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Nebraska State Historical Society

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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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"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.

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Roller Skating Once a Popular Adult Pastime

A wave of popular enthusiasm followed the invention of the modern roller skate in 1863 by James L. Plimpton of Massachusetts. Within twenty years roller skating had ...
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Roosevelt, Theodore, Visits Nebraska, 1900

The Republican Party announced in July 1900 that Theodore Roosevelt, its vice-presidential nominee, would visit Nebraska that fall. Local Republicans were convinced that ...
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Roping Elk

Cowboys occasionally roped more than cattle or horses, as James E. Farley recalled in Solomon D. Butcher's Pioneer History of Custer County, Nebraska (1901). "Towards ...
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Rosewater, Edward

Edward Rosewater (1841-1906) is best remembered in Nebraska as the editor and publisher of the Omaha Bee. Always aggressive and controversial, he was also influential in ...
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Rosewater’s Christmas

Edward Rosewater, longtime editor and publisher of the Omaha Bee, and a force to be reckoned with in Nebraska politics from the Bee's founding in 1871 until his death in ...
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Rothacker, O. H.

Ottomar H. Rothacker's short but spectacular career as a newspaperman in Denver and Omaha attracted a good deal of attention. The subject of Lewis O. Saum's "The Good ...
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Rubel, Maud

The 1894 murder in South Omaha of a young white woman named Maud Rubel resulted in a lengthy pursuit of suspects. Although Rubel's "doctor" without a medical degree was ...
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SAC Memorial Chapel

The Strategic Air Command Memorial Chapel at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, was built in 1956. The Omaha architect was Leo A. Daly. The chapel is distinguished by its ...
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Saloons, Billiard Halls

Although saloons and billiard halls were not considered respectable businesses by some in frontier society, town boosters often supported their contributions to the ...
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Salt Creek Basin

Edward Manley, a Chicago educator, was the son of Samuel Manley, one of the five men that composed the faculty of the University of Nebraska when classes first began in ...
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Salutatory A. M. Church and the Stuart Ledger

The first issue of a newspaper bearing the name of a new editor frequently carried his written introduction to the public. Editor A. M. Church introduced himself on ...
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Samuel Aughey

Eight times between 1857 and 1875 some parts of Nebraska were visited by grasshoppers. The greatest grasshopper raid came on July 20, 21, and 22, 1874, with crops almost ...
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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.

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Explore Nebraska

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

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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 Markers
Historical Marker Equity 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
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Government Records

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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!

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Archeology
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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.

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