Nebraska Green Book
Nebraska Green Book Project
The Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS) is excited to kick off a two-year study of the Negro Motorist Green Book in Nebraska. During the Jim Crow segregationist era, Victor Hugo Green, a New York City mailman, began publishing the Green Book to help Black American and international travelers find safe lodging, restaurants, gas stations, and other various businesses throughout North America until 1967. Due to urban renewal, natural disasters, and shifting land uses, many Green Book sites have been lost.
With this project, NSHS hopes to increase awareness about Nebraska’s Green Book sites, Black history throughout the state, and reasons to preserve and celebrate it. NSHS is working with consulting historians at Stantec along with the public – including residents, regional historians, and property owners – to ensure the project achieves these goals.
NSHS understands that public input and engagement are key to a successful project, and we want to hear from YOU. Stay tuned for social media posts on Facebook, X, and Instagram with project information and updates.
Take Part
Contribute to Nebraska Green Book Project
View Green Book Project Map
View Green Book Tours (Coming Soon)
Share your story & photos
Share your story & photos
Contribute to the Nebraska Green Book Project with your personal stories and photos.
Green Book Map
Green Book Map
View the Green Book locations in Nebraska. (Coming Soon)
Green Book Tour
Green Book Tour
Take a virtual tour of various Nebraska Green Book locations. (Coming Soon)
Project Phases
The project has four primary phases:
- Reaching Out to the Public
- Research
- Site Visits
- Writing the Story
Stantec’s team will conduct research on Nebraska’s Green Book sites online and in person at our state’s many historical organizations, libraries, and research institutions. This research will help Stantec locate Green Book sites and understand their importance.
After completing research, Stantec historians will travel to Nebraska to document all remaining Green Book sites.
Once research and site visits are completed, NSHS and Stantec will select two Green Book sites to nominate to the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to writing nominations, Stantec will produce a Multiple Property Documentation form. Multiple Property Documentation forms collect information about related significant properties to support future National Register nominations. The Multiple Property Documentation form will contain a history of Green Book properties in Nebraska and will streamline the process for nominating future Green Book sites.
Project Timeline
| Key Tasks | Key Dates |
| Public Outreach and Research | Sept. 2024 – Jan. 2025 |
| Site Visits | Winter 2025 |
| Tell the Story through a state-wide Multiple Property form and two National Register of Historic Places nominations | June 2025 – May 2026 |
| Present at Nebraska State Historic Preservation Board Meeting | May 2026 |
| National Park Service Review | May 2026 |
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