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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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The First Nebraska Regiment’s Baptism of Fire, 1862

This month marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Donelson, fought in the tangled, snow-covered woods of northwestern Tennessee in mid-February 1862. There on ...
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The Fool’s Graveyard

Most of us can't resist engaging in one form of foolishness or another. Contrary to commonsense, doctors' advice, and mothers' naggings, we eat too much, exercise too ...
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The Free Street Fair

Organizers of the Hastings Free Street Fair held late in the summer of 1899 no doubt hadtheir tongues planted firmly in their cheeks when they printed up this ...
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The Fremont Maps

Most of us take road maps for granted. It's easy for today's travelers to get a clear map to guidethem on their way. Not so with early voyagers across Nebraska's "sea of ...
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The Garten Institute

Nebraska newspapers from the late nineteenth century include numerous advertisements for local Keeley hospitals or treatment centers for patients addicted to alcohol, ...
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The Hoarding Hermits

Nebraska's history is littered with financial panics and disasters. Some Nebraskansweathered these crises, scraped together what fiduciary resources they had left, and ...
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The Horseless Delivery Truck

The advent of the horseless carriage revolutionized personal transportation for Nebraskans. The elimination of living, breathing horsepower similarly transformed the ...
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The Hot Lunch Plan

Serving Lunch at Lincoln High in 1906 As many Nebraska students head off for school, they'll check to see "what's for lunch." The hot lunch program has become a ...
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The Instant Town

Adjusting to rapid change is a trial we associate with "modern" life. But a hundred years agoNebraskans witnessed change almost overnight as new portions of the state ...
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The Japanese Invasion

The U.S. trade deficit and America's reliance on foreign-made goods is a topic frequentlydiscussed in the late 1980s. But the problem of foreign competition in the ...
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The Lawn Party

Nebraska was a rough-and-tumble place in 1876. But many women settlers here did theirbest to live a "genteel" life--as much as conditions would permit. Great energy and ...
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The Lincoln Chicken War

Sometimes it takes a good guy with a chicken to stop a bad guy with a chicken. Consider this strange tale about the founder of today’s Lincoln Journal Star and his ...
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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 Director Daryl Bohac. 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.

Research, Reference, & Genealogy
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Moving Images Inventories
Photo Collection List
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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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