James Dahlman and Omaha Politics
Known as the Perpetual Mayor, He Related Well with the People
Dec 13, 2007
Early Life
James Dahlman was born in 1856 in the cattle country of DeWitt County, Texas. At the age of 22, after shooting and mortally wounding a man, he fled to the Nebraska Sandhills where, under an assumed name, he became a trail foreman on a ranch. After learning later that the killing was ruled self-defense, he resumed his rightful name and moved to Chadron, Nebraska. There, he became interested in politics and eventually became sheriff and then mayor of that community. During this period, he met and became friends with a rising politico named William Jennings Bryan, whom he supported for president in 1896 and 1900 as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Dahlman's Political Life
By 1906, Dahlman had arrived in Omaha and was persuaded by friends to run for mayor. With the backing of the local political machine controlled by Tom Dennison, the affable “Cowboy Jim” won easily and, with Dennison’s support, would continue to win until 1918. In that year, an anti-machine slate replaced the Dahlman administration. However, the reformers’ incompetence in office, culminating in the Courthouse Riot of 1919, resulted in Dahlman’s return to office in 1920. He would remain there until his death in early 1930.
Jim Dahlman was a man of paradoxes. Although always supported by the machine, he was never a part of it. He never used his position to further his personal wealth and actually died poor. He often spoke against the evils of society, but turned a blind eye to the corruption and vice that was widespread in the political, social, and business communities. In his years as chief executive, Omaha saw such reforms as commission government, home rule, municipal ownership of utilities, and the establishment of the initiative, referendum, and recall; but he rarely spoke of in favor of the reform movement. He kept taxes low, but city services suffered as a result. He could be loyal to some friends, but also alienate others. The Dahlman-Bryan friendship ended partly because of the mayor’s refusal to support stronger liquor laws.
On the personal level there was only black and white, no grays. Many people, both within and outside Omaha saw Dahlman as a “hayseed.” Uneducated, unable to speak or write in grammatically correct language, he was viewed by many critics as a large blemish on the city and state’s image. During an official trip to New York, suave Easterners looked on in shock, as the mayor, dressed in cowboy hat, bandana, and boots, lassoed several citizens. In 1910, in an unsuccessful bid to become Nebraska governor, Dahlman promised that if elected he would throw a big beer and barbecue party on the Capitol grounds.
Dahlman As a Man of the People
But, it was just such traits that made the cowboy mayor beloved by others. His homespun philosophies and speech endeared him to the common man. He often spoke of the need for frugality and practiced it in his life. His Omaha home was modest. He rode to city hall each day on a streetcar and never owned an automobile. He ate his lunch from a brown bag. He was probably the first Omaha mayor to have an “open door policy” for the average citizen and was always willing to listen to their complaints. In most cases, he followed up on their concerns. He was known to give the down-trodden money out of his own pocket. Dahlman and his wife, Harriet, loved young people. Twice each year, in the summer and at Christmas time, the city would throw large parties for the city’s youth. It was merchants who sponsored the parties, but it was Jim and Harriet who instigated them. The Cowboy Mayor was definitely a man of the people.
The Legacy of James Dahlman
Nearly a century later, the name James Dahlman has little meaning for Omaha residents today - a small park and a short street are the only city landmarks that bear his name. But, he left a more important legacy through his family. The Dahlmans had two daughters, Ruth and Dorothy, and two grandsons, John Austin Collett and James Dahlman Collett. Both men became graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy. After John was killed early in World War II, a destroyer, the USS Collett DD730, was commissioned in 1944. The first commander was his brother, James. Their grandfather would have been proud.
