History Nebraska

Publications

Who We Are

History Nebraska 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.

  • Nebraska History Magazine (quarterly for History Nebraska members)
  • History Nebraska’s monthly email newsletter (full of history and the latest HN news)
  • Nebraska History Moments weekly emails (photo and short story)
  • Books

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Our members make history happen.

"Nebraska Timeline" Columns

From 1992 – 2019, History Nebraska 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. 

Pawnee at Fort Atkinson, 1824

In 1824 Mexican officials from Santa Fe were invited to come to the army post at Fort Atkinson to negotiate a peace treaty with the Pawnee. The delegation included ...

Pawnee Foods

The Pawnee were one of the most important Native American tribes of the Plains area. By the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, they were living in circular ...

Pawnee Suffer in a Blizzard

Reports of the suffering of white settlers in winter snowstorms abound in the columns of early Nebraska newspapers. Less common are accounts of the experiences of Native ...

Paxson, Joseph

Dr. Joseph A. Paxson (1842-88), physician to the Winnebago from 1869 to 1870, left an interesting picture of the Winnebago in Nebraska during this brief period. Paxson, ...

Paxton, William A.

William A. Paxton, rancher, cattleman, and early Omaha businessman, was born in Kentucky in 1837 and moved with his family to Missouri at the age of twelve. Soon ...

Peace Ship

In December of 1915 the chartered Oscar II carried an American delegation to Europe to exert moral, social, and diplomatic pressure to end World War I. The peace ship, ...

Peattie on Women Reporters

Elia W. Peattie moved to Omaha from Chicago in 1886 with her husband to work for the Omaha World-Herald. Robert became the managing editor, and his wife was an editorial ...

Pershing for President in 1920

World War I did not produce a military hero who became President, but it did launch at least one aspirant, Gen. John J. Pershing, supreme commander of the American ...

Pests on the Plains: The Potato Bug

With the sole exception of grasshoppers, perhaps the most hated insects to afflict the pioneer farmer were potato bugs. So prevalent were they at one time in Nebraska ...

Phonograph

The Nebraska State Journal on November 24, 1888, reported the introduction into Lincoln of a new business machine, the phonograph. The Journal reported that Edison's ...

Phrenology: Science or Entertainment?

Phrenology was a popular nineteenth-century pseudoscience that claimed a person's personality and intellect could be determined by studying the shape of the skull. It ...

Picnic Mishaps

Picnicking is one of the most enjoyable summer pastimes, and Nebraskans more than one hundred years ago enjoyed it as much as we do today. Occasionally, however, these ...

Contact Us

David Bristow | Publications
History Nebraska
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 History Nebraska on Facebook for event news, cool historical photos, and fascinating stories from the History Nebraska blog. Members receive Nebraska History News.
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society 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 History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
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Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska 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 History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.
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Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska'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

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. 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.