Category Archives: Nebraska Memories

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.

I spent a bit of time over the holiday weekend telling family members to smile and say cheese. As usual some of them were more cooperative then others. The other day, as I was looking at the photos I took, I wondered if there were any interesting Christmas photos in Nebraska Memories and I’m happy to report I wasn’t disappointed. Here are a few of my favorites.

My favorite Christmas picture has to be the photo titled “Family by Christmas tree“. Unfortunately we don’t know the name of the family featured in this photo from the early 1900’s but the looks on their faces are priceless. As the description states none of the six people in the photo are looking in the same direction. In some ways it is a typical family photo however with two of the boys messing around, the third one facing the wrong direction and the fourth one looking very unhappy. Thankfully I don’t think any of my family photos turned out quite this bad. The lack of names on this photo however does serve as a good reminder. I need to take the time to add names to all of my family photos so a hundred plus years from now folks will know the names of everyone in the photo including the person who was making bunny ears.

I really have to admire the photographer, children and anyone who helped with this photo of the “Immanuel Children’s Home at Christmas“. Somehow they managed to get eight small children to sit facing the camera, have fairly happy looks on their faces, stop playing with their toys, and hold still long enough to snap a photo. I find that pretty impressive! It’s also a cute picture.

I also enjoyed looking at all of the Christmas trees in the different photos. Some of them are pretty scraggly compared to the artificial trees I’m used to seeing today. And finally what would a set of Christmas pictures be without a picture of Santa Claus with his sleigh and reindeer.

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.

Last week I had the opportunity to drive through Tilden NE. For those of you not familiar with Tilden it is located about 20 miles west of Norfolk on highway 275 along the Elkhorn River. As I drove through town I thought about the “Tilden Woman’s Club project of local historical remembrance” that can be found in Nebraska Memories.

This 120+ page type-written manuscript with hand-written corrections was compiled by Violet E. Garrison of Tilden for the Tilden Woman’s Club project. It covers the history of Tilden, which was originally named Burnett, from 1870 to 1902. The paragraph on the front cover of the document states: “At the beginning of each year–we “fit” the Tilden Community Story into the larger framework of American history to help the reader “place” the period we describe.”

The document is very interesting to read. It paints a great picture of what life in Nebraska was like in the late 1800’s. I can only imagine what the land looked like back then with buffalo, antelope, elk, deer, beaver, wolves, badgers and wild cats roaming the land.

I knew that Tilden currently is located in both Madison and Antelope County, but I didn’t realize this divide dated back to at least 1885. The Village of Burnett was incorporated in 1885. There was one small problem however; the first corporate limits did not include any territory in Antelope County. This split in 1885 left about 1/3 of the population free from city tax and not controlled by city ordinances. “This situation was novel in that public peace could be disturbed on the Antelope side of Tilden, and those offending could not be arrested by the Burnett Marshal under city laws.” “This condition was to prevail until 1894 when the Antelope side of Tilden was annexed.”

To learn more about the history of Tilden and Nebraska in the late 1800’s spend some time reading the “Tilden Woman’s Club project of local historical remembrance”.

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.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and this week we are  highlighting a  collection of  photographs  taken by John Alvin  Anderson  .   The images were contributed to Nebraska Memories  by the Nebraska State  Historical Society, which scanned part of its collection of Anderson’s glass plate negatives.   John A. Anderson was born in Sweden in 1869 and brought to Pennsylvania with his family in 1870.   In 1883 he came to  Cherry County with his father and brothers.  He learned photography at an early age and took photographs of soldiers and natives living at Fort Niobrara and the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. In 1889 he was the official photographer for the Crook Treaty Council held by General George Crook with the Brule Sioux at the Rosebud Reservation.

  In  1895 Anderson married and moved to the Reservation with his wife, where he opened a store and continued to photograph the people living there. He was able to photograph several chiefs, including  this 1902 one of  Chief Two Strike , who was a member of a delegation to Washington, D.C.  after the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.    He also took many photos of daily activities like cattle branding and butchering and of festivities like the Grass Dance  pictured at the top of this posting,  which is still danced today .

Setting aside a time   to honor Native Americans has been advocated for many years,  and some states  have done this.   Although an official national  holiday has never been enacted,  in 1990 Congress  passed a resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month.  The designation has been renewed each year since 1994. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum host the   Native American Heritage Month website  linking to collections, images, audio, video and teacher guides documenting native history and traditions.

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.

On September 27, 1908, the first Ford Model T left the factory. Henry Ford’s Model T changed the transportation industry by supplying affordable cars to everyone at $850 per car as opposed to $1,000-$2,000 from other manufacturers. Ford accomplished this by developing assembly line manufacturing which speeded up production and, in turn, helped lower prices.

Nebraskans were no different than the rest of the world when it came to an interest in automobiles. A number of them tried their hand at designing and/or building their own motor vehicles. Some were big and bulky as you can see in this image of the M.H. Miller vehicle, from the Townsend Collection.

Others were sleek and racy, such as the car shown in these images with just its chassis and then the completed vehicle in front of Central Auto Repair and Machine Works from the Townsend Collection. In addition, to manufacturing companies and auto repair shops, other automobile-related businesses opened, too, such as dealerships, services stations, automobile associations, etc.

W.L Huffman Auto Company was one of many car dealerships that sprang up around the state to sell these new machines—and not just those from the big three American automobile companies that are around today. This dealership, for example, sold Hupmobiles and Detroit Electric cars as shown in this photograph from the Townsend Collection.

And people had fun with their new vehicles—using them for racing, endurance tests, or decorating them for parades—like this Decorated automobile image from the Nebraska State Historical Society Collection. To see many more automobile and automobile-related images, check out 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://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director,
or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

On September 20, 1904, Wilbur Wright flew the first complete circle in history by a manned heavier-than-air powered machine, flying the Wright brothers’ biplane  4,080 feet.  It wasn’t a quick circle, taking about a minute and a half.  This image from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection of  a page from  Wilbur’s logbook shows data and a diagram of the flight.

It wasn’t long before Nebraskans were soaring in those flying machines.  Dr. Frank A. Brewster   of Beaver City  was known as the Flying Doctor.  Dr. Brewster embraced new tools  to help him with his far-flung practice in western Nebraska and Kansas.    He began using a motorcycle in 1903 to make his rounds, and in 1905 got an automobile.  In 1919 he bought a biplane and hired World War I pilot Wade Stevens  to  fly him to his patients.  The duo is pictured on the left with the plane.  On May 23^rd 1919  he  flew to Herndon  Kansas  to perform surgery on an oilfield worker who had suffered a crushed skull in an accident – possibly the first time an airplane was used for commercial or humanitarian purposes.   Dr. Brewster  continued his flying practice until 1937 and learned to fly himself in  1943,  at the  age of 71.  More images in Nebraska Memories of Dr. Brewster can be viewed here.

Air shows in the pioneering days of flight were popular events showcasing flying machines and the skill of the pilots, just as they are today.   Aerial performances are dangerous  and can be fatal.   This summer the pilot was killed at a crash at the Kansas City Air Show in August and there are multiple deaths (11 at this writing) from the crash this month at the Reno Air Race.

We don’t know if the pilot of the plane which crashed on the roof of a barn at an early Nebraska air show survived, but the plane certainly didn’t.  More images of biplanes in Nebraska Memories  can be viewed here .

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.

“The building was completely destroyed by fire on October 31, 1947. The fire started about 11:00 p.m. in the projection room after the second show. About 100 people were in the building. Everyone got out unharmed.” (Opera House, Valley, Neb. from the Valley Public Library collection)

When we talk to new and prospective participants to the Nebraska Memories Project, we ask that the images contributed be identified with the basic who, what, where, and when for a general description. But, as we have heard time and again, people especially enjoy the additional stories or information that participating institutions gather about their items. Where does the information come from—the basic as well as extra? Well, participants often use the traditional research tools such as old newspapers, local history books and census records. But many of them also tap into people’s knowledge and memories.

The Valley Public Library, in addition to questioning people individually, organized a coffee and cookies event at the local café. According to Gerri Nordell, invitations were mailed out and transportation arranged to bring in about twenty folks from their homes or the local care facility. Magnifying glasses helped with the small details in photographs, and one person’s memories nudged another’s. After two hours, “they left … still talking about the ‘good old days’.”

In Sidney, people’s memories had already been tapped for a book on local history. But two volunteers in particular who ran the Cheyenne County Historical Society and Museum added extra details when working with Commission staff. In small communities, these older people often know all the local businesses, families and their homes. And the information, as is found in the record’s Historical Notes field for this image (George and Mabel Jung farm with early wind power from the Cheyenne County Historical Society and Museum collection), can provide insights into the lives and living conditions of people in Nebraska and the Midwest during those earlier times.

Another volunteer-run project, the Butler County Gallery collection (which consists mostly of studio portraits), used a different approach in tapping people resources. Whenever they heard a family reunion was to be held, they would reach out to promote their collection and ask for information. Feedback included people’s names, birth and death dates, professions and activities, and personal stories. And, of course, corrections! Such was the case with this photograph of Lyle, Fay and Garth Osterhout.

So, if your Nebraska institution has Nebraska-related historical materials that others could enjoy, learn from, or contribute stories to, consider becoming a Nebraska Memories participant. The Nebraska Library Commission hosts the database and will work with your staff on selection of appropriate materials, scanning the items and gathering information to create descriptive records. For more information about participating, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

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. 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.

With the Nebraska State Fair ending earlier this week and many county fairs only distant memories I thought it would be a great time to view some photos of past fairs.  As I was looking at the  photos of past fairs in Nebraska Memories it’s interesting to see how fairs of the past compare with my current fair memories.

One of the items included in Nebraska Memories is a ticket for the fourth annual fair of the Sarpy County Agricultural Society. It was held in Papillion on September 21-24, 1886. As you can see, the ticket is quite fancy with a decorative boarder and a picture of a man and steer printed in red ink. What I find interesting however is the fact that the printed portion of the ticket clearly states it admits the person whose name has been written on the line along with “his wife and children under 18 years of age”. That sure doesn’t look like any fair ticket I’ve ever used.

Have you ever had your palm read at a fair? This early 1900’s photo shows Madam Seero Temple of Palmistry tent. There is a woman dressed in a costume standing in the entry of the tent who might be Madam Seero herself. Do you think we will ever see a palm reader’s tent at a fair in  Nebraska?

A few things have appeared to stand the test of time. The merry-go-round in this photo from the 1900’s looks a lot like modern-day merry-go-rounds. At a fair this year I saw a number of very nice looking produce exhibits however none of them contained anything as creative as this corn cob log cabin.

Take a few minutes and browse the other fair items in Nebraska Memories and think about how fairs of the past compare with your current fair 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://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.