes, and a shootout between the Goats and the Lambs occurred at a nearby bar. Several members of the Goats were later convicted of arson.

Later, in the mid-1960s, the City of Omaha planned for I-480 to pass through the blighted areas west of downtown. I-480 divided Sheelytown, resulting in the demolition of buildings on the east side of Dinker’s Bar while the west side remained. Sheelytown tried to fight back, but ultimately, the community lost its neighborhood. Additionally, the City of Omaha annexed the properties’ front yards between 32nd Avenue to 36th Street on Center Street with the construction of I-480’s Martha Street exit. This widened the road for faster traffic, leading to the death of the business district that Sheelytown Market hopes to revive today.

Today, Amelia hopes that through new businesses popping up, the area will be revitalized while honoring its rich history. Vis Major Brewing Company sits directly across Center Street from Sheelytown Market. Amelia was a bartender there when it first opened. She recounts, “All of a sudden, neighbors were being pulled out again and we were with each other again.  After the neighborhood being disconnected for so many years, it was really nice.”

At one point, there was talk of a neighborhood development project to narrow the road, change the streetlight, and make it a safer and more walkable neighborhood. Ultimately the funds were allocated to another project.  With six new businesses open and an event center in the works, Amelia hopes that will change.

Sheelytown is a neighborhood with a rich and complex history. From its origins as a company town to its evolution into a Polish neighborhood and its eventual destruction by the construction of I-480, the area has seen its fair share of triumphs and struggles. Today, Sheelytown Market stands as a testament to the area’s resilience and serves as a bridge between the past and the future.