History in the making

The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

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Marker Monday: The North Bottoms

Marker Text The North Bottoms neighborhood was settled by Germans from Russia beginning in the 1870s. During the preceding century they had colonized in Russia, ...

The Christmas Wagon Comes to Fort Robinson, 1882

Martin Weber never forgot the year he traveled through a blizzard to bring Christmas packages to Fort Robinson. In 1934 the old soldier described his 1882 adventure ...

Nebraska’s First Jewish Newspaper

By Breanna Fanta, Editorial Assistant (2021) “Newspapers are said to be the first draft of history.” A short-lived twentieth-century newspaper now provides ...

Christmas Postal Rush

"One great trouble with the Christmas business,” remarked the Nebraska State Journal of December 24, 1892, “is the habit formed by the great unthinking public of waiting ...

Marker Monday: Burlington Depot

Marker Text Built in 1897, the main section of Red Cloud’s Burlington Depot contained sleeping quarters on the second floor, and freight room, agent’s office, and ...

Reviving “Lucy” the Milliner’s Doll

A delicately detailed doll named “Lucy” has been in the History Nebraska collection since the mid-1900s. She originally belonged to a woman named Ida Epley Davis, who ...

Marker Monday: Historic Kearney

Marker Text In 1847 Brigham Young led the first migration over the Morman Trail along the north bank of the Platte River, and in 1866 the Union Pacific Railroad ...

Why Kearney, Nebraska, will become a second Minneapolis (1889)

Kearney was booming in 1889 when city boosters commissioned a promotional book entitled The City of Kearney, Nebraska. A copy of this boastful, lavishly illustrated book ...

Help Shape History

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Volunteer

Volunteers work with NSHS staff members to support our mission

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Interested in joining the NSHS team? Keep an eye on job listings!

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 Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

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NSHS Education

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

Education Digital Learning Resources

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.

Listen to our Podcast

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.

Our YouTube Video Collection

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

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

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Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

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.