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is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end. It is the site of Nebraska's oldest city, oldest cemetery for people of European descent, and oldest standing gristmill. Florence was the site of an illegal Nebraska Territorial Legislature in 1858. Given the high concentration of National Register of Historic Places in the neighborhood it is regarded as, "the historic front door to Omaha as well as the state."
In the spring of 1854 James C. Mitchell, following the advice of Peter A. Sarpy, platted the village of Florence, including the old buildings and improvements of old Cutler's Park. Cutler's Park was established at the site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1846 Winter Quarters as a hold-over on their way from Nauvoo, Illinois to Utah. Due to the harsh conditions, 359 members of the 2,500 person party died and are buried in what is now called the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery. Their community was the first city in the Nebraska Territory. Despite lasting only two years, the city had a mayor and city council, 24 policemen and fireguards, various administrative committees, and a town square for public meetings. The Mormon pioneers left their town once they moved on in 1848. Mitchell platted Florence six years later.
Late in 1854 the town of Florence made a bid to become the Nebraska State Capitol, which it lost to Omaha. The Bank of Florence, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built as a wildcat bank in 1856. It fell in the Panic of 1857, leaving thousands of local townspeople and area farmers severely financially drained.