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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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Speed Holman’s Air Race Crash, 1931

Charles “Speed” Holman’s fatal crash at the Omaha Air Races, May 17, 1931. NSHS RG3882-567 ​ Aviator Charles “Speed” Holman, of Northwest Airlines in ...
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Spitting Prohibited!

During the late nineteenth century spittoons became a common feature of saloons, hotels, stores, banks, railway carriages, and other places where adult men gathered. ...
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Square Turn Tractor and Power Farming

"Power farming" with tractors furnishing the motion which for ages had been supplied to machines by the ox, the horse, or by other animals, began to make its presence ...
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St. Patrick’s Day Ball in Lincoln, 1878

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in Lincoln in 1878 with an evening ball. The Daily Nebraska State Journal on March 19, 1878, reported: "St. Patrick's Day, like the ...
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St. Patrick’s Day, 1891

"As the years pass on and the Irish emigrant gets farther away from his native isle each succeeding seventeenth of March grows dearer to his heart," said the Lincoln ...
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Stagecoach Travel

Travel by stagecoach is an experience few modern Nebraskans have had unless as part of a frontier reenactment, but when Nebraska Territory was opened to settlement, the ...
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Stanley J. Morrow

Photographic images from the Red Cloud and nearby Spotted Tail agencies in northwestern Nebraska, taken just after the close of the Sioux War of 1876-77, give an ...
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Stanley, Henry M.

Henry M. Stanley, best remembered for his search for Scottish missionary David Livingstone in Africa in 1871, spent some time in Nebraska during his early newspaper ...
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State Fair, 1870

The state fair held in Brownville in 1870 generated great local excitement. Brownville then had four hotels besides a number of restaurants and boarding houses to take ...
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State Flag

The present Nebraska state flag with the reproduction of the state seal on a blue background was not officially adopted by the Nebraska Legislature until 1925. In that ...
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Stout, W. H. B.

W. H. B. "Boss" Stout (1837-1902), Nebraska building contractor, politician, and lobbyist, remained well known here even after he suffered financial reverses and left ...
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Straight, Henry Harrison, Educator

Henry Harrison Straight, second president of Peru Normal School (now Peru State College), was among the earliest Nebraska educators to influence American public ...
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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

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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.

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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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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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