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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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Samuel DeWitt Beals

Samuel DeWitt Beals (1826-1900), Nebraska's first state superintendent of public instruction, began teaching in his native state of New York in the early 1850s. In April ...
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Sand Hills Memories

Life in Nebraska's Sand Hills was, and continues to be, a challenge. Mrs. Lulu Kortz Hudsonshared these memories of her life in "the greatest sand dune area in the ...
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Sandhills, Hawley’s Proposed Reclamation of

Conservation and prison reform were combined in a proposal by R. A. Hawley for the reclamation of the Sandhills of Nebraska in 1893. Hawley believed it feasible to plant ...
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Santa Claus

By 1900 many department stores across America featured a live Santa Claus during the holiday season. Children typically sat on his lap and whispered their Christmas ...
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Santa Fe Trail

French merchants operating along the Mississippi River in the 1730s felt sure they could make a profit if only a trade route could be opened to the Spanish provincial ...
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Santee Sioux Musical Band

Noted musician and bandmaster John F. Lenger was born in 1849 in Bohemia. He attended a government school and music conservatory in Prague until he was fourteen, when he ...
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Save Our Youth–Grow Watermelon

As you plan to plant your garden, don't forget to include some room for watermelon. You'll notonly be rewarded with luscious fruit that's the perfect antidote to ...
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Save the Buffalo

Some Nebraskans were aware of the values of wildlife conservation years before effective measures were enacted into law. The Daily Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln ...
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Saving the State’s Money

An official review of Nebraska state expenditures in early 1908 uncovered several questionable purchases. The Nebraska State Journal on January 28, 1908, noted that the ...
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Sawyer’s Timeline

Andrew J. Sawyer's Lincoln the Capitol City and Lancaster County, Nebraska, published in 1916, included a section entitled "Brief Happenings in Lancaster County ...
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Searching for Smuggled Hooch

U. S. Customs and Drug Enforcement Agency officials are kept busy these days searching forsmuggled illegal drugs. Traffickers have hidden drugs in everything from ...
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Second State Capitol

The first Nebraska state capitol, built in Lincoln in 1868 and 1869, was replaced by a second less than twenty years later. Because the first capitol was built so ...
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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
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!

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Archeology
Collections
Conservation Center
Digital Curation
Historic Preservation
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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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