When travelers on the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trails passed through the panhandle of Nebraska, Chimney Rock was the most documented landmark on the journey.

However, two other iconic landmarks helped guide travelers westward, Courthouse and Jail Rock. Today, we explore these two formations and how they captured the imaginations of pioneers through the 1962 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Courthouse and Jail Rocks: Landmarks on the Oregon Trail,” written by Earl R. Harris.

In the spring of 1890, a group of determined young Black waiters defied the odds, stepped onto a Lincoln ballfield, and briefly reshaped baseball on the Great Plains. Their talent, grit, and improbable rise caught the attention of early historian Solomon White, who later honored them as the first Black professional team in the West and praised their place in the game’s evolution. On this episode, we relive the story of this influential and forgotten team through the 2015 Nebraska History Magazine article, “The 1890 Lincoln Giants: Professional Baseball’s Unlikely Return to Nebraska’s Capital City,” written by Kent Morgan.

In 1928, when aviation was still wild and new, Nebraskan Ethel Tillotson chased her dream of becoming the first woman pilot in the state. Today, we learn about her bold story through the 1982 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Nebraska’s First Aviatrix: Ethel Ives Tillotson,” written by Darlene Ritter.

March 1st is statehood day in Nebraska, and in 2026, the state will celebrate 159 years as a state of the union. This bonus episode of the podcast takes a brief look at the history behind the Nebraska state motto through the 2010 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Equality Before the Law: Thoughts on the Origin of Nebraska’s State Motto,” written by James E. Potter.

Through the pages of the Omaha Star, Mildred Brown didn’t just report the news, she ignited a movement of boycotts and collective activism that predated the national stage. In this episode, we explore her work with the De Porres Club and their crusade through the 2010 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Mildred Brown and the De Porres Club: Collective Activism in Omaha, Nebraska’s Near North Side, 1947-1960,” written by Amy Helene Forss.

The Homestead Act promised free land, but the reality was a complex web of railroad bills, land grants, and legal hurdles. In this episode, we explore the laws and grit that built the Cornhusker state through the 1972 Nebraska History Magazine article, ‘Homesteading in Nebraska, 1862 through 1872,’ written by William H. Beezley.

In July 1862, a noisy, smoke-belching machine known as the ‘Prairie Motor’ rolled into Nebraska City. Though its journey lasted only three miles before a fateful breakdown, its legacy would reshape the trails of the American West.

On today’s episode, we discover the story behind this ten-ton vehicle from the 1998 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Nebraska City’s Steam Wagon,” written by William E. Lass.

On April 15, 1912, the world watched in shock as the 'unsinkable' Titanic disappeared into the North Atlantic. Most of us know the global headlines, but there’s a much more personal side to the story for Nebraska.

Today, we’re diving into lesser-known Nebraska connections to the disaster as written in the 1997 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Nebraska Connections to a Titanic Disaster,” written by Edward R. Tryon.

Senator George Norris was a man deeply rooted in the rural values of small-town America. As a congressman and senator from Nebraska, he leveraged his perspective to challenge corporate monopolies and became one of the most effective legislators in American history. Today, we explore his beliefs and character in this 1989 Nebraska History Magazine article titled “George W. Norris: A Reflective View,” written by Richard Lowitt.

Grace Abbott was a reformer who fought to end child labor, battled for immigration rights, and helped architect the Social Security Act. In today's episode, we learn more about the Nebraskan who became a champion to many through the 1975 Nebraska History Magazine article, "Grace Abbott of Nebraska," written by Lela B. Costin.