Nebraska History Podcast

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.

In the Golden Age of Hollywood, few names shone brighterthan Robert Taylor—the man critics called 'the man with the perfect face.' But long before he became a legend of the silver screen, he was a young man named Spangler Arlington Brugh, growing up in Gage County. In today’s episode, we chronicle his early life through the 1994 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Robert Taylor of Beatrice: The Nebraska Roots of a Hollywood Star,” written by E.A. Kral.

In 1872, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and othersattempted to organize a grand buffalo hunt. The event came with various challenges and was ultimately deemed a failure. Today, we look back at the story and correspondence between the men organizing the event through the 2005 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and the Grand Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls,” written by Joseph G. Rosa.

Between 1882 and 1894, U.S. soldiers fired lead bullets bythe ton at the Department of the Platte’s target ranges, first located near Fort Omaha and later near Bellevue. In this episode, we learn of their story and how a system of target practice helped produce an “army of marksmen” in this 2016Nebraska History Magazine article, “Uncle Sam’s Sharpshooters”, written by James E. Potter.

In the late 1800s to early 1900s, a large number of Czech immigrants found a new home in Nebraska. In this episode, we learn more about the Czech struggle for independence, explore their cultural life, and the persistent challenge of assimilation on the prairie through the 1993 Nebraska History Magazine article, "Czech-Americans: The Love of Liberty," written by Joseph G. Svoboda.

Hear the captivating history of Lieutenant Zebulon Pike's 1806 journey into what is now Nebraska and Kansas. Sent to solicit the allegiance of the Pawnee, Pike was instructed to persuade them to lower the Spanish flag, leading to a tense standoff as he continued his westward journey. Discover the story that later would give rise to the description of Nebraska's landscape as the "Great American Desert," and the dispute between Kansas and Nebraska over the exact location of Pike's council with the Pawnee chief.

This episode is from the 1966 Nebraska History Magazine article titled "Zebulon Pike and Nebraska," written by Donald Jackson.

In 1902, there were only a few automobiles, and they were viewed as luxuries for the wealthy. But year after year, more vehicles hit the road. In this episode, we revisit early 20th-century Omaha and explore how well the automobile was accepted into society and the expectations people had of drivers, as described in the 1980 Nebraska History Magazine article, "The Devil Wagon Comes to Omaha: The First Decade of the Automobile," written by Tommy R. Thompson.

In 1820, Major Stephen H. Long described the Nebraska landscape as the Great American Desert, characterized by wide-open prairies and very little to no tree cover. Years later, efforts to change that landscape took hold thanks to key contributors to Nebraska's history. In this episode, we learn about the early efforts to encourage widespread tree cultivation in Nebraska in this 1972 Nebraska History Magazine Article, "Trees but no Timber: Prelude to the Timber Culture Act," by Burton J Williams.