Elsasser Bakery, Historic bakery in South Omaha, United States
Elsasser Bakery is a two-story red brick building located at 1802-1804 Vinton Street in South Omaha, distinguished by stone-capped parapets and decorative window hoods. The structure sits within the Vinton Street Commercial Historic District and reflects early commercial architecture typical of the neighborhood's mercantile period.
The Elsasser family opened their first bakery in 1883 after immigrating from Vaihingen, Württemberg to Omaha in the early 1880s. Their establishment reflects the broader wave of German craftsworkers who brought their trades to America and built thriving businesses in new communities.
This bakery served as a cultural anchor for South Omaha's German-speaking residents, where traditional recipes were kept alive through daily baking and neighborhood gatherings. Locals relied on this space to maintain their connection to homeland baking practices and customs.
The building sits at an accessible corner location in South Omaha and is easy to spot from the street, though it no longer operates as a bakery. Visitors can appreciate the exterior architecture and explore the neighborhood to get a sense of the historic German business district.
Few people notice that the building was repurposed as the River City Saloon by 1940, marking a shift in how immigrant communities changed over time. This transformation shows how economic roles and social spaces evolved as neighborhoods developed and new generations moved in different directions.
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