Nebraska State Historical Society

Publications

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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Our members make history happen.

"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.

Bryan for President, 1896

Bryan was the only Nebraska resident ever nominated for president by a major party, and also the youngest candidate at the age of thirty-six. Defeated by William ...

Bryan in Florida

Mr. And Mrs. William Jennings Bryan had visited Florida many times before they decided in 1912 to purchase a winter home in Miami. "Villa Serena," as they called it, ...

Bryan in Florida

William Jennings Bryan had visited Florida many times before he purchased a winter home in Miami in 1912. As his national political power and prestige declined after he ...

Bryan Still Popular in Nebraska in 1908

The U.S. presidential election of 1908 was not a close race. Popular incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt, honoring a promise not to seek a third term, chose William ...

Bryan’s Letter to Mary Baird

A letter from William Jennings Bryan to Mary Baird, his fiancee, was written on November 21, 1883, from Jacksonville, Illinois, where Bryan had opened a law office. ...

Buffalo

Overland travelers almost always made some mention of buffalo. The mere sight of so many animals in such vast herds amazed them. Estimates have placed the number of ...

Buffalo and Cow Chips

The scarcity of wood west of the one hundredth meridian forced a reliance on animal-made fuel there. Buffalo excrement, when allowed to dry a few weeks in the hot Plains ...

Buffalo at Sidney, 1872

Thousands of buffalo still roamed the plains of Nebraska as late as 1875. As the prairies filled with homesteaders, the buffalo inevitably came into conflict with them, ...

Buffalo Bill in North Platte

William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody considered North Platte, Nebraska, his hometown. North Platte residents basked in Cody's reflected glory during his lengthy career as a ...

Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel

William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody helped found Cody, Wyoming, in 1895, and in 1902, had the Irma Hotel, named for his daughter, built there. Cody maintained two suites and ...

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, 1883

The first public performance of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West show was May 19, 1883, in Omaha. A dress rehearsal had taken place May 10 in Columbus. Several ...

Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls

In 1872 James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok acted as master of ceremonies for a "Grand Buffalo Hunt" at Niagara Falls. Joseph G. Rosa's article on the hunt in the Spring ...

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 Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

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

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.

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!

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.