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Nebraska State Historical Society

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Who We Are

The Nebraska State Historical Society publishes works that explore Nebraska history and culture. Our readers range from professional historians to history buffs to curious people who simply find that learning about the past helps them better enjoy living and traveling here. We all share a passion for well-crafted historical writing.

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"Nebraska Timeline" Columns

From 1992 – 2019, the Nebraska State Historical Society wrote a series of articles for newspapers titled “Nebraska Timeline.” Below you can browse or search through those articles and discover interesting stories from Nebraska’s History.

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“A Certificate of Moral Character”: Rosewater and Rosicky on Immigration

Between 1856 and World War I, over fifty thousand Czechs came to Nebraska, attracted by a steady stream of advertisements in Czech-language newspapers and magazines ...
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“Diamond Dick” Tanner

The life of Richard J. "Diamond Dick" Tanner (1869-1943) encompassed a noteworthy long-distance horseback ride, circus stardom as a crack shot, a medical career in ...
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“I Want to be a Submarine”

New-fangled military technology abounded at the turn of this century. Airplanes, dirigibles, armored motorized vehicles, and submarines were just a few of the advances ...
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“Iron Man” Sarg Cole

"Iron Man Will Race Time," announced the Omaha World-Herald on May 2, 1925, as it introduced readers to an upcoming endurance contest that was also a colorful ...
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“It’s Going to be a Stunner”: Feminine Swimsuits in 1887

The first swimsuits for women were far from the brief costumes now seen at beaches and swimming pools. Female swimmers once wore bloomers and black stockings into the ...
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“Just Say No,” 1880s-style

A hundred years before America's youth were encouraged to "just say no" to drugs, manyyoung people shunned the use of alcohol and tobacco. For some, playing cards was ...
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1888 Nebraska State Fair Bands

Bands have been a tradition at the Nebraska State Fair for almost as long as the fair has existed. The September 4, 1886, Daily Call of Lincoln, on microfilm at the ...
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A Bogus Detective Agency

Modern attempts to defraud the credulous by offering membership in a group with accompanying benefits in exchange for an upfront payment have long roots. The Omaha Daily ...
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A Circus Wedding

Readers of the Seward Reporter on August 9, 1883, learned of a recent wedding in the community in which the bride and groom were not area residents, but members of a ...
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A Day in a Reporter’s Life, 1879

Imagine yourself as a newspaper editor/reporter in a town without the internet, without automobiles, and even without newfangled inventions such as telephone and ...
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A Drink for New Year’s Eve

Douglas County sheriffs after a raid on an illegal still. Ca. 1922. New Year's Eve in the 1920s saw Nebraskans unable to legally include alcohol in their ...
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A Frontier Editor

"It is the easiest thing in the world to edit and publish a paper on the Frontier," wrote Mark J. Kelley, editor of The Little Blue (Jenkins Mills) on January 8, 1870. ...
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Contact Us

David Bristow | Publications
Nebraska State Historical Society
1500 R St
Lincoln, NE 68508
402-471-4748
[email protected]

Information Services:
Looking for research help? Contact Library/Archives, the Museum, or Education. The Publications division is an editorial office; we don’t have archival collections or reference staff here.

News and Events:
Looking for research help? Contact Follow the Nebraska State Historical Society on Facebook for event news, cool historical photos, and fascinating stories from the Nebraska State Historical Society blog. Members receive Nebraska History News.

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.

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Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

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Chimney Rock
Fort Robinson
John Neihardt
Nebraska History Museum

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Neligh Mill
Senator Norris House
Thomas Kennard House
Historical Markers
Gift Shops

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.

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Scout Merit Badge Workshops

NSHS Programs

Learn more about the programs associated with NSHS.

Historical Markers
Historical Marker Equity Program
National Register of Historic Places
Nebraska Hall of Fame
Semiquincentennial Commission

 

 

Nebraska Statewide Cemetery Registry
Willa Cather National Statuary Hall
Heritage Hero Award Recipients
Nebraska SHRAB

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.

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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!

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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.

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