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The History Nebraska Blog

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Bombs Away!

Many plant workers during World War II were female. On March 24, 1942, construction began on the Cornhusker Ordnance Plant near Grand Island. Bombs and cannon shells were produced there throughout World War II.

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 ...

Nebraska Nursery and Seed Catalogs

With our first taste of spring, many of us are dreaming of warmer days and planning our gardens for the upcoming season.  There’s nothing like a stack of colorful seed ...

Fun Photo from the Collection

RG3377.PH2-8 (photo at right). What a great photo! These daring men were part of a telephone line crew near Elwood, Nebraska in about 1905. On several of the ...

Frontier Soldiers and Their Tiniest Enemy

Historian John McDermott wrote about the physical hardships of a frontier soldier’s life, describing the western plains as “an environment that could be frustrating, ...

Tractor vs. Horses

By David L. Bristow, Editor   Which is more economical for a farmer, a tractor or a team of horses? Ogallala, Neb., 1918. History Nebraska ...

Roping Elk

James E. Farley about 1904. NSHS RG2608-2116 (at left). Cowboys occasionally roped more than cattle or horses, as James E. Farley recalled in Solomon D. Butcher’s ...

The Great Sheedy Murder Trial of 1891

It was Lincoln’s most sensational criminal trial of the nineteenth century. But as historian Timothy Mahoney argues, the Sheedy case was more than just a sordid tale of ...

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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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