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The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

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C. A. Sorensen and the Downfall of Omaha Crime Boss Tom Dennison

A crime boss by the name of Tom Dennison dominated Omaha for the first three decades of the twentieth century—until he crossed paths with Attorney General C. A. ...

The Nebraska Highway Archeology Program—Rescuing Important Historical Information in the Path of Road Building Since 1959

What does archaeology have to do with highways? Are we digging up ruins of hold highways? Why would anyone do that? Highway archaeology is about identifying important ...

The Old Filling Station

By David L. Bristow, Editor   When we think about landmark buildings, gas stations probably aren’t the first places that come to mind. But they’ve been part ...

Made in Nebraska: Vineyards

(Published April 1, 2003) A recent boom in Nebraska vineyards harkens back to an earlier time when grape vines were plentiful. In 1879 there were 84,000 vines ...

New Washington in Nebraska

Moses H. Sydenham (1835-1907) had a long and eventful life as a freighter, newspaperman, postmaster and storekeeper at Fort Kearny, and settler in the Platte valley. In ...

1,733 Miles from Where? Kearney, Nebraska’s 1733 Identity

By David L. Bristow, Editor Kearney has long promoted itself as the “Midway City” located halfway between the coasts, exactly 1,733 miles from both Boston and San ...

J. Sterling Morton creates Arbor Day

Arbor Day originated in Nebraska in 1872, when the State Board of Agriculture adopted J. Sterling Morton's resolution that April 10 of that year be set aside for tree ...

Marker Monday: Lincoln’s Founding Block

Marker Text The Territorial Legislature at Omaha drew the boundaries of Lancaster County in 1855. Settlers first arrived in 1856 and a county government was ...

Throwback Thursday Photo, Kearney Cotton Mill

Take a peek inside the Kearney Cotton Mill in today’s Throwback Thursday Photograph. Construction on the Mill started in 1890 by the Cumnock brothers (A. G., John, J. ...

Marker Monday: Custer County’s First Courthouse

Our Historical Markers across Nebraska highlight moments and places in our state's past. Today, we're focusing on the private residence that eventually became Custer ...

Malcolm X Selected to Nebraska Hall of Fame

September 12, 2022 The Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission today selected Malcolm Little, also known as Malcolm X and El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, as the next member of the ...

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

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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!

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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.