Shows / Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska History Podcast
The Nebraska History Podcast brings you the authors and articles from the Nebraska History Magazine. Join host Chris Goforth from the Nebraska State Historical Society as he presents previously published articles from the past in audiobook form. New episodes are available every other Thursday. Subscribe and enjoy Nebraska history during your commute, on your walk, in the cab of your truck, at your desk, in the field, and anywhere else you listen! Every episode, discover the unique stories and…
Episodes
- Nebraska History Podcast
Who Was the Real Governor of Nebraska? The Boyd-Thayer Dispute
Imagine an election so disputed that two men claimed the governor’s office. In 1890, Nebraska became the stage for a dramatic battle over the elected office…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Ghost Counties of Nebraska
With Halloween nearly upon us, today we dive into the fascinating topic of ghost counties. These weren’t boomtowns that dried up, but entire counties that only…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Steamboating the Missouri River
Before railroads and highways, stubborn little steamers battled snags, sandbars, and swift currents of the Missouri River to open the heart of the frontier…
- Nebraska History Podcast
When Nebraska Almost Became Kansas
Imagine towns like Beatrice, Holdrege, and McCook being in Kansas instead of Nebraska. 🤯 It nearly happened! In the turbulent late 1850s, political…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Man Who Led Nebraska as the Beef State
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Glory of the Six- and Eight-Man Gridiron and Rural Nebraska
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska Helps the Union Win the Civil War
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska Flour Mills Through Time
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Surrender of Crazy Horse and the End of the Great Sioux War
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska at America's Centennial Celebration
This year, America is commemorating and celebrating its 250th anniversary. In today’s podcast, we travel back 150 years to America’s 100th anniversary…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Lewis and Clark Along Nebraska's River Road
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Battle of Television vs. Scotts Bluff
The arrival of television in the Nebraska Panhandle in the 1950s sparked an unexpected showdown between state and local officials, an influential Wyoming…
- Nebraska History Podcast
From Nebraska to the German Skies of World War II
Rediscover the remarkable true story of Second Lieutenant Elbert S. Wood, Jr, a young navigator whose final mission over Schweinfurt in 1943 became one of the…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Born a King, Raised a Ford: The Early Life of President Gerald R. Ford
Nebraska is the birth state of one U.S. President. In this episode, we revisit the remarkable story of President Gerald Ford, born Leslie King, Jr., in a grand…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Real Story Behind Nebraska's Cowboys
Today, we ride back into the real history of Nebraska’s open‑range cowboys; hard‑working, underpaid young men who helped shape the frontier long before…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The History and Wonder of Courthouse and Jail Rocks
When travelers on the Oregon, Mormon, and California Trails passed through the panhandle of Nebraska, Chimney Rock was the most documented landmark on the…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Pioneering and Forgotten Baseball Team of Lincoln, Nebraska
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska's First Aviatrix
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Origins of Nebraska's State Motto: Equality Before the Law
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Mildred Brown & the De Porres Club's Fight for Civil Rights in Omaha
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Homesteading in Nebraska
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska City's Steam Wagon
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraskans on the Titanic
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
George Norris: Nebraska's Realistic Dreamer
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Children's Champion: Grace Abbott of Nebraska
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Man with the Perfect Face: Robert Taylor’s Nebraska Roots
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill, and a Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Training Sharpshooters in Nebraska
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Czech-Americans: The Love of Liberty in Nebraska
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Pike, Pawnee, and a Spanish Flag
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Devil Wagons in Omaha
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Trees in Nebraska???
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…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Rise of Memorial Stadium
Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium is one of the nation’s iconic college football venues. Its construction almost didn’t happen due to the severe economic challenges…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska's 1897 UFO Mystery
In 1897, numerous reports of an unusual phenomenon in the sky described what some thought to be a UFO. A ship with multiple lights, sometimes said to have…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Denazification of German WWII Soldiers at Fort Robinson
Podcast description: Fort Robinson in northwest Nebraska once served as a World War II prisoner of war camp. One of the war’s best-kept secrets was a special…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Murder That Shocked Lincoln
The trial of Mary Sheedy and alleged co-conspirator “Monday” McFarland for the murder of Mary’s husband, John Sheedy, caused an uproar. How could a…
- Nebraska History Podcast
A Plague of Locusts
It was a plague of biblical proportions. Swarms of locusts assaulted crops, tools, and clothing. The events not only devastated farmers but also foreshadowed…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Chadron-Chicago Race of 1893
Horse racing was a popular sport in the American West. As preparations for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago were being made, it was suggested that a…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska's Popular Traveling Show
Traveling shows were an extremely popular form of entertainment in the 20th century. In Nebraska, one man started a show that became one of the state's most…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Homemaker Radio in Nebraska
Radio has always played a role in connecting people. Early homemaker radio programs, like Mary Moore Homemaker on WJAG in Norfolk, focused on providing content…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Potash Boom of World War I
World War I unexpectedly triggered an agricultural boom in Nebraska, leading to the rise of a fascinating and intensive potash industry. This episode explores…
- Nebraska History Podcast
What Did Crazy Horse Look Like?
What did Crazy Horse look like? This Oglala Lakota leader's image has been the subject of much debate, as no confirmed photograph exists. Today, we explore the…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Rise and Fall of a Baseball Giant
Grover Cleveland Alexander, a Hall of Fame pitcher from Elba, Nebraska, achieved legendary status in baseball but faced significant personal setbacks. Despite…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Gentle River Goes Mad
In this episode, we travel back to 1935, to a time when the Republican River transformed from a gentle stream into a raging force of nature. Join us as we…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Legacy of Susan LaFlesche Picotte
Join us as we explore the life of Susan LaFlesche Picotte, Nebraska’s first Native American physician, who served the Omaha tribe from 1865 to 1915. Author…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska's Struggle to Statehood
The Nebraska statehood struggle revealed the significance of national Reconstruction policy on the level of local frontier politics. Nebraska's admission…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Frederick Douglass's Nebraska Sister
Frederick Douglass, one of the most renowned leaders of the abolitionist movement, had an adopted sister, Ruth Cox Adams, who later lived in Nebraska. Her…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Birth of the Unicameral
Senator George Norris championed the unicameral legislature during the 1920s and 1930s, arguing for its advantages over the two-house system. In this episode…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Getting Away with Kidnapping in Omaha
On December 18, 1900, Pat Crowe and an associate kidnapped fifteen-year-old Edward A. Cudahy, Jr., son of a wealthy Omaha meat packer, and held him for $25,000…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Air Mail in Nebraska
The Air Mail Service began between Washington D.C. and New York City in 1918. As a coast-to-coast service was being developed, Nebraska would become a key…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Omaha's Christmas History
Many Christmas activities and unique holiday customs developed in Omaha in the 1850s. By 1980, beautiful downtown store window displays had disappeared, but a…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Worst Winter in Nebraska History
Winters in Nebraska are hard to predict. Some bring seasonal weather with hardly a drop of precipitation, while others can bring snow storms threatening life…
- Nebraska History Podcast
A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep
Explorers and fur traders occasionally tested the shallow Platte's navigability in the nineteenth century. How many succeeded? What did they carry? Why did…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Hastings, NE: Nebraska's WWII Boomtown
Hastings, which had welcomed 20,000 people in a peaceful celebration of its history in 1939, had become a community in which residents called one another names…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska's Ghost City
The dream was of a great city in Nebraska—the future gateway to the entire American West. It would be the largest, most important urban center between Chicago…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Gangland Robbery of Lincoln National Bank and Trust in 1930
In 1930, a daring heist rocked the heart of Lincoln, Nebraska, and became the biggest bank heist in U.S. history for over two decades. Six unmasked robbers…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Soldier-Farmers of the 1800s
As the US Army moved westward, military forts had to find ways to be more self-sufficient. This was the case at Fort Atkinson, Nebraska, among other locations…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska Football and Social Changes of the 20th Century
In 2009, Michael Oriard’s book, “Bowled Over,” examined the effects of politics and social change on big-time college football during the past fifty years. The…
- Nebraska History Podcast
The Fonda Family and the Omaha Community Playhouse
Lured by Marlon Brando's mother, actor Henry Fonda got his start at the Omaha Community Playhouse in 1925. Fonda maintained close ties with the Playhouse after…
- Nebraska History Podcast
Nebraska Invention: The Top 40 Radio Format
Omaha radio station owner Todd Storz played a key role in pioneering the Top 40 format in the 1950s. He was a figure of national significance, permanently…