Author Archives: Emily Nimsakont

Next week is the beginning of May, which includes the celebration of May Day on the first of the month. This holiday is often celebrated in the United States by making May baskets that are usually filled with flowers or treats and left on someone’s doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away hoping that the receiver does not catch them and if they are caught a kiss will be exchanged.

In other parts of the world, mainly Western Europe, Maypole dancing is a tradition that signals the end of winter. Participants form a circle around an erected pole to perform the dance. This pole is usually decorated with flags, flowers, garlands, etc., before the event starts. Performers revolve around the pole holding a ribbon, the other end of which is tied to the pole. They first dance in a direction intertwining the ribbon on the pole; later, they perform a similar dance in the reverse direction to unravel the intertwined ribbon.

This image in Nebraska Memories shows students at the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney (now the University of Nebraska at Kearney) performing a Maypole dance. Maypole dances were held every May from 1912 to 1937; this photograph captures one of the earlier dances.

Many other images of campus life are available as part of the University of Nebraska at Kearney collection.

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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

It recently came to my attention that March is Music in Our Schools Month, a month dedicated to advocacy in favor of music education programs in schools. If you explore Nebraska Memories, you can see many images of Nebraska’s students enjoying music in their schools.

Nebraska’s schools provided opportunities for vocal music, as shown in this photograph of the Irving Junior High boys choir in Lincoln. Students also had chances to participate in instrumental music, as shown by the North High School orchestra in Omaha or the band at the Girls’ Industrial School in Geneva.

The Polley Music Library collection also includes a number of programs from musical events featuring students. These events include such concerts as those sponsored by the Nebraska Music Teachers Association, as well as Nebraska All State musical concerts.

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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

If you traveled during the holiday season this year, perhaps your home-away-from-home was a hotel. Compare your experiences to these images of hotels from Nebraska Memories.

Hotels in Nebraska have ranged from imposing structures, like the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha or the Ruwe Hotel in Fremont, to smaller establishments, like Wilcox House in Papillion or the Talbot Hotel in Brainard.

Nebraska Memories features views of the interiors of hotels as well. Take a glimpse inside some hotel lobbies, like those at the Hotel Loyal in Omaha or the Perkins Hotel in David City.  Some hotels had places to eat inside, like the Vineyard Cafe at the Rome Hotel in Omaha, or the dining room at the Zeeck Hotel in Papillion.

If motels and motor courts are more your style, check out the Lone Pine Court and Filling Station or Sunnyside Cottages, both located in Sidney.

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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

Today is the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which led to the entry of the United States into World War II. Some interesting World War II-era photographs in Nebraska Memories show Camp Atlanta, a prisoner of war camp for German soldiers that was located outside of Atlanta, Nebraska, near Holdrege. Construction began on the camp in September of 1943, and it was in operation until 1946, eventually housing 3,000 German prisoners.

The images of Camp Atlanta, part of the Phelps County Historical Society collection, give  a good overview of daily life at the camp. The German POWs served as cooks and firefighters for the camp. Some even took part in theatrical productions.

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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

This Friday is Veterans Day, which is observed as a holiday to honor veterans who served in all wars. However, the holiday has only been called Veterans Day in the United States since 1954. It originally began as Armistice Day, in honor of the armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918, as a way of honoring the veterans of that war.

Nebraska Memories includes a few photographs of soldiers in World War I era military uniforms, including these Student Army Training Corps members at Wayne State College. Another Nebraskan, Clyde Zeilinger of David City, served as a medic during World War I and was held as a prisoner of war in Germany for two weeks. He is pictured in Nebraska Memories in his military uniform.

Perhaps the most interesting World War I items in Nebraska Memories are several pieces of sheet music for songs written during the war, all part of the Polley Music Library collection. Many of these songs exhort Americans at home to do their part to support those serving overseas, such as “Stand Behind the Man Behind the Gun.” While all of these songs were written by Nebraskans, one song in particular (“I Wanta Ask Y’u About Nebraska”) is about two Nebraskan soldiers fighting overseas during the war, reminiscing about home. One interesting note: You’ll notice that the lyrics of both of these songs refer to American soldiers as “Sammies.” This was a nickname for American troops during World War I, a reference to Uncle Sam.

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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

Fire fighters were a part of Nebraska’s history even before statehood. The volunteer fire department in Nebraska City, founded in 1856, is the oldest fire department still in existence in the state. While we don’t have any images of the Nebraska City department, Nebraska Memories does include many images of fire fighters from around the state.

There are quite a few posed pictures of fire fighters, including the 1910-1911 Crawford fire department, the Bertrand fire department sometime around 1900, and some Lincoln fire fighters in 1898.
If you would like to see fire fighters in action, check out this series of photographs of Holdrege volunteer fire fighters battling a fire at Linder Motor Company in 1954. There are also several photographs of the destruction caused by this particular fire.
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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

It’s that time of year again – time to head back to school! Start your school year off right by exploring images of schools and education in Nebraska Memories.

Start by viewing the exteriors of schools through the years. This photograph of a schoolhouse in Sidney was taken in 1887, and it looks very different from this photograph of Bancroft School in Lincoln, taken in the 1950s.

What would school buildings be without the classroom activities inside them? This 1947 classroom at East Olive School in Butler County and this 1924 penmanship class at Bancroft Elementary School in Lincoln are just two examples of Nebraska classrooms.

In addition to classes, extracurricular activities are an important part of the school experience. Nebraska schools have had many interesting activities, including a bird lovers’ club at McKinley School in Lincoln and the David City High School men’s quartet.

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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

Now that the weather has cooled off a little bit, perhaps you are thinking of getting outside and visiting a local park. If it’s still too hot for you, you can enjoy the images of parks in Nebraska Memories instead. While parks have been an important part of many Nebraska towns, the Nebraska Memories collection is especially rich in images of Omaha’s parks.


The parks of Omaha have been used for many recreational purposes, including performances. At Hanscom Park, a portable bandstand could be brought in with horses when needed for performance events. Other parks had more permanent structures, such as this pavilion in Riverview Park.


Parks also provide more informal recreational opportunities for children and adults alike. These boys are enjoying a merry-go-round in a local park, and Peony Park provides the backdrop for a game of horseshoes for this group of men.


In addition to recreation, parks often serve as nature retreats in the middle of an urban landscape. The long winding drive in Miller Park and the lagoon in Fontenelle Park are just a couple examples of the beauty of nature in the middle of Omaha.


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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

Are you tired of the hot July weather? Take a moment to explore these refreshing images of swimmers in Nebraska Memories.

These women are enjoying the water at Linoma Beach, which was founded in 1924 as a “pleasure resort” halfway between Lincoln and Omaha.

This boy is among the swimmers relaxing at the David City Municipal Pool in a 1948 photograph.

This swimming hole at an unknown Nebraska location shows another way in which people have taken to the water for recreation.

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/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

To celebrate the beginning of June, a traditional month for weddings, take a look at some of the images of weddings in Nebraska Memories. The celebrations range from large family gatherings to small wartime ceremonies, and they show how wedding customs have changed over the years.

This 1902 portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Duffek is one of many wedding portraits taken by Harvey Boston, a photographer in David City. William Wentworth, an Omaha photographer, also took many wedding photographs in the 1940s, including this one at the Kelly wedding.

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://www.nlc.state.ne.us/nebraskamemories/ for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

In 1862, the United States Congress passed the Homestead Act, which turned over large amounts of public land to private citizens. Homesteaders were able to claim 160 acres of land and were required to make improvements to the land, which included building a house on it within six months. On the Great Plains, where trees were scarce, many homesteaders built homes out of sod, which was jokingly called “Nebraska marble.” For more information on sod houses, explore these resources from the Smithsonian Institution or NebraskaStudies.org.

The house on the homestead of Herman Staberg is one example of a residence made of sod. Sod was not only used for houses, but for other buildings as well. This school in Cheyenne County and this church in Funk were both made out of sod.

More images of sod buildings can be seen in Nebraska Memories.

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://www.nlc.state.ne.us/nebraskamemories/ for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.