publications

Beadle in Nebraska

Erastus F. Beadle (1821-98), best known for his Dime Novel series launched in 1860, left Buffalo, New York, in March 1857 to seek his fortune in the new Nebraska Territory. He was already a successful publisher in partnership with Irwin Beadle, his brother, and Robert Adams. But in 1857 he left his business and headed for Omaha, then called Omaha City, intending to make his fortune in real estate and resettle his family in the West.



Beadle kept a diary of his 1857 journey that covered the period from March 9 to October 1. It reveals that he had made one previous trip (during the fall of 1856) to Nebraska Territory. The particular venture that interested him in 1857 was the development of a new town to be called Saratoga, located between Omaha and Florence, where hot springs were considered a prime attraction. Beadle became an employee of the town site company, appropriately named the Sulphur Springs Land Company, and promoted the new town, for which he was to receive a free lot and an undisclosed amount of money.



Beadle’s interest was in the development of the town of Saratoga, not Omaha, but he lived in Omaha, and for a period of time, used it as his base of operation. He boarded in the home of Experience Estabrook, U.S. attorney for the territory, and took the opportunity to mingle with members of the political and cultural elite that visited there and to observe firsthand the discussion of important territorial political issues.



However, Beadle lost interest in the Saratoga project as the booming real estate market began to sag and rumors of financial distress spread. He resigned from the town site company and filed preemption papers on another site west of Omaha that he called Rock Brook Farm. He hoped to resettle his family at Rock Brook Farm, but an ensuing financial panic prevented this. Most of the territorial banks collapsed.



By October 1857 the Saratoga project was ruined, and the town site was deserted. Omaha had lost three quarters of its population, and there was general financial distress throughout the territory. The panic was made worse in eastern Nebraska because of the lack of hard money. Beadle left the territory with almost nothing except his claim to Rock Brook Farm, which he later sold. He returned to his family in the East and reentered the publishing business with his brother and Robert Adams.



The two Beadles and Adams in 1860 launched the Dime Novel series, focusing on the struggles of American pioneers. The Dime Novel format was only one of more than fifty different publication formats produced by the publishing house of Beadle and Adams, but it is the one for which Beadle is best remembered. The 321 dime novels (and later the New Dime Novel and Half-Dime Library formats) were such a success and in such demand that they revolutionized the publishing industry and reshaped the reading habits of millions of Americans. Beadle died a millionaire on his estate at Cooperstown, New York, in 1894.



(November 2008)

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

Other Publications

The Bachelors’ Protective Union of Kearney

When the Bachelors' Protective Union gave a gala reception for two of its newly married, former members and their brides in March of 1890, the social club for young, ...

U.S. Weather Bureau in 1890s Nebraska

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. It took over the weather service that had been established in the office of the Chief ...

Canning the Way to Victory

During American participation in World War I the U.S. Food Administration, under the direction of Herbert Hoover, launched a massive campaign to persuade Americans to ...

The Shoemaker’s Ashes

"Edward Kuehl, one of the most peculiar characters that ever lived in Omaha, or anywhere else, was found dead in his bed last night in the back room of his place of ...

Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger Foreward

Red Dog, an Oglala Lakota who lived at the Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, 1876-77 (Nebraska State Historical Society RG2955.ph).   In the summer of 1876, following the ...

Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979), a native Nebraskan, produced some of Hollywood's most important and controversial films. He helped found 20th Century Fox ...

The Burlington’s Profitable Pork Special

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington, for example, had a long history of caring for the ...

Bungalow Filling Stations

After the giant Standard Oil Company was broken into thirty-four separate companies in 1911, the newly independent Standard Oil of Nebraska dominated the state's market ...

The Bull Fight

This is the perfect time of year for a visit to the old fishin' hole. But a group of fisherfolk from Plainview discovered that this bucolic pastime sometimes has ...

Buffalo Soldiers West

African-American soldiers on the western frontier are the focus of an exhibit at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln. Buffalo Soldiers West, on loan from the Colorado ...

Protection for Buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo on the Plains occurred largely between 1870 and 1885. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on February 1, 1874, editorialized in vain ...

Buffalo Hunting

In late October 1877 young Rolf Johnson and three friends left their homes in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a buffalo hunt in northeastern Colorado. The hunt was not very ...
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.