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The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

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“It’s Going to be a Stunner”: Women’s Swimwear in 1887

  Whether it was bloomers and black stockings or a blouse and trousers with a skirt attached, the women's swimsuits of the 19th century are a far cry from those of ...

Sarg Cole’s Sleepless Marathon Drive in Omaha

In May 1925, Sarg Cole had what modern scholars might call a Bad Idea. He was going to drive around Omaha for 5 days straight with no sleep and nothing to drink but ...

Gone to Horse Heaven

Dr. Enos Lowe was one of Omaha's pioneer settlers and its first mayor. He also owned a pair of horses, George and Jim, that were inseparable for 20 years. He wrote about ...

Christmas at Creighton, 1876

According to the Niobrara Pioneer of December 28, 1876, local weather was appropriate for the Yuletide season. Snow on Christmas Eve "made Christmas appear more as if ...

‘I Don’t Know What We’d Have Done Without the Indians’: Non-Indian and Lakota Racial Relationships in Box Butte County’s Potato Industry, 1917-1960

A labor shortage during World War I left western Nebraska potato farmers facing the loss of their crop. They brought in Lakota (Sioux) Indians as harvesters, beginning a ...

“Intersections of Place, Time, and Entertainment in Nebraska’s Hidden Paradise

What did rural Nebraska travel and recreation look like in the early-to-mid twentieth century? A forested canyon at Long Pine became popular at a time when ordinary ...

Letters from Home: Prisoner of War Mail at the Fort Robinson Camp during World War II

A 1943 envelope illustrates the long and complicated process of sending and receiving mail between Nazi Germany and the Fort Robinson Prisoner of War Camp in Nebraska.  ...

“Equality Before the Law”: Thoughts on the Origin of Nebraska’s State Motto

“Equality Before the Law,” Nebraska’s state motto, is unique among the fifty states. Only Wyoming’s motto, “Equal Rights,” expresses a similar idea. Both mottos date ...

Nebraska’s Changing Auto Culture, 1900-1930

As automobile ownership and travel became more widespread after 1900 (and particularly after the dedication of the Lincoln Highway in October of 1913), the rural and ...

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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 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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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.

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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.

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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.