Skip to Main Content
Memberships

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.

View Blog

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.

U

Agricultural Prospects in 1859

Letters to the Nebraska Farmer The first issue of Robert W. Furnas's Nebraska Farmer was published in October of 1859 in Brownville. Furnas (who had established ...
Read More

Agricultural Trains

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington had a long history of promoting the welfare of its ...
Read More

Air Brakes

Improvements in rail transportation, both of freight and passengers, were of paramount interest and importance in the pre-automobile era. The Daily Nebraska State ...
Read More

Airmail

An early use of the airplane in Nebraska was mail delivery. The Omaha Daily News, January 8, 1920, microfilmed copies of which are at the Nebraska State Historical ...
Read More

Alexander, Hartley Burr

Hartley Burr Alexander, poet, philosopher, and anthropologist, is the man whose genius is behind the symbolism and inscriptions for the Nebraska State Capitol. Born in ...
Read More

Almanacs and Weather Forecasts

Almanacs were standard literature in most Nebraska homes in the late 1800s and well into the 1900s. These calendar-like handbooks were compendiums of odd bits of ...
Read More

Alternative Crops

The Nebraska Writers' Project (before September l, 1939, the Federal Writers' Project) was a Depression-era work relief program for unemployed writers and other ...
Read More

Alternative Fuels

The first settlers in Nebraska Territory found the lack of timber, except along creek and river banks, a problem. The consequent lack of fuel for heating and cooking ...
Read More

An 1897 Election Romance

The political contest for the job as Burt County superintendent of schools in 1897 was an unusual one, which fostered what the Omaha Daily Bee on November 17, 1897, ...
Read More

An April Fool Lie

Readers of the Omaha Daily Bee on April 2, 1885, must have been astounded to learn of the sighting of a gigantic serpent in the Missouri River near Omaha. The Bee's ...
Read More

An Old Cowboy Writes

Cowboy poets, saddle-bound bards who record life on the range in verse, have lately been thesubject of much media attention. Cowboy poets recite their verses on ...
Read More

An Unmerited Request

Nebraska state agencies recently submitted their budget requests for the 1991-93 fiscal year.Time will tell how these requests will be received by the Legislature and ...
Read More

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.

About Us
Our Board
Careers
Internships
Contact Us
Explore Nebraska

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

View All Nebraska Sites
Chimney Rock
Fort Robinson
John Neihardt
Nebraska History Museum

Explore Nebraska

 

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 Marker 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
About Collections
Digital Collections Portal
Government Records

Explore Nebraska Collections

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!

All Services
Archeology
Collections
Conservation Center
Digital Curation
Historic Preservation
Publications

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.

Get Involved
Memberships
Volunteer