Nebraska History Podcast

Before railroads and highways, stubborn little steamers battled snags, sandbars, and swift currents of the Missouri River to open the heart of the frontier. They carried settlers, soldiers, fortune‑seekers, and everyday cargo, and in doing so, helped build the towns and trade routes that shaped the Trans‑Mississippi West.

Today, we explore the early days of travel along the Missouri River through the 1954 Nebraska History Magazine article “Steamboating on the Missouri River,” written by William J. Petersen.

Imagine towns like Beatrice, Holdrege, and McCook being in Kansas instead of Nebraska. 🤯 It nearly happened! In the turbulent late 1850s, political frustrations south of the Platte River grew so intense that southern Nebraskans seriously considered breaking away and joining Kansas.

In this episode, we dive into this fascinating near‑miss moment in our state’s history from the 1972 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Sectionalism in Nebraska: When Kansas Considered Annexing Southern Nebraska, 1856–1860” by David H. Price.

Today’s story traces the remarkable rise of Thomas Benton Hord, who not only built the nation's largest livestock feeding empire but also helped lay the foundation for Nebraska becoming the modern-day Beef State. We discover his story through the 2015 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Thomas B Hord: From the Open Range to the Largest Livestock Feeding Enterprise in the United States,” written by James E. Potter.

With football season upon us, today’s episode dives into the spirited world of six- and eight-man football, a version of the game born from small-town grit and determination. We explore how the sport has shaped rural community identity and resilience through the 2019 Nebraska History Magazine Article, “Six and Eight Man Football and Community Identity in Nebraska,” written by Andrew Husa.

Today’s episode brings us the story of the First Nebraska Infantry and their role in a battle at Fort Donelson during the Civil War. Learn about their raw determination, facing freezing winds and fierce gunfire, as they fought to halt a Confederate victory through the 1964 Nebraska History Magazine article, “The First Nebraska Infantry Regiment and the Battle of Fort Donelson,” written by Benjamin Franklin Cooling.

On this episode, we journey through the history of one of Nebraska’s key agricultural businesses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this era, more than 260 flour mills helped shape Nebraska communities. Today, we explore how these buildings evolved from modest mills to towering complexes through the 1985 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Nebraska Flour Mill Buildings, Structure, and Style, 1854-1936,” written by Tomas R. Buecker.

Crazy Horse’s surrender at the Red Cloud Agency in May of 1877 marked the closing chapter of the Great Sioux War. In this episode, we explore how Lakota political traditions and the pull of family and community shaped his path from resistance to enter reservation life, revealing the decisions behind a defining moment in American history. Today, we explore the 1998 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Crazy Horse and the End of the Great Sioux War,” written by Kingsley M Bray.

This year, America is commemorating and celebrating its 250th anniversary.

In today’s podcast, we travel back 150 years to America’s 100th anniversary celebration and Nebraska’s impressive appearance in the Centennial Exhibition through the 1976 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Nebraska in the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, 1876,” written by Anne P Diffendal.

Between 1804 and 1806, explorers Lewis and Clark were sent out to determine what the United States had bought with the Louisiana Purchase. In this episode, we’ll follow their story along the Missouri River, where they got their first look at the region’s wildlife, terrain, and their encounter with the indigenous people of this area. Follow their travels through the 2000 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Lewis and Clark on the Middle Missouri,” written by Gary E Moulton.

The arrival of television in the Nebraska Panhandle in the 1950s sparked an unexpected showdown between state and local officials, an influential Wyoming broadcaster, and the National Park Service. Today, we learn more about the controversy through the 1996 Nebraska History Magazine Article, "Scotts Bluff National Monument and the Coming of Television to the Nebraska Panhandle," written by Phil Roberts.