The residences of George Tilden, Oscar Davis, and Peter Sharp stand on the edges of man-made banks of dirt in this black and white lantern slide. These houses, located near the intersection of 18th and Douglas Streets, are waiting to be lowered onto the new street level below as part of a project to lower many of Omaha's streets. Horses, wagons, and workers are visible on the ground.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, several street re-grading projects took place in Omaha. In certain areas, the street level was lowered. Dirt from these areas was used to raise the grade in other sections of the city.