History Nebraska

Manuscript Finding Aids

Manuscript Collections

History Nebraska houses over 15,000 feet of archival material gathered from private sources — anything other than a government agency — and these we call “manuscript collections.”

There are over 2,800 separate manuscript collections representing the records of businesses, organizations, associations, churches, private educational institutions, and the personal papers of individuals and families. These collections contain business ledgers, legal records, minutes of meetings, letters, reports, diaries, scrapbooks, original literary works, estate papers, publications, and genealogical research — documents that help tell the story of those who created them. Some of these collections are quite large, and others contain only a few documents.

But no matter the size, each collection tells a unique story about life in Nebraska.

Business Records

The History Nebraska Archives holds the records of some Nebraska businesses and corporations. The collections range from a single hotel register to large sets of records of banks, mills and ranches.

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Church Records

The manuscript holdings of History Nebraska include the records of many Nebraska churches. The manuscript holdings also include records of some local and statewide religious organizations.

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Personal and Family Papers

The History Nebraska Archives holds the papers of numerous Nebraska families and individuals. Our collections include papers from both the famous and the common people.

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Organizational Records

History Nebraska Archives holds some records of Nebraska organizations and associations. Both local and statewide groups are represented, but these often reflect Nebraska activity on both national and international issues.

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Political Records

History Nebraska holds numerous manuscript collections relating to politics and government. These collections reflect the processes of state and national government and document the lives and careers of the individuals involved.

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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 History Nebraska staff members to support our mission

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Interested in joining the History Nebraska team? Keep an eye on job listings!
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society 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 History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska 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 History Nebraska members.

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

History Nebraska'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

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. 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.