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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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Fort Kearny on the Missouri River

U.S. Army Pvt. William Ingraham and his unit spent the winter of 1847-48 at Fort Kearny at present Nebraska City. In the spring they traveled about 180 miles west to ...
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Fort Kearny, 1849

The discovery of gold in California early in 1848 had a pronounced effect upon travel past Fort Kearny in 1849. News of the discovery did not reach the Atlantic coast ...
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Fort Kearny, 1860

Henry E. Palmer visited Fort Kearny in 1860 while on his way to Pike's Peak with James A. Maxwell's party. The group started from Omaha, crossed the Platte at Shinn's ...
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Fort Kearny, 1871

Fort Kearny, Nebraska, ceased to be an active military post in 1871. Two years later, as the fort was about to be dismantled, the Adams County Gazette of Juniata ...
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Fort Niobrara

In 1883 the Nebraska Mutual Aid Colony of Bradford, Pennsylvania, was organized to found a settlement in Nebraska. The Fulton family of Bradford were members of the ...
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Fort Robinson Hop

The frontier post of Fort Robinson was the scene of frequent dances and parties. The following account of an 1883 "hop" was published in the Omaha Bee: "Fort Robinson, ...
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Fossils

Nebraska has an almost uninterrupted fossil record of the past thirty-five million years, roughly half the time since dinosaurs became extinct. Fossilized remains of ...
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Founding Frontier Omaha

How do you start a new frontier town? Alfred Jones knew. In 1853 he staked out the first claims in a place soon to be known as Omaha City. In May 1896 he told his ...
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Fourth of July

From Alfred T. Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882). Isham Reavis (1836-1914), pioneer lawyer, judge, and longtime resident of Falls City, began writing ...
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Fourth of July at Capitol Beach

Capitol Beach, a once popular recreation area near Lincoln, was the scene of memorable Independence Day celebrations, which featured a wide range of activities besides ...
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Fourth of July at Epworth Park

Independence Day celebrations one hundred years ago were often boisterous, noisy affairs. However, the Nebraska State Journal of July 5, 1907, reported a "celebration ...
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Fourth of July at Pawnee City, 1872

The Fourth of July has traditionally been the occasion for patriotic oratory. However, the residents of Pawnee City were unpleasantly surprised by a speech delivered at ...
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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:
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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.

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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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