Nebraska History Podcast

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 grand horse race from the West to Chicago should take place.

In this episode, we explore the planning, promotion, opposition, and story of the actual race itself through the 1972 Nebraska History Magazine article, "The Chadron-Chicago 1,000 Mile Cowboy Race," by Willia...

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 and support for the women in their listening areas.

In this episode of the Nebraska History Podcast, we explore radio's impact in connecting with and influencing women in Nebraska through the 2019 Nebraska History Magazine article, "Stirring Up Conversation: The Radi...

World War I unexpectedly triggered an agricultural boom in Nebraska, leading to the rise of a fascinating and intensive potash industry. This episode explores the impact of this boom on the state, from the rapid growth of new communities to the development of cutting-edge (and sometimes flawed) technologies used to extract this valuable resource. Join us as we share Richard E. Jensen's insightful 1987 Nebraska History Magazine ...

Grover Cleveland Alexander, a Hall of Fame pitcher from Elba, Nebraska, achieved legendary status in baseball but faced significant personal setbacks. Despite his remarkable baseball career, marked by National League records and a World Series championship, Alexander's life was also defined by struggles with alcoholism and health issues. We explore the contrast between his professional success and personal failures through the ...

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 explore the devastating flood that swept through the Republican River Valley, claiming 113 lives and reshaping the landscape of recovery and federal intervention in American life. We learn more through the 2016 Nebraska History Magazine article, "Gentle River Goes Mad: The R...

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 Valerie Sherer Mathes explores Picotte's pioneering medical career and advocacy for her community's rights. Discover how Picotte transformed healthcare and fought for justice. This article was originally published in a 1982 issue of Nebraska History Magazine titled "...

The Nebraska statehood struggle revealed the significance of national Reconstruction policy on the level of local frontier politics. Nebraska's admission marked the first time Congress forced a "condition" upon a new state requiring it to acknowledge its power to set voting qualifications.

In this episode, we dive deeper into the struggles of Nebraska's statehood through the 1988 Nebraska History Magazine article "Nebraska Statehood...

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 experiences may have influenced Douglass’s belief that the full liberation of Black Americans required the political empowerment of women.

This episode explores this relationship through the 2010 Nebraska History Magazine article, "Always on My Mind: Frederick Douglass’s Nebr...

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 ransom. Since kidnapping had been an infrequent crime, Nebraska had no kidnapping statute. Because of this, Crowe was tried and acquitted on other charges. Although many professed outrage at the verdicts, Crowe had become something of a folk hero. In this episode, we explore...

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 and property. During the winter of 1948 and 49, Nebraskans learned to adapt and survive one of the worst seasons in Nebraska history.

In this episode, we take a comprehensive, in-depth look at the impact of that winter through the 2002 article “I’m Never Going to be Snowbound ...

Explorers and fur traders occasionally tested the shallow Platte's navigability in the nineteenth century. How many succeeded? What did they carry? Why did they stop? Railroads eventually made most river traffic obsolete, and the Platte served primarily as a source of irrigation water for crops. But there's more to the story.

This episode is from Lawrence Allin's 1982 Nebraska History Magazine article "'A ⁠Mile Wide and an Inch Dee...

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 in the local newspaper in 1942.

The Naval Ammunition Depot built during the ensuing years caused the relatively insular community to suddenly accommodate a huge increase in population, which brought with it diverse social and ethnic groups for which it was unprepared.

This e...

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 and San Francisco.

The dreamer was Dr. John Evans, a Chicago real estate tycoon and the namesake of Evanston, Illinois. Evans believed he had the vision and experience to make Oreapolis succeed. He failed.

This episode is from the article "Oreapolis, Nebraska's Ghost City" by...