Father Flanagan Opens the Home That Becomes Boys Town
Father Edward Flanagan opened a home for boys in Omaha on December 12, 1917.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
Father Edward Flanagan opened a home for boys in Omaha on December 12, 1917. The institution later became known as Boys Town.
The Wider Story
The early project responded to children's needs for shelter, education and support. Its later campus and public reputation developed over time.
Putting the Event in Perspective
A modest rented home belongs to the founding scene.
Reading the Historical Record
Do not substitute a later large campus or imply that every feature of the eventual organization existed on its first day.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: a modest Omaha house in winter 1917 with distant adults and children, faces unrecognizable. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
Found an error? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards.