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.

Railroad Ecology

As the Union Pacific Railroad built its road west through the Platte Valley and began service, the supply of water and fuel for their steam locomotives was of great ...

Rain in Nebraska!

"RAIN IN NEBRASKA," the headline read. "LONG DRY SPELL IS BROKEN BY HEAVYSHOWERS." In the hopes that history may repeat itself, here's more of the drought-breaking ...

Rainmakers

One of the most pronounced characteristics of Nebraskans has been an unwillingness to accept a dry year with no protest. Protests have been expressed politically--as in ...

Red Willow County’s First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in 1896 was celebrated on November 26, and editor F. M. Kimmell of the McCook Tribune took advantage of the holiday to reflect on Red Willow County's recent ...

Relief in Nebraska, 1895

The early spring weather of 1894 gave Nebraska farmers some reason to hope that after several successive years of drought and poor crops, this might be the long-awaited ...

Restaurants of Omaha

Those wishing to eat away from home in Omaha in 1886 had a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, and lunch counters to choose from. The Omaha Daily Bee on August 29, 1886, ...

Ricker, Eli S.

In the early 1900s Eli S. Ricker began gathering data for a book he planned to call The Final Conflict Between the Red Men and the Palefaces. Unlike most of his ...

Robbery at Brownville

In 1869 the U.S. Express Company at Brownville was robbed when its local agent, Jacob K. Baer, reported that he was "sandbagged, shot and robbed" of the company money. ...

Robert Burns

The anniversary of the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns on January 25, 1759, was once widely celebrated by Americans of Scottish descent in memory not only of Burns, ...

Robidoux Pass

Nearly all overland travelers on the Platte River Road referred to the massive bluffs beyond Court House Rock and Chimney Rock as Scott's Bluffs. In 1828 as Hiram Scott ...

Roller Skating in Brownville, 1883

Roller skating originated in Europe in the 1700s, with the first patent issued for a roller skate in 1819. In 1863 an American, James Plimpton, invented an improved ...

Roller Skating in Lincoln, 1877

The young city of Lincoln in 1877 offered its citizens many forms of recreation, including roller skating. The Daily State Journal, March 30, 1877, described local ...

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.