History Nebraska

Publications

Who We Are

History Nebraska 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.

  • Nebraska History Magazine (quarterly for History Nebraska members)
  • History Nebraska’s monthly email newsletter (full of history and the latest HN news)
  • Nebraska History Moments weekly emails (photo and short story)
  • Books

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Our members make history happen.

"Nebraska Timeline" Columns

From 1992 – 2019, History Nebraska 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. 

Washington’s Birthday

George Washington's birthday on February 22 was celebrated publicly for the first time in the late eighteenth century, while Washington was still president. In 1885 ...

Water Shortage

The economically devastating years of the early 1890s created hardship for many Nebraska residents. In 1893, for example, crops in Nebraska were almost totally destroyed ...

Watson, H. D., and the Watson Ranch

In 1888 H. D. Watson, a Kearney booster during its boom days of the late 1880s, established the historic Watson Ranch. He had come West from Greenfield, Massachusetts, ...

Way Back in ’67

"Children Barefoot in January," the headline read. No, it's not a news account of l990's mild weather (at least so far). This tale of an unusually mellow winter, and its ...

We’re Number One!

Over the years, Nebraska has been "number one" in a lot of categories. We've had the nation's highest-rated football team, we've produced more popcorn than anyone else, ...

Webster’s Last Romantic Buffalo Hunt

In the autumn of 1872 an unusual group of men engaged in what one of them, John L. Webster, called "the last romantic buffalo hunt upon the western plains of the state ...

Wedding Customs

"Last summer I had the good fortune to spend a few weeks on a ranch in Northern Nebraska," wrote H. W., a student of Omaha High School in the school's High School ...

Wedding in Photography Studio

The September 23, 1884, issue of The Daily State Journal at Lincoln included the following account of a local wedding: "Late Saturday evening H. E. Noble, the artist, ...

Wedding of Mollie Dorsey Sanford

Wedding ceremonies and receptions during territorial days in Nebraska were of necessity varied and made use of whatever was available to the prospective bride and groom. ...

Weddings in Seward County

Nebraska newspapers have been the subject of a number of reminiscences published in Nebraska History over the years. The September 1951 issue included the experiences of ...

Well Digging, by F. J. Coil

Old, deteriorating wells in early Nebraska were dangerous for the unwary. An accidental fall into such a well was described in Nebraska History (January-March 1943) by ...

Well Digging, by Henry Sands

Few jobs in early Nebraska required more courage than that of a well digger. Henry Sands of Nebraska City related some of his narrow escapes to the editor of ...

Contact Us

David Bristow | Publications
History Nebraska
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 History Nebraska on Facebook for event news, cool historical photos, and fascinating stories from the History Nebraska blog. Members receive Nebraska History News.
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society 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 History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
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Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska 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 History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.
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Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska'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

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. 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.