History in the making

The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

Recent News and Posts

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Selling Pears by Rail in 1914

We hardly think of pears as rare or exotic fruits anymore, but in 1914 it was a big deal when a refrigerated train car rolled up filled to the brim with pears. ...

Watch Where You Sit!

Dr. John Dorwart of Friend, Nebraska wanted to ensure each of his nine children always had something to remember him by. So he made them furniture out of horns. ...

Nebraska Artist Terence Duren’s Childhood Desk

This small desk belonged to Nebraska artist Terence Duren. Duren was born in 1904 and lived most of his life in Shelby, Nebraska. Provenance provided with the desk ...

Made in Nebraska: The Douglas Voting Booth

This voting booth was manufactured by the Douglas Manufacturing Company in Crete, Nebraska in 1996. The company was founded by William W. and Elizabeth (Robb) Douglas. ...

Tom Osborne thought about quitting after this crushing defeat

In 2018, the Husker football team started the season 0-6 for the first time in school history. It reminded us of a time when young Tom Osborne thought about hanging ...

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 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.