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The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

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Friday the Thirteenth Superstitions

  "At first glance, Friday the thirteenth, seemed much like any other day," said the Kearney Daily Hub on Friday, January 13, 1922, "and had it not been ...

Blizzard of January 12, 1888

The early settlers of Nebraska faced many hardships, a great number of these weather and climate-related. Among the most destructive natural disasters were the sudden ...

The Power of Suggestion

Photographer Solomon Butcher was not shy about altering photos if he felt they needed it. He tells the story of this 1886 photo of the Theodore Hohman family of Woods ...

Marker Monday: The Cheyenne Breakout

Location U.S. 20, Harrison, Sioux County, Nebraska View this marker's location 42653184, -103.4972 Marker Text On September 9, 1878, after a year of suffering on ...

The Impeachment of Nebraska’s First Governor: David Butler

By Breanna Fanta, Editorial Assistant Throughout Nebraska’s history, many figures were credited for shaping the state. Often they are recognized most for their ...

Crossing the Platte, the meanest of rivers

The Platte River may be shallow, but crossing it in a wagon was a challenge.

A Nebraskan responds to the abolition of slavery

An 1866 letter shows us something that’s often forgotten when people talk about civil rights history. D.H. Kelsey of Plattsmouth was living in Washington, DC, when ...

A Drink for New Year’s Eve

Douglas County sheriffs after a raid on an illegal still around 1922. RG3348-10-11   New Year's Eve in the 1920s saw Nebraskans unable to legally include ...

New Year’s in Paris for a Nebraska Soldier

The Cornhusker, yearbook of the University of Nebraska, in 1918 was dedicated to “Nebraskans—Students, Alumni, Faculty—here and over there” who were serving in World ...

The 1901 New Year

The Omaha Daily News, on December 31, 1900, reported on the city's plans to greet a new year. According to the News: "Amid imposing religious services, the ringing of ...

Bowl Games

The annual debate over the best way to crown college football's national champion is nothing new. Bowl games and playoffs were the subjects of a poll of the nation's ...

Earliest known photo of Chimney Rock, 1866

Finding a long-lost artifact on eBay was still a novelty in 2009. The story made headlines when historian John Carter discovered the oldest known photo of Chimney Rock ...

Help Shape History

Become a Member

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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 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.

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.