History in the making

The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

Recent News and Posts

Select the terms

Pari-mutuel vs. Unicameral. Which is Which?

In the 1934 election, Nebraskans voted on two measures with funny-sounding names: a unicameral legislature and pari-mutuel betting. Both measures passed. It has long ...

A Winter Fire in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska

Early on January 4, 1940, a fire broke out in the Henshaw Hotel. The hotel, located at 1511 Farnam Street in Omaha, Nebraska, was one of many hotels in the downtown ...

A New Year’s Eclipse

The most memorable feature of New Year’s Day in Nebraska in 1889 was a solar eclipse that occurred between three and four o’clock in the afternoon. The Omaha Daily ...

Sleighing Fun

  When pioneer Nebraskans wanted to get somewhere in a hurry, they waited for snow. When it snowed, sleighs appeared, adding ease and pleasure to winter ...

Skating Under Cover: Kearney’s Indoor Ice Rink

Ice skating enthusiasts in Nebraska braved winter weather and rough ice before the advent of the indoor rink made “skating under cover” a more comfortable ...

Shelton Farm Girl Remembers the WWII North Platte Canteen

By Kylie Kinley, Assistant Editor The North Platte Canteen served over six million World War II service men and women traveling on the Union Pacific railroad between ...

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 ...

Help Shape History

Become a Member

Being a member is the easiest way to be involved in our mission to preserve and share our state's rich history. Find out how!

Volunteer

Volunteers work with NSHS staff members to support our mission

Start Your Career

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 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.

Explore Nebraska

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

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

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!

Support The Historical Society

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.