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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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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 ...
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Darwin Diary

In 1849 Charles Ben Darwin, a twenty-six-year-old attorney living with his wife and young son in Paris, Tennessee, fell victim to gold fever. In the early spring of that ...
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David P. Abbott

David P. Abbott (1863-1934), amateur magician and investigator of the paranormal, was born near Falls City but lived most of his life in Omaha. In later life Abbott ...
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Davis, Dr. Byron Bennett

Dr. Byron Bennett Davis was one of McCook's first physicians. Born in Wisconsin in 1861, he first came to Nebraska with his parents in 1869. He was graduated from the ...
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Dawson, John L.

Dawson County, formed in 1871, was long thought to be named for a Nebraska pioneer, Jacob Dawson, first postmaster of Lancaster (now Lincoln). However, further research ...
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Deadlier that WWI: The 1918 Flu Pandemic in Nebraska

Note: This was originally a column written by History Nebraska staff in November 1999 and distributed by the Nebraska Press Association to Nebraska ...
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Death in a Well

Working in a deep, hand-dug well was risky business in the days before machinery made human descent into the bowels of the earth unnecessary. Graphic evidence of the ...
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Death of Col. William McCord, First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry

April 6-7 marks the 150th anniversary of the 1862 Battle of Shiloh (aka Pittsburg Landing) in Tennessee, one of two major Civil War battles in which the First Nebraska ...
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Defending the Cancan

The cancan, with its high kicks by a chorus line of female dancers in ruffled skirts, was once considered dangerous to good morals. "T. B. M." wrote to ...
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Depression Living

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Nebraskans became accustomed to living under trying conditions. People had to cope not only with hard economic times, but with ...
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Dividing the Land

The process of taking over the lands in the public domain known as Nebraska Territory was connected with their division into ever smaller parcels, and marking those ...
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Dodge County Seat Removal, 1884

"There is no necessity for any bad blood over the county seat controversy," said the Fremont Weekly Herald on August 21, 1884, in referring to a "re-location scheme" ...
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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 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.

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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.

Museum Field Trips
Virtual Field Trips
Summer Workshops
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.

Research, Reference, & Genealogy
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Government Records

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Library Search
Manuscript Finding Aids
Moving Images Inventories
Photo Collection List
Sound Recordings Inventories

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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Archeology
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Conservation Center
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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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