History in the making

The Nebraska State Historical Society Blog

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Marker Monday: Easter Blizzard of 1873

Our Historical Markers across Nebraska highlight fascinating moments, places, and people in our state's past. Today we're focusing on a marker that tells the story of ...

She Didn’t Know She Was a Statue

Lucy Vander Sterre’s face was used as a model for a prominent statue in Omaha. But she didn’t know the statue existed for more than 30 years. In the Fall 2014 issue of ...

Neligh Mill at 150

By David L. Bristow April 10, 2024 Neligh Mill, in the northeast Nebraska town of Neligh, is a place where the past doesn’t feel all that long ago—as if the ...

Marker Monday: Village of Harrison

Our Historical Markers across Nebraska highlight fascinating moments and places in our state's past. Today, we're focusing on the history of the town with the highest ...

Willa Cather’s Real-Life Ántonia on the Radio

By David L. Bristow Ántonia Shimerda is perhaps Willa Cather’s most beloved fictional character, the namesake of her 1918 novel, My Ántonia. Cather based Ántonia ...

Evelyn Sharp, Nebraska’s teen airmail pilot

Evelyn Sharp wasn’t Nebraska’s first female pilot, but is remembered for all she accomplished during her brief life. Sharp’s father owned a café in Ord and rented ...

Nebraska History Spotlight: Platte County Historical Society

History Nebraska isn’t the only organization preserving and sharing the stories of Nebraska's history. This post is our first “Nebraska History Spotlight,” in which ...

When Fort Robinson had walls, 1875

During his many years as curator at Fort Robinson, historian Tom Buecker used to say that visitors’ most-asked question was, “Where’s the fort?” People came expecting to ...

The Story of Omaha Police Fingerprint Expert Emily Byram

Trained by the Army during World War I, Emily Byram Ruffner became one of the first female fingerprint examiners in United States law enforcement. As the United ...

Marker Monday: Cather Childhood Home

Marker Text Built ca. 1876, this is the house in which Willa Cather lived from 1884 to 1890. She describes it in “Old Mrs. Harris,” in “The Best Years,” and in ...

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.