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.

Newspapers in Seward County

Nebraska newspapers have been the subject of a number of reminiscences published in Nebraska History by the State Historical Society over the years. The September 1951 ...

Nicknames for Nebraska (1)

The Pioneer Record (Verdon), the organ of the Nebraska Territorial Pioneers Association, in November 1894 included a brief article written by John A. MacMurphy on ...

Nicknames for Nebraska (2)

Nebraskans have been blessed (or cursed) with various nicknames including "Bug Eaters," "Tree Planters," and "Cornhuskers." Nebraska has had two official state names: ...

No Irish Babies Born in Nebraska in 1912

When the Nebraska State Board of Health released statistics in December 1912 on various aspects of life in this state, it probably didn't expect to provoke any ...

Noise Pollution

The noise level that accompanies urban life has been high for decades. The Mid-West Hotel Reporter, a publication for hotelkeepers, on August 2, 1919, discussed Omaha's ...

North Platte Baseball

Baseball was a popular leisure activity for boys and young men in Nebraska during the 1890s and early 1900s. Small towns often fielded teams, giving rise to strong ...

Novel Flying Machine

Readers of the Nebraska State Journal on August 16, 1891, must have been intrigued by a perhaps tongue-in-cheek description of "A Novel Flying Machine." Described by ...

O’Neill on Northern Nebraska

In December 1874 the Central Union Agriculturist and Missouri Valley Farmer of Omaha invited "the attention of our readers to the following circular issued by Gen. John ...

O’Neill, Gen. John

Gen. John O'Neill, a native of Ireland and veteran of the American Civil War, beginning in 1874 encouraged Irish immigration to Nebraska. The "general," a rank bestowed ...

Oblinger Letters

The Uriah W. Oblinger Collection, donated to the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1958, includes 318 letters (1862-1911). At the heart of this correspondence lies ...

Olof Bergstrom

Olof Bergstrom was a pioneer leader of Swedish settlers in the Gothenburg area. Nebraska folklorist Louise Pound briefly summarized his life for Nebraska History (March ...

Omadi

Omadi, located on the Missouri River at the mouth of Omaha Creek in Dakota County, was one of Nebraska's early ghost towns. It was started in 1856, just two years after ...

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.