History in the making

The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

Recent News and Posts

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How Eliza Grayson escaped Nebraska slavery

By David L. Bristow, Editor   Eliza Grayson was one of the very first enslaved people brought to Nebraska when the territory opened to white settlers in 1854. ...

Marker Monday: World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

Marker Text The “Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office” is named in honor of an Omaha sailor. Born in Arkansas, French moved to Omaha to live ...

Opening Doors: Film Director Joan Micklin Silver of Omaha

This article appears in the Winter 2024 issue of Nebraska History Magazine. Nebraska State Historical Society members receive four issues of the magazine per year. The ...

When Buffalo Bill’s men almost dumped a cowboy statue in a lagoon

What happens when real cowboys see fake cowboy art? In 1893 it took all of Buffalo Bill Cody’s persuasiveness to keep his men from dumping the work of a famous sculptor ...

Marker Monday: Scottsbluff Army Air Field

  Marker Text During World War II, the U.S. Army Air Forces operated a satellite airfield at this site. In the fall of 1942 twenty-eight farms were vacated ...

How much is a teacher worth? What Nebraska paid teachers in the 1920s

Most Nebraska teachers were paid poverty wages in the early 1920s, even before an economic recession prompted school districts to slash budgets even further. (more…)

When author Bess Streeter Aldrich brought Hollywood to Nebraska

By David L. Bristow, Editor Many Nebraskans remember when Terms of Endearment held its world premiere in Lincoln on November 22, 1983. The movie was partly filmed ...

Snapshots of Walthill: 1910s Community Life

The Nebraska State Historical Society recently received about 142 nitrate negatives and 20 glass plate negatives related to the community of Walthill in Thurston County. ...

Marker Monday: The Blizzard of 1888

Marker Text On January 12, 1888, a sudden fierce blizzard slashed across the Midwest. The temperature fell to between 30 and 40 degrees below zero. A howling northwest ...

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About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 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 NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

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Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

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Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

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

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Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

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

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Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. 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.