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.

Become a Member!

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.

A Hair Hoax

It was the style during the 1880s and 1890s for women to augment their own long hair with carefully matched hair from other humans or animals. Nebraska women usually ...

A Haunted House in Omaha

"Does superstition embarrass investment in real estate?" asked the Omaha Sunday Bee on September 24, 1899. "There never was a landlord or rental agent who managed many ...

A Kearney Ghost Story

Perhaps in anticipation of goblins and ghoulies and long-legged beasties, the Kearney Weekly Hub offered this "Kearney Ghost Story" October 3, 1890.   "There was ...

A Kids’ View of Fourth of July in Beaver City, 1897

Firing a cannon at a Fourth of July celebration in Brownville, Nebraska, in the early 1900s. History Nebraska RG3190-23a Two boys in Beaver City published their own ...

A Learning Vacation: Crete Chautauqua in 1886

Nebraska was a leader in the Chautauqua movement which brought culture and entertainment to rural America. Thousands of Nebraskans spent as many as ten days each summer ...

A Letter Home

Soldiers' letters home were frequently printed in the local gazette during World War II. The hometown boys (and girls) wrote about training and travel and the Armed ...

A Midsummer Christmas Eve

The Christmas of 1889 in Omaha was memorable chiefly for the record high temperatures recorded there. The Omaha Daily Bee on December 25, under the headline "Mid-Summer ...

A Nebraska Guidebook

The Depression years of the 1930s were hard times for many Nebraskans. Yet it was also atime of hope and expanding horizons. Personal transportation, in the form of ...

A Nebraska Poet?

Using poetry or reviews of poetry to satirize public figures is an old practice. The review of verses ascribed to Senator Phineas W. Hitchcock in the Omaha Weekly Bee of ...

A New Leaf for the New Year

A discarded stack of reporters' assignment books provided the Omaha Daily Bee with the topic for a New Year's column published on the first day of 1900. The Bee first ...

A Plea for Parks

In the mellow days of "Indian summer," many Nebraskans head to the park for a last dose ofoutdoor recreation before the chill of winter. Most of us don't think much ...

A Pleasure Trip?

Going for a spin in a new-fangled automobile was sometimes a real adventure, as thisaccount from the 1908 Campbell Citizen attests: "The scale of prices established by ...

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.