Category Archives: Nebraska Timeline

The Influenza Epidemic of 1918

Nebraska’s last great epidemic was the Spanish influenza, commonly called flu, which hit the United States early in 1918. The scourge had greatly intensified by September and was at its worst during the fall months, throwing a damper on most … Continue reading

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Nebraska’s Seventy-fifth Anniversary, 1854-1929

The Diamond Jubilee celebrated by Nebraska in early November of 1929 didn’t mark Nebraska’s seventy-fifth year as a state, but its seventy-fifth as a political unit. The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act making it a territory was commemorated in 1929 with three … Continue reading

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Ending the War to End All Wars

When World War I concluded with an armistice signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, Nebraskans joined people everywhere in celebration. The news reached this state in the middle of the night, … Continue reading

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The Campaign Buttons of 1896

Although the hobby of collecting political memorabilia is probably as old as politics, the political campaign button first became important in the presidential election of 1896. This contest, in which Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan, spawned a … Continue reading

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Emory Wyman and Compulsory Voting

After Shelton resident Emory Wyman (1834-1929) was elected to the Nebraska House of Representatives in 1898, he wasted no time in introducing a bill on compulsory voting in Nebraska that was designed to compel every legal voter to vote at … Continue reading

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Shoeing Omaha: “Attirement of Their Feet” in 1888

Browsing through the advertisements in early Nebraska newspapers reveals that our grandparents and great-grandparents had a choice of fashionable footwear. “A neat foot in a tidy fitting shoe or boot is the pride of the average man and woman,” said … Continue reading

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The Search for Better Babies

“If better live stock, why not better babies?” asked a member of the Grange in the pages of Philadelphia’s Farm Journal in December of 1913. It was a natural question reflecting growing interest after 1900 in child development and concern … Continue reading

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Twister Tall Tales

Tall tales of the freakish nature of Nebraska tornadoes are sometimes found in the pages of early newspapers in this state. The Columbus Journal is the source for several stories of people supposedly picked up, whirled aloft, and then returned … Continue reading

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Labor Day, a Real Holiday and a Royal Good Time

Labor Day is a holiday of long standing in Nebraska. Our law was introduced in the twenty-first regular session of the state legislature by Senator Frank T. Ransom from Nebraska City. The bill passed without opposition and was approved by … Continue reading

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Which Baby is the Best?

The photograph above, from the Solomon D. Butcher Collection at the Nebraska State Historical Society, depicts a group of babies and young children in Broken Bow in 1903. Although the event at which they appeared is not identified, it was … Continue reading

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