History in the making
The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog
Recent News and Posts
Six Quick Nebraska Firsts
Here are some Nebraska "firsts," according to Nebraska newspaper columnist Will M.
Maupin who published this list in 1930.
1. "The first railroad was laid by the ...
Jury Duty
It's safe to say that jury duty isn't the most enjoyable thing in the world. But for one Omaha jury in February 1893, things got so bad that they actually went on ...
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 ...
“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 ...
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 ...
Cigar Making
Employees at Ross & Dryson Cigar Factory in Lincoln, Nebraska. Circa 1910.
Cigar making and cigar smoking in Nebraska reached their pinnacle shortly after the ...
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 ...
“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 ...
‘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 ...
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 ...
History Nebraska Transfers Willa Cather State Historic Site to the Willa Cather Foundation
Big news! We are transferring ownership of the Willa Cather State Historic Site and supporting collections to The Willa Cather Foundation.
By completing this ...
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