Book Review: Nebraska History Moments

Nebraska History Moments: Stories & Photos from the Collections of Nebraska History by David L. Bristow, History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 2021. 

This book is based mostly on articles from Nebraska History Magazine.  It is not in any kind of order but is made to be browsed, each story b eing able to stand alone.  For example, There is a picture of Pawnee women.  The Pawnee are the oldest Native American group in Nebraska.  

Bellevue was slated to be the territorial capital, except for the death of the first territorial governor after a couple days it office it would have been.  Thomas Cuming, territorial secretary became acting governor.  He was aligned with those favoring Omaha, and the territorial capital was moved there. 

George Norris supported Unicameral legislature.  Consequently the state legislature house only one house instead of two since 1934.  Consequently there are less salaries to pay.

1908 flooding in Lincoln lead to a series of dams being built on the Salt Creek watershed.  There have been no floods in Lincoln since this.

The small town of Broken Bow (about 1000 people) supported three newspapers in 1882, two Republican newspapers and one Democrat.

Women's suffrage in Nebraska was an issue for many years.  In 1856 a bill for suffrage passed in the lower house, but failed in the upper.  Had is passed Nebraska would have been the first to provide the vote for women.  Nebraska became the second to provide the vote to women in school elections.  However general suffrage was not passed, and when it did it was held up in the courts, so general suffrage for women did not become law in Nebraska until it was passed on a federal level in 1920.  

Camp Robinson provided the Army with its best horsemen.  So announced a sign above the barrack doors at the fort.  Even so there are mishaps with horses as shown in a photograph.  Fort Robinson began as an outpost in the Indian Wars and was active up until WWI.  

This book sports this type of story.  It has over 100 stories in total; 132 pictures.

Magazine Article Review: Early License Plates and Driver's Licenses, Nebraskaland Magazine

 Early License Plates and Driver's Licenses, David L. Bristow, History Nebraska, Nebraskaland Magazine, Inspiring Outdoor Adventure since 1926, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska, Volume 100 # 8, October 2022, pp 36-39.

Drivers license plates can be very intereting.  In 1905 the fist license plates were issues in Nebraska, but plates were not made until 1915.  For ten years people had to make their own plates, the numbers were given and then people would attach the letters to a piece of leather which they put on their cars.  At this time automobile ownership was for the wealthier people as cars were very expensive.  When license plates were first made the carried only the basic information, the number.  

By 1930 Nebraska required a driver's license to drive a vehicle.  At that time licenses included the name, age of the driver, race and complexion.  There was no picture.  On the back of the license would be written the infractions an individual may have.

This article includes a picture of license plates starting in 1915.  Originally the license plate was longer and narrower.  They had the number, NEB and the year.  Nebraska has been known as the beef state and the cornhusker state.  After 1972 the year stickers were added.  Also added after 1972 was a third color.  Before that there was the color of the plate and the printed number.