OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — For authors Tim and Lisa Trudell, the opportunity to take a look back at Omaha's history appealed to them.
"We wanted to provide a nostalgic look, but we also wanted to provide a historically accurate look at the city's story," said Tim.
Petrow's; Rosenblatt; Peony Park; Astro Theater — just to name a few — are all places that once took residence in Omaha but have since become a lost treasure. Many of which, have either been demolished or repurposed, like Astro Theater which is now what many know as The Rose Theater.
The Trudells pay tribute to these places and many others in their newest book, "Lost Treasures of Omaha."
“Sometimes we forget to kind of appreciate what we once had,” said Tim.
Tim and Lisa say reflecting on and learning about a city’s past is important because it allows people to see the overall picture of their city.
"To be able to kind of help share that story and maybe educate some people who didn't know the story or history of Omaha and provide a kind of nostalgic and pop culture look at the city, it allows you to get the snippets of the metro area," said Tim.
No matter how recent or how old the treasures are, sharing these stories and having people relate and build on the history surrounding these places with their own experiences is something that keeps these memories alive.
“I hope more and more that happens,” said Lisa. “I know that there’s buildings and places that if we don’t go to visit or if we don’t work to try and save it — it might not be here and there would be some things that would be missed if we didn’t make that effort.”
Tim and Lisa say that "stories of the past, along with a photograph, or maybe a menu, matchbook, magnet, or cup, may conjure up a 'Remember when?' conversation."
"People," said Lisa. "They want to hold onto those pieces."
The Trudells said diving into the history of Omaha offered a fun nostalgic look at the metro area and rekindled some of their own memories.
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