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.

Lewis and Clark Expedition, Medicine for

In 1802 President Thomas Jefferson wrote to Dr. Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia physician, asking him to prepare some questions to serve as guidelines for an exploration ...

Liberty Bell

Besides serving as a local attraction and patriotic symbol at the two world's fairs held in Philadelphia (to celebrate the United States centennial in 1876 and ...

Libraries

The first library in Nebraska Territory was established during the winter of 1856-57 in Omaha, then still an unincorporated village less than three years old. A young ...

Life Blood of the Nation

The public schools have lately been the focus of much attention--and much criticism. "Theschools aren't doing an adequate job," the pundits say, "and America is falling ...

Lightning Rod Salesmen

In the 1880s when Nebraska farmers were moving from sod to frame houses, many bought lighting rods for their new dwellings. The settler might live from twenty to forty ...

Lightning Rods

Enough damage has been caused by lightning to haystacks, barns, farm animals, and houses to make Nebraska farmers aware of the danger. During a thunderstorm overhanging ...

Lilljeholm, John

Authors of trail diaries and reminiscences rarely discuss what they expect to experience on the journey west. One exception was John Lilljeholm, who was living in ...

Lincoln City Council’s Imprisonment

A city-wide reform program under Lincoln Mayor Andrew J. Sawyer in 1887 culminated in legal maneuvering which imprisoned both Sawyer and eleven members of the city ...

Lincoln Lot Sales

The relocation of the Nebraska capital from Omaha to Lincoln in 1867 necessitated the erection of buildings to house the legislature and state institutions. It was ...

Lincoln’s Founding

Newspaperman Samuel D. Cox with A. B. Hayes, in their History of the City of Lincoln Nebraska (1889), included an account of the first of several attempts to develop a ...

Lincoln’s Lindell Hotel

In September of 1968 the demolition of Lincoln's Lindell Hotel, then called the Lindell Palace, marked the end of one of Nebraska's noted hotels. Located at Thirteenth ...

Lincoln’s Unsolved Homicides

Nebraska voters adopted a prohibitory amendment to the state constitution in 1916, and it took effect in May 1917, two years before the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. ...

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 Interim Director Cindy Drake. 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.