Automobile Thieves
The introduction of automobiles was soon followed by the appearance of automobile thieves. The Motorist (Omaha) in its August 1920 issue denounced automobile-related ...
Crime
What We Found
Murder at the Lincoln Hotel: The Irvine-Montgomery Case
The trial of William H. Irvine for the murder of Charles E. Montgomery in October of 1892 in Lancaster County District Court captured statewide (and national) attention. ...
C. A. Sorensen and the Downfall of Omaha Crime Boss Tom Dennison
A crime boss by the name of Tom Dennison dominated Omaha for the first three decades of the twentieth century—until he crossed paths with Attorney General C. A. ...
The Great Sheedy Murder Trial of 1891
It was Lincoln’s most sensational criminal trial of the nineteenth century. But as historian Timothy Mahoney argues, the Sheedy case was more than just a sordid tale of ...
“Judge Lynch” in Nebraska
During the six decades from 1859 to 1919, at least 45 men and two women died at the hands of lynch mobs in Nebraska while during the same period, only 23 or 24 ...
Stinkfinger’s Popular Illustrated Monthly Magazine
I recently discovered a rather strange item while editing a collection description on our website. The finding aid for our Charles E. Wood collection lists an item ...
Murder at the Lincoln Hotel: The Irvine-Montgomery Case
The trial of William H. Irvine for the murder of Charles E. Montgomery in October of 1892 in Lancaster County District Court captured statewide (and ...
Mystery Grave in Boyd County
The Boyd County skull, showing what appears to be a bullet hole in the forehead.
Like something out of detective fiction, a crew digging a trench found an unmarked ...
John T. Bell’s Shorthand in the Courtroom
Historian John T. Bell was also one of Nebraska’s earliest court stenographers. NSHS RG2411-384-a
Before the invention of recording and dictation machines, ...
Flashback Friday: Why Cowboy Gun Battles Were Often Shots in the Dark
Sidney, Nebraska, circa late 1870s. NSHS RG3315-40
Associate Editor and black powder enthusiast Jim Potter wrote this blog post. One staple of TV or movie ...
A Funny Post-Election Poem…and the Grisly Story Behind It
A bit of post-election humor has a dark backstory unrelated to politics. How did this piece of paper become part of History Nebraska's collections?
History ...
Mysterious Case of Pearl Forcade
In early January 1885 teenage prostitute Pearl Forcade was killed by a drunken man at "Mollie's Hall" in Lincoln. When her brothers arrived at Wyuka cemetery to claim ...
Help Shape History
Become a Member
Being a member is the easiest way to be involved in our mission to preserve and share our state's rich history. Find out how!
Volunteer
Volunteers work with History Nebraska staff members to support our mission
Start Your Career
Interested in joining the History Nebraska team? Keep an eye on job listings!
