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What We Found

Spanish American War

Robert Bruce Payne (1872-1937) was an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska when war broke out between the United States and Spain in April 1898. He enlisted on ...

Sparrows

The English sparrow is one of the most common birds in Nebraska and in the United States. Originally found in England and northern Europe, the sparrow was brought to ...

Frank H. Spearman

Frank H. Spearman (1859-1937) was a prolific writer of heroic fiction, especially about railroads and about the men who built and ran them in the West in the late 1800s. ...

Spitting Prohibited!

During the late nineteenth century spittoons became a common feature of saloons, hotels, stores, banks, railway carriages, and other places where adult men gathered. ...

The Squatter Governor’s Inaugural Address

Times may have been rough in Nebraska's territorial days, but settlers tried to find humor in adversity. Then as now, politics were sometimes a laughing matter. In 1857, ...

St. Patrick’s Day Ball in Lincoln, 1878

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in Lincoln in 1878 with an evening ball. The Daily Nebraska State Journal on March 19, 1878, reported: "St. Patrick's Day, like the ...

St. Patrick’s Day, 1891

"As the years pass on and the Irish emigrant gets farther away from his native isle each succeeding seventeenth of March grows dearer to his heart," said the Lincoln ...

The Stage Ride

Vacationers heading towards Nebraska's Pine Ridge, and the Black Hills beyond, have the prospect of a pleasant journey through spectacular scenery. The trip hasn't ...

Stagecoach Travel

Travel by stagecoach is an experience few modern Nebraskans have had unless as part of a frontier reenactment, but when Nebraska Territory was opened to settlement, the ...

Nebraska Stagecoaches

The overland stagecoach leaving Cottonwood Springs, near Fort Cottonwood (later Fort McPherson, Nebraska). Illustration from The Overland Stage to California ...

Help Shape History

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Being a member is the easiest way to be involved in our mission to preserve and share our state's rich history. Find out how!

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About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
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Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

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View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

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The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.
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Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.