HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG1220.AM: John Thomas Link, 1873-1936
Papers: 1920-1934
Lincoln, Lancaster County; and Seward, Seward County, Nebraska: Professor
Size: 9.0 cu.ft.; 13 boxes
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
John Thomas Link was born in Chicago on November 23, 1873. He was associated with the conservation department of the University of Nebraska from 1923-1936. He did considerable writing and research on the origin of Nebraska names and even gave a series of radio talks on the subject. He is the author of Nebraska Names and Places. Dr. Link was also a member of the faculty of Concordia College, Seward, Nebraska from April of 1908 until his death. He was Secretary of the Education Board of the Missouri Synod, Lutheran Church of America and also served on their curriculum committee. John T. Link died on December 20, 1936 at his home in Seward. He was survived by four children.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
This collection is arranged in four series: 1) County Place-Names; 2) General Correspondence; 3) Other Nebraska Place-Names; and 4) Miscellany. The bulk of the materials relate to the efforts of John Link to collect information regarding the place names of Nebraska. The letter “L” indicates original correspondence as opposed to the information compiled by Link from the correspondence. County Place-Names include origins of county names, precinct and town names. Within the general correspondence is a series of letters between Link and Melvin Gilmore regarding Indian place names. Link’s original filing system was retained in the processing of this collection.
Note: Three additional boxes (Boxes 11-13) of research files were added in 2007. Much of these materials may already be duplicated in Series 1 and Series 3.
INVENTORY
Series 1 – County Place-Names
Box 1
Folder
- Adams
- Adams
- Adams
- Antelope
- Antelope
- Antelope
- Antelope L
- Antelope L
- Antelope L
- Antelope L
- Antelope L
- Arthur
- Arthur
- Arthur
- Arthur L
- Arthur L
- Arthur L
- Arthur L
- Arthur L
- Banner
- Banner
- Banner
- Banner L
- Banner L
- Blaine
- Blaine L
- Blaine L
- Blaine L
- Blaine L
- Boone
- Boone
- Boone L
- Boone L
- Box Butte
- Box Butte
- Box Butte L
- Box Butte L
- Boyd
- Boyd
- Boyd
- Boyd L
- Boyd L
- Boyd L
- Boyd L
- Boyd L
- Brown
- Brown
- Brown
- Brown
- Brown
- Brown L
- Brown L
- Brown L
- Brown L
- Buffalo
- Buffalo
- Buffalo
- Buffalo
- Buffalo
- Buffalo L
- Buffalo L
- Buffalo L
- Buffalo L
- Buffalo L
- Buffalo L
- Buffalo L
- Burt
- Burt
- Burt L
- Burt L
- Burt L
- Butler
- Butler
- Butler
- Butler L
- Butler L
- Butler L
- Butler L
- Cass
- Cass
- Cass
- Cass
- Cass L
- Cass L
- Cass L
- Cass L
- Cass L
- Cedar
- Cedar
- Cedar
- Cedar
- Cedar L
- Cedar L
- Cedar L
- Chase
- Chase
- Chase
- Chase L
- Chase L
- Chase L
- Chase L
- Chase L
Box 2
Folder
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cherry L
- Cheyenne
- Cheyenne
- Cheyenne
- Cheyenne L
- Cheyenne L
- Cheyenne L
- Clay
- Clay
- Clay
- Clay L
- Clay L
- Clay L
- Clay L
- Clay L
- Colfax
- Colfax
- Colfax
- Colfax L
- Colfax L
- Cuming
- Cuming
- Cuming
- Cuming
- Cuming L
- Cuming L
- Cuming L
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Custer L
- Dakota
- Dakota
- Dakota
- Dakota L
- Dakota L
- Dawes
- Dawes
- Dawes
- Dawes
- Dawes
- Dawes
- Dawes L
- Dawes L
- Dawes L
- Dawes L
- Dawes L
- Dawes L
- Dawes L
Box 3
Folder
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson
- Dawson L
- Dawson L
- Dawson L
- Dawson L
- Dawson L
- Deuel
- Deuel L
- Deuel L
- Deuel L
- Dixon
- Dixon
- Dixon
- Dixon
- Dixon
- Dixon
- Dixon
- Dixon L
- Dixon L
- Dixon L
- Dixon L
- Dixon L
- Dixon L
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge
- Dodge L
- Dodge L
- Dodge L
- Dodge L
- Dodge L
- Dodge L
- Dodge L
- Douglas
- Douglas
- Douglas
- Douglas
- Douglas L
- Douglas L
- Douglas L
- Douglas L
- Dundy
- Dundy
- Dundy
- Dundy
- Dundy
- Dundy L
- Dundy L
- Dundy L
- Dundy L
- Dundy L
- Dundy L
- Fillmore
- Fillmore
- Fillmore L
- Fillmore L
- Fillmore L
- Fillmore L
- Fillmore L
- Franklin
- Franklin
- Franklin
- Franklin
- Franklin L
- Franklin L
- Franklin L
- Franklin L
- Franklin L
- Frontier
- Frontier
- Frontier
- Frontier
- Frontier L
- Frontier L
- Frontier L
- Frontier L
- Frontier L
Box 4
Folder
- Furnas
- Furnas
- Furnas
- Furnas
- Furnas L
- Furnas L
- Furnas L
- Furnas L
- Furnas L
- Furnas L
- Furnas L
- Gage
- Gage
- Gage
- Gage
- Gage
- Gage L
- Gage L
- Gage L
- Gage L
- Gage L
- Gage L
- Gage L
- Garden
- Garden
- Garden
- Garden
- Garden
- Garden
- Garden
- Garden
- Garden L
- Garden L
- Garden L
- Garden L
- Garden L
- Garden L
- Garden L
- Garden L
- Garfield
- Garfield
- Garfield L
- Garfield L
- Garfield L
- Gosper
- Gosper L
- Grant
- Grant
- Grant
- Grant
- Grant
- Grant L
- Grant L
- Grant L
- Grant L
- Grant L
- Grant L
- Greeley
- Greeley
- Greeley
- Greeley L
- Greeley L
- Greeley L
- Hall
- Hall
- Hall L
- Hall L
- Hall L
- Hall L
- Hamilton
- Hamilton
- Hamilton L
- Hamilton L
- Hamilton L
- Hamilton L
- Hamilton L
- Harlan
- Harlan
- Harlan
- Harlan
- Harlan
- Harlan L
- Harlan L
- Harlan L
- Hayes
- Hayes
- Hayes
- Hayes
- Hayes L
- Hayes L
- Hayes L
- Hayes L
- Hayes L
- Hitchcock
- Hitchcock L
- Hitchcock L
- Hitchcock L
- Hitchcock L
- Holt
- Holt
- Holt
- Holt
- Holt
- Holt
- Holt
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
- Holt L
Box 5
Folder
- Hooker
- Hooker
- Hooker L
- Hooker L
- Hooker L
- Hooker L
- Howard
- Howard
- Howard
- Howard L
- Howard L
- Howard L
- Howard L
- Howard L
- Howard L
- Jefferson
- Jefferson
- Jefferson
- Jefferson
- Jefferson L
- Jefferson L
- Jefferson L
- Jefferson L
- Johnson
- Johnson
- Johnson
- Johnson
- Johnson L
- Johnson L
- Johnson L
- Kearney
- Kearney
- Kearney
- Kearney L
- Kearney L
- Kearney L
- Kearney L
- Kearney L
- Keith
- Keith
- Keith
- Keith
- Keith
- Keith
- Keith
- Keith L
- Keith L
- Keith L
- Keith L
- Keith L
- Keya Paha
- Keya Paha
- Keya Paha
- Keya Paha
- Keya Paha L
- Keya Paha L
- Keya Paha L
- Keya Paha L
- Keya Paha L
- Keya Paha L
- Keya Paha L
- Kimball
- Kimball
- Kimball L
- Knox
- Knox
- Knox
- Knox
- Knox
- Knox L
- Knox L
- Knox L
- Knox L
- Knox L
- Knox L
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster
- Lancaster L
- Lancaster L
- Lancaster L
- Lancaster L
- Lancaster L
- Lincoln
- Lincoln
- Lincoln
- Lincoln
- Lincoln
- Lincoln
- Lincoln
- Lincoln
- Logan
- Logan
- Logan L
- Logan L
- Logan L
- Loup
- Loup
- Loup
- Loup L
- Loup L
- Loup L
- McPherson
- McPherson
- McPherson
- McPherson L
- McPherson L
- McPherson L
- McPherson L
- McPherson L
Box 6
Folder
- Madison
- Madison
- Madison
- Madison
- Madison L
- Madison L
- Madison L
- Madison L
- Merrick
- Merrick
- Merrick
- Merrick
- Merrick L
- Merrick L
- Merrick L
- Merrick L
- Morrill
- Morrill
- Morrill
- Morrill
- Morrill L
- Morrill L
- Morrill L
- Morrill L
- Nance
- Nance
- Nance
- Nance L
- Nance L
- Nance L
- Nemaha
- Nemaha
- Nemaha
- Nemaha L
- Nemaha L
- Nemaha L
- Nemaha L
- Nemaha L
- Nuckolls
- Nuckolls
- Nuckolls
- Nuckolls L
- Nuckolls L
- Nuckolls L
- Nuckolls L
- Nuckolls L
- Nuckolls L
- Nuckolls L
- Otoe
- Otoe
- Otoe
- Otoe
- Otoe
- Otoe
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Otoe L
- Pawnee
- Pawnee
- Pawnee
- Pawnee
- Pawnee
- Pawnee L
- Pawnee L
- Pawnee L
- Pawnee L
- Pawnee L
- Pawnee L
- Perkins
- Perkins L
- Perkins L
- Perkins L
- Phelps
- Phelps
- Phelps
- Phelps L
- Phelps L
- Phelps L
- Phelps L
- Pierce
- Pierce L
- Pierce L
- Platte
- Platte
- Platte
- Platte
- Platte
- Platte L
- Platte L
- Platte L
- Platte L
- Platte L
- Polk
- Polk L
- Polk L
- Red Willow
- Red Willow
- Red Willow
- Red Willow
- Red Willow L
- Red Willow L
- Red Willow L
- Red Willow L
- Red Willow L
- Red Willow L
- Red Willow L
Box 7
Folder
- Richardson
- Richardson
- Richardson
- Richardson
- Richardson
- Richardson
- Richardson L
- Richardson L
- Richardson L
- Richardson L
- Richardson L
- Richardson L
- Rock
- Rock
- Rock
- Rock
- Rock
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Rock L
- Saline
- Saline
- Saline
- Saline
- Saline
- Saline L
- Saline L
- Saline L
- Saline L
- Saline L
- Sarpy
- Sarpy
- Sarpy
- Sarpy
- Sarpy
- Sarpy L
- Sarpy L
- Sarpy L
- Sarpy L
- Sarpy L
- Saunders
- Saunders
- Saunders
- Saunders
- Saunders
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Saunders L
- Scotts Bluff
- Scotts Bluff
- Scotts Bluff
- Scotts Bluff
- Scotts Bluff
- Scotts Bluff L
- Scotts Bluff L
- Scotts Bluff L
- Seward
- Seward
- Seward
- Seward
- Seward L
- Seward L
- Seward L
- Sheridan
- Sheridan
- Sheridan
- Sheridan
- Sheridan
- Sheridan
- Sheridan
- Sheridan
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
- Sheridan L
Box 8
Folder
- Sherman
- Sherman
- Sherman
- Sherman L
- Sherman L
- Sherman L
- Sioux
- Sioux
- Sioux
- Sioux
- Sioux
- Sioux L
- Sioux L
- Sioux L
- Sioux L
- Sioux L
- Sioux L
- Stanton
- Stanton
- Stanton L
- Thayer
- Thayer
- Thayer
- Thayer L
- Thayer L
- Thayer L
- Thomas
- Thomas
- Thomas L
- Thomas L
- Thomas L
- Thurston
- Thurston
- Thurston
- Thurston L
- Thurston L
- Valley
- Valley
- Valley
- Valley
- Valley
- Valley L
- Valley L
- Valley L
- Valley L
- Valley L
- Valley L
- Washington
- Washington
- Washington
- Washington
- Washington
- Washington L
- Washington L
- Washington L
- Washington L
- Washington L
- Wayne
- Wayne L
- Wayne L
- Wayne L
- Webster
- Webster
- Webster
- Webster
- Webster
- Webster L
- Webster L
- Webster L
- Webster L
- Webster L
- Webster L
- Wheeler
- Wheeler
- Wheeler L
- Wheeler L
- Wheeler L
- Wheeler L
- Wheeler L
- York
- York
- York L
- York L
- York L
Series 2 – General Correspondence
Box 8 (cont.)
Folder
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters between Link and Melvin R. Gilmore
- Letters regarding railroad station town names
- Letters regarding railroad station town names
- Letters regarding railroad station town names
- Letters regarding railroad station town names
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
Box 9
Folder
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
- General Letters
Series 3 – Other Nebraska Place-Names
Box 9 (cont.)
Folder
- County Boundaries
- County Boundaries
- County Boundaries
- County Boundaries
- County Boundaries
- County Boundaries
- Former Boundaries
- Place Names
- Place Names
- Major Streams
- Major Streams
- Major Streams
- Major Streams L
- Major Streams L
- Major Streams L
- Major Streams L
- Major Streams L
- Nebraska
Box 10
Folder
- Nebraska L
- Nebraska L
- Parks, Recreation Grounds
- Topographical Names
- Topographical Names
- Trails
- Trails
- Trails
- Trails
- Trails
- Rivers, Forests
Series 4 – Miscellany
Box 10 (cont.)
Folder
- Newspaper Clippings – Place-Names
- Newspaper Clippings – Place-Names
- Newspaper Clippings – Place-Names
- Newspaper Clippings – Place-Names
- Newspaper Clippings – Place-Names
- Newspaper Clippings – Place-Names
- Newspaper Clippings – Place-Names
- Dissertation Abstract; Graduation Program
- Talks and Papers
Addendum: 2007.0188
Box 11
Folder
- Adams County
- Adams County (cont.)
- Antelope County
- Arthur County
- Banner County
- Blaine County
- Boone County
- Box Butte County
- Boyd County
- Brown County
- Buffalo County
- Burt County
- Butler County
- Cass County
- Chase County
- Cedar County
- Cherry County
- Cherry County (cont.)
- Cherry County (cont.)
- Cherry County (cont.)
- Cheyenne County
- Clay County
- Colfax County
- Cuming County
- Custer County
- Dakota County
- Dawes County
- Dawson County
- Deuel County
- Dixon County
- Dodge County
- Douglas County
- Dundy County
- Fillmore County
- Franklin County
- Frontier County
- Furnas County
- Gage County
Box 12
Folder
- Garden County
- Garfield County
- Gosper County
- Grant County
- Greeley County
- Hall County
- Hamilton County
- Harlan County
- Hayes County
- Hitchcock County
- Holt County
- Hooker County
- Howard County
- Jefferson County
- Johnson County
- Kearney County
- Keith County
- Keya Paha County
- Kimball County
- Knox County
- Lancaster County
- Logan County
- Loup County
- Madison County
- McPherson County
- Merrick County
- Morrill County
- Nance County
- Nemaha County
- Nuckolls County
- Otoe County
- Pawnee County
- Perkins County
- Phelps County
- Pierce County
- Platte County
- Polk County
- Red Willow County
- Richardson County
- Rock County
Box 13
Folder
- Saline County
- Sarpy County
- Saunders County
- Scotts Bluff County
- Seward County
- Sheridan County
- Sherman County
- Sioux County
- Stanton County
- Thayer County
- Thomas County
- Thurston County
- Valley County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Webster County
- Wheeler County
- York County
- Misc. – Nebraska
- Statistics – Indian, Early Settlers
- Trees & Forests
- Trails
- Major Streams
- County Boundaries
- Misc. Agriculture Industry
- Minerals – Farm Buildings – Firsts – Drainage
Subject headings:
Link, John Thomas, 1873-1936
Names, Geographical — Nebraska
Nebraska — Local history
AIP/ksa 09-1990
Revised KFK 11-2002
Revised TMM 10-19-2007