He bought the farm. To many it may simply mean he passed away. But in a spectacular turn of events, this lofty purchase, in a very roundabout way, ties together generations past.

In fact it is a direct link to Omaha’s illustrious history, filled with larger-than-life characters, entrepreneurs, civic leaders and immigrants of every stripe, and much anticipated exhibition site for Preserve Omaha, to be housed in the one of the city’s oldest recorded residences – still standing – built back in 1869.

To be called the Omaha History Farm, the name embodies the nonprofit organization’s newly crafted identity and mission statement, which is to recognize, celebrate and advocate for Omaha’s historic places, according to Tim Reeder, who just completed his term as president.

Attorney Erin Fox now serves as president as Reeder, who remains a board member, embarks on this new venture, with grandiose schemes of bringing Omaha’s history to life.

Plans include everything from a museum to library on Omaha history, rotating displays from personal and private collections, architectural gardens, with salvaged pieces from Omaha’s past, each marked and researched, presentation and demonstration space, woodshop/work shop, and last, but not least, amphitheater, complete with professional sound, overhead lighting and stage, which follows the natural slope of its current 1.75-acre site.

“We’re trying to turn this into an historic, preservation space,” he explained. “It’s a privately owned, public space where people can come and learn and share and discuss Omaha history,” he said, fully invested in all the possibilities, his mind brimming with an endless stream of ideas, clearly part of his mojo – or as one would say in the Midwest – innate charm.

“We’re working to partner with the Omaha Public Library, so that we have a kiosk here so that if you want to come here and learn how to do a history and research your house, you can get started here. We still want you to go back to the library, but we want you to get started here,” he said, excited about just one of the many planned aspects.

But that’s only scratching the surface, as he begins the arduous task of cleaning and clearing the trees and brush off the property. The house, itself, once served as one of the original wooden officers quarters, under the command of Gen. George Crook at Fort Omaha, replaced over time by the red brick structures, still gracing the stately campus today.

The property, located at 6327 Florence Blvd., was purchased through one of Reeder’s many other nonprofit endeavors, ReTree Omaha, which on his dime, replants trees lost along our city’s older streets – in honor of decedents buried in Prospect Hill, the city’s oldest cemetery, where, as a board member, he also has a vested interest.

And, here’s where one good deed, truly deserves another … with the purchase of the history farm last fall, all his passions became intertwined.

Reeder is co-owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate –The Good Life Group, one of the largest real estate agencies in Omaha, who assembled the Old Omaha Vintage Real Estate Team, heralding his decades-long interest in historic homes.

To bring their plan to fruition, Retree Omaha and Preserve Omaha will work hand in hand to restore the house and barn – which if walls could talk – could dish a lot of telling tales regarding its history, its very inhabitants and the era in which they lived, he said.

Made from wood milled in the nearby Ponca Hills, the original structure was one of 15 auctioned off and sold for $160 in 1899 to William and Oliver Grenville, eccentric bachelor brothers, by one account, who ran greenhouses and orchards, first in East Omaha, then along Florence Boulevard, during one of the city’s early heydays.

The brothers, rural farmers from Wisconsin, were known to own a rare, Stanley Steamer roadster – in an era when most automobiles were gas-powered, from an article in the Omaha World Herald, printed in 1944.

Think clearing the property were a tall order, imagine what moving the dwelling to its current site entailed. Forget horsepower …

“They had to cut it into two pieces because it was too big. They had it pulled by oxen and pulled over the wood logs all the way over to (the current lot), which was about 1.5 to 2 miles northeast. They put it on a very large piece of land. I think about 10 acres. I’m trying to figure that out. They built a barn, and they ran it as the Grenville Brothers Fruit Farm and Nursery for 60 years,” he said.

But, lo and behold, that wasn’t the extent of the brothers’ “enterprises.” The site housed at one time an antiques store, as well moonshine distillery during the Prohibition Era.

“I was told after they got caught, the still wasn’t dismantled, it was buried. I believe it,” he said, of the trove of information, rife with public family and neighbor feuding, he had discovered. “It is hilarious,” he said.

Much of which can be found through Old Omaha’s website, which has various links, history, blog, events, home-owners’ resources, as well as Tim’s Town, his personal archive, which documents every scrap of information he has uncovered, including elements of his 2,000-piece, historic postcard collection.

“That’s my fun (website) I just play with, it’s not fancy, it’s amateur, I have a hard time keeping up with myself, and so when I am sitting here doing history, research, and I find things, find things, find things, I want to upload it somewhere where it’s slightly organized,” he said.

Rest assured, because he doesn’t seem to, that will be curated in good time as well.

“I’m hoping that long-term I can refine that website and make it even better and better and better. But I do love the concept of taking all the history and all the things I love and care about and uploading it to something,” he said.

Not one to dwell only in the past, Reeder has already sowed the seeds, well into the future, firmly rooting their mission by honoring Omaha’s heritage, with viable connections designed to last. Kind of like a family tree – in a sense

“Our long-term vision is tree planting. And so, our plan is to continue to plant trees on our property that are propagated to be planted around the city and then fill the city with more trees, more trees, more trees. Each one of them dedicated or a memorial to someone buried in our cemetery,” he said, with endless enthusiasm, vital to what he deems, to be the secret to his success.

“I am an ideas man. I wear a lot of different hats,” said Reeder, whose contribution as president was to bring more excitement and energy to the group.

And it worked, though he’s quick to credit others, claiming it wasn’t a solo path.

In partnership with Joslyn Castle, their current location, and other associations, they created PresFest, a community-wide event, celebrating historic pride with everything from guest speakers to neighborhood tours, vendors, demonstrations, food trucks, musicians, children’s area, antique car show and old house businesses.

“We were hoping for 2,000 to 3,000 people, and we ended up with somewhere closer to 7,000. It was so full, we lost track. We had Ollie the Trolley giving tours around the city. It was absolutely out of the park, and it really, truly brought us back on the map,” he said.

But without the proper amount of care and support, things can go awry, which almost halted local preservation efforts. To understand how they rebuilt their foundation, it’s best to flip back a few pages and revisit the past.

The first historic preservation organization started in Omaha as Landmarks, Inc., back in 1965.

“This was in response to the imminent demolition of the old Omaha Post Office at 16th and Dodge Street. Sorry to say, that became a lost cause. In fact, that was probably the most important historic landmark in Omaha,” according to Jeffrey Spencer, noted author, local historian, and a valued resource.

“He’s the backbone of our organization. He’s the genius. He has written several books on Omaha history,” said Reeder of Spencer, who started as a volunteer in the ‘60s, served several roles, including executive director, and has since come out of retirement, with renewed interest.

But therein laid the silver lining …

Preserve Omaha, through many names and iterations, is the current version of Landmarks, Inc. During the process of being demolished, the post office, along with the old city hall, became a rallying force for historic preservation in Omaha.

“Landmarks has been responsible for all sorts of restoration and preservation over the years, including saving Joslyn Castle, back when it was slated to be torn down along with many mansions in that area,” Reeder said, not one to gloss over its impact.

Sadly, that’s just a glimmer of the city’s former glory.

“We have homes in Omaha that are more grand than that, that were destroyed, but the truth is, I love Joslyn Castle, it’s amazing, but is not the best house we ever had, and the houses I’m talking about are empty lots,” he said.

Fast forward to 2022, the pandemic, which almost leveled their efforts.

“Like so many other organizations, nonprofits, it got pushed to the side, because much more vital things happened. In that year, that vibrant organization had gone to four zoom meetings, that’s it. And, I was in those zoom meetings, and we learned that COVID had pretty much killed us. Where we had been a big bustling organization, it had drizzled down to virtually nothing, our accounts had been drizzled, all of our donors, money and funds had to go elsewhere. Our executive director, who had been paid, was about to start working for free. It just wasn’t doing so well,” he said.

As a result, Reeder reluctantly assumed the role of president, backed by board members, with the specific intent of shuttering the doors.

Then there was a shimmer of light. It was winter. He had more time on his hands. He got busy. He had an inkling. Could Preserve Omaha possibly survive …

“I started to call the previous executive directors, the previous presidents and just started asking questions. And one of the things I had learned was what had gone wrong for (former) members was that we didn’t have any piece of real estate for our own. We didn’t have a house, we didn’t have a home.”

At the time, they were being given free space in the basement of Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture firm, he gratefully said.

He took what he learned to heart.

“’Tim, the one thing that made all the difference in the world,’” he was told, “is owning a piece of real estate or at least having some piece of real estate. If there is any way (you) could have some piece of real estate, that’s what’s going to save you.”

(Here’s where you could insert that Tara moment for “Gone With The Wind” fans. Owning land is everything.)

As chance would have it, a week later another link appeared in the chain of events, which really set things in motion.

“It was early morning. I didn’t want to go to the gym, so I skipped it,” he laughed, but it proved fortuitous.

“I was driving around town, and I was driving by Forest Lawn Cemetery, the original entrance. When I pulled up to it, I saw this big, stunning, gorgeous house right inside the gate that was all boarded up,” he said.

He learned the home, despite its grandeur, in one of the city’s oldest cemeteries, was about to meet its maker.

Again, he summoned himself. This was their call to action.

Phone calls, and introductions were made. The cemetery president ultimately gave his blessing to hear their proposal. And, with that, he ran back to the board, who rallied together for the next two weeks in order to save the house.

“There were eight of us or so, we jumped on it. We did the history, research. We learned an enormous amount of things. We learned that the building was originally designed by John McDonald, the same architect who designed the Joslyn Castle and many of the other historic properties found throughout the city, including my own home,” he said.

“We learned that the streetcar used to go up in the cemetery because people on a regular basis would go have lunch or just have picnics on their family’s graves. We found photos. It was extraordinary. We came up with all this stuff,” he added.

Bolstered by what they discovered, they e-mailed their proposal at 7 p.m. one evening, but by 7 a.m. the very next morning, the cemetery board had already voted to raze a property, they deemed “an amazing piece of history.”

But their efforts weren’t all in vain ...

As a last-ditch effort, Reeder, new to social media, raced to the cemetery upon hearing the news, stood in front of the house, and shot a video, if for nothing else, prosperity.

“I said, ‘We want to save it. We want to help them save it.’ Anyway, I made some enemies, but that video went wildly viral, and was shared by a lot of people. I can’t count how many, thousands, it was the biggest video I had ever done.”

However, their valiant, yet futile efforts, were more than worth it. Here’s the other side of the coin.

“The positive result was it completely transformed this organization,” Reeder said. “Like all of a sudden, we were on the map again. All of a sudden, we had donors come out of the woodwork. We had members come out of the woodwork. We had volunteers. And we, my colleagues and I, we handpicked the most amazing board of directors I have ever experienced,” he said.

“And we just crushed it. We lost the house, but we knew that this was a new opportunity, so we got together, we had multiple, hard-core brainstorming sessions as to who we are, what we’re doing, what’s our name, what’s our mission,” he said.

As incoming president, Fox, a fellow old home aficionado, already finds herself on familiar ground.

“Tim asked me to join the board in 2022 mostly because they needed an attorney, but also because he knew that I loved history and old buildings. He was our realtor when we moved to Omaha. I was happy to help re-launch the group and build Omaha’s preservation community. I hope to continue the work Tim kick-started,” she said.

Among her stated priorities are to grow membership, increase donations to fund an executive director, to offer more to members, and bring back the home tours that enticed her into Omaha’s preservation community to begin with.

“I have always been interested in history generally,” she explained. “I also love architecture, but don’t have the skill or talent to be an architect. The character that historic buildings give to cities is a visual reminder of what humans are capable of and inspires us to keep building on the beauty of the past,” she said.

Like Reeder, she can readily expound on the virtues of restoration efforts.

“Preserving historic structures helps keep our visual and physical record of the past. Historic homes are great and tell us a lot, but having access to history you can touch creates a connection to the past that can inform our present and future decisions,” she said.

Shelley McCafferty, former vice president, echoed her sentiments.

Fostering a shared interest in antiques, heritage and history, she serves as Preservation Administrator for the City of Omaha Planning Department.

“I have my Master of Architecture degree from UNL and have worked both in architecture and planning as it relates to historic preservation. I was familiar with REO (the predecessor to Preserve Omaha) from my work at the State Historic Preservation Office. After taking my current position with the City of Omaha almost four years ago, I was recommended to join the board,” she said.

Growing up on “the family farm,” she’s become engrained, as well as enamored, finding value in our past.

Simply stated, through her years of research …

“1. Preservation is more sustainable than tearing down buildings and building new. 2. Preservation creates a stronger sense of place, which is important for tourism, sense of well-being, and attracting new residents. 3. Historic neighborhoods are more walkable and require less dependence on the automobile. 4. Historic buildings embody a level of quality and craftsmanship, which is not available in most new construction. 5. Preservation contributes to a community’s sense of identity, connecting the present with the past,” she noted.

Although funded by private donations, memberships and special events, Preserve Omaha is sending a rallying cry to help continue their work.

“I want people to know that Preserve Omaha needs them,” Fox said. “We know that there is a preservation community in Omaha that simply needs to be brought together to maximize our ability to impact developers and city officials to make sure they consider preservation as they plan for Omaha’s future. Our goal is to bring the preservation community together to ensure that it has a strong and effective voice. So, we first need people to join and add their voices.”

Despite the popularity of their events, there is something that means even more ... Their livelihood.

“We do have many fun events highlighting residential preservation and Omaha’s history, but the true value of supporting Preserve Omaha through membership and donation is that together we can make a difference and change the perception that Omaha does not have an effective preservation community,” she added.

McCafferty, among the current 10-member board, seconds that.

“Preserve Omaha has tremendous energy and potential. We have a very engaged, responsible and motivated board, but need the support of donors and members for the organization to grow and implement its strategic plan. Any sponsor can be rest assured that their donation will be used responsibly and effectively toward meeting the goals of our strategic plan,” she said.

In addition to a vital resource for older homeowners, Preserve Omaha offers free access to regularly-held events, a social network of like-minded people, interested in preserving Omaha history, and “the peace of mind” you are supporting the only organization in Omaha that advocates to preserve historic buildings and neighborhoods, she said.

Of more recent note, among their many projects and accomplishments, Preserve Omaha is currently working to register the Broadview Hotel (2060 Florence Blvd.) on the National Register of Historic Places.

“As part of that process, I found out that it was a Green Book site with a rich history. I am so glad we are able to help highlight that important part of Omaha’s history,” Fox said.

“Florence Boulevard, which is significant because it was listed in The Negro Traveler’s Green Book, is a unique example of concrete block construction in Omaha. I’ve had to delve into some interesting history about race relations in Omaha,” McCafferty added.

Which brings us back full circle to their renew mission statement: To recognize, celebrate, and advocate for Omaha's historic spaces.

“If it’s anything even remotely historic, it could be a cemetery, it could be our park and boulevard systems, it could be a school,” said Reeder, highlighting the extent of their various endeavors.

Though he’s careful to point out ….

“We’re also not trying to give the impression we’re that organization, we’re going to chain ourselves to the building and cause you problems. We’re trying to be people’s friends and get them to recognize, you know what maybe this doesn’t need to get torn down or maybe there is another use to this property.

“But at the same time, we recognize that sometimes, things got to go. And, as much as it hurts to see a building or something get torn down, when that does happen it makes us recognize and celebrate the ones that are still standing that much more. So, we aren’t pitchforks trying to keep improvement from happening, we’re just trying to get people to stop and take a deep breath and look around before they tear down or at least celebrate it before they do,” he said.

In conclusion, he notes …

“We can’t save the world, we know that the world must move on and progress always happens, but when it comes to architecture, style, history, we share, we share all these things, so we as Preserve Omaha or people who recognize the value of history and style and character and architecture, we just hope that we can get people to stop, look around, and celebrate the really cool things we got going around us before we just kick it to the curb. And even when a house has got to get torn down, that’s fine, let us just celebrate, let’s do a survey, let’s take pictures of it, every single piece of real estate is a part of the fabric of history.”

To learn more, please visit preserveomaha.org or contact@preserveomaha.org.