Monthly Archives: March 2011

With April 1st fast approaching it’s a good time to explore some of the humorous items that can be found in Nebraska Memories.
Over the years I’m sure all of us have talked to a fisherman or a fisherwoman who’s had a tale of the one that got away. If they have been out fishing on Pibel Lake, located about 70 miles north of Grand Island, you might want to believe them. Looking at this postcard you can see that there are some big fish in Pibel Lake.
Not into fishing, maybe Laurel and Hardy is more your style or how about a man dressed as a woman? In 1944 at the prisoners of war at Camp Atlanta, near Holdrege, Nebraska, a man dresses as a woman for the theatrical production of “Lovers“.
If your funny bone is still not tickled, maybe you’re not looking at things the right way. This group of folks state that “We are all right when you look at us the right way.”
Before you plan any April Fool’s Day pranks, take a minute to read the lyrics of April First by Thurlow Lieurance and keep in mind “A chap who’s foolish but one day is doing well.”
Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/ for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

“At least 150 people were killed and over 350 people were injured as a tornado swept through Omaha this Easter Sunday causing thousands of dollars of damage.”

Ninety-eight years ago on March 23 that would have been the lead story on the 10 o’clock news, if there had been TV in 1913. The historic Easter Tornado hit Omaha around 6:00 p.m. Sunday night. Even though there are no TV clips from this time there are many photos in Nebraska Memories documenting the destruction the tornado caused.


The path of the tornado started at 49th & Poppleton and continued through Carter Lake and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Areas suffering the heaviest damage were Bemis Park, Sacred Heart Academy and 24th & Lake Streets.* According to the article in Wikipedia the storm’s path was 40 miles long and ¼ to ½ mile wide.
The exact amount of damage this storm system caused varies a bit from source to source. The Commoner newspaper reported on March 28, 1913 that over 150 people died, 350 were injured and the property loss was estimated at near $6,000,000. The story also states that 1,200 houses, five public schools and seven churches were wrecked or demolished.

Looking at the photos in Nebraska Memories it’s interesting to think about how today’s media would cover this disaster. What would this woman standing in a pile of rubble say to a reporter about the tornado and how it impacted her life?
Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/ for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.
* Source: Driscoll, Charles. Complete Story of Omaha’s Disastrous Tornado, Omaha: Mogy Publishing, c1913.

Whether they visited a general store or a supermarket, Nebraskans have been grocery shopping for many decades. You can explore Nebraska Memories to find many images of grocery stores and their customers.
How do you think the grocery shopping experience at this Omaha store in the late 1930s or early 1940s differed from your own? (Wentworth, William, Women shopping in grocery store, The Durham Museum collection, 1930-1945)

What about shopping at this general store in the early 1900s? (Nelson, John, Family in shop, Nebraska State Historical Society collection, 1907-1917).
See other images of Nebraskans doing their grocery shopping and grocers displaying their wares.
Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/ for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.