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The History Nebraska Blog

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Newly Discovered Diary Tells of Building the Transcontinental Telegraph

The transcontinental telegraph was a remarkable technological feat that had major consequences for the West and the nation as a whole. Yet relatively little has been ...

For Whom The Bell Tolls

In the early 1900s, this bell was used on a homestead in Otoe County to call farmhands to meals. In the 1920s, it was used by WJAG radio announcer, and future Nebraska ...

The Filley Ladies Aid Society Fundraising Quilt

8636-1, Source: Mrs. K.L. McGill, Lindsborg, Kansas A (right). Recently, I’ve begun researching fundraising quilts. Many typical fundraising quilts have names stitched ...

Wait A Minute Mr. Postman…

Before the Rural Free Delivery (RFD) mail system was developed, farm families had to pick up their mail in the nearest town which could be hours or days away. RFD ...

Beating the Heat in the 1930s

The mid-1930s saw some of the hottest summer temperatures ever recorded in Nebraska. When Ruth Godfrey Donovan and her family moved to Lincoln in 1934, the ...

Fun and Games

What kinds of indoor activities did you (or your parents) use to keep busy during those hot days of summer? (more…)

Nebraska and the Civil War: Why the Story Matters

Nebraska has a rich Civil War legacy, according to James E. Potter, senior research historian at the Nebraska State Historical Society. Potter and Edith Robbins edited ...

How Do We Get There?

Today, if someone wants directions, they can just go online and find a map to practically anywhere. But this is just a recent development. Before the internet, we needed ...

On the Stage with Willa Cather

Willa Cather in costume as Peter Paragon in 1892 for a Union Girls’ Dramatic Club production of The Fatal Pin. NSHS RG2639-1-83 (at right). The Red Cloud Opera House on ...

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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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Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

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

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