2002 - 2003

The Nebraska State Historical Society safeguards Nebraska's past and makes it accessible in ways that enrich present and future generations.

• Summary: From the Board President and the Society Director
• Highlights: Progress toward meeting strategic goals
  • Collections: Acquire, preserve, and make accessible collections, sites, and information that best represent the history and culture of Nebraska and its people.
  • Awareness: Increase public awareness of NSHS as the primary resource for Nebraska history information.
  • Public Service: Deliver historical information and materials to the public in ways that meet users' needs.
  • Facilities: Provide and maintain state-of-the-art facilities for Society collections and programs.
  • Technology: Use new technology to further the Society's mission.
  • Funding: Secure and maintain an adequate, stable, and diversified base of financial support.
  • Staff: Develop and retain the most qualified staff possible.
• Awards
• Board of Trustees
• Financial Report
• Donors: Archeology, Museum, Library/Archives Divisions
• NSHS Foundation

From the Board President and the Society Director

Nebraska's history is an essential part of the fabric and identity of the state, and for 125 years the Nebraska State Historical Society's mission has remained unchanged: To preserve Nebraska's past and make it accessible to all Nebraskans in ways that enrich present and future generations. The year 2003 marks not only the 125th anniversary of the Society's founding in 1878-it is also the 50th anniversary of the Society's headquarters building at 1500 R Street in Lincoln. This year that landmark structure, the Society's first permanent home, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Through the past century and a quarter, the Society has become a multifaceted organization serving many diverse interests, but has never lost sight of its fundamental purpose: to instill in all Nebraskans an appreciation for and understanding of the story of their state, and to provide access to resources that will promote inquiry, dialogue, and diversity of opinion to inform decisions facing them today and in the future. As the Society moves forward into the twenty-first century, these institutional values remain the bedrock of its being:

• Preservation: The preservation of Nebraska's past is the legacy of its people.
• Public Service: The Society exists to serve the people of Nebraska.
• Trust: The Society's collections are held in trust for all Nebraskans.
• Excellence: In everything it does the Society adheres to the highest professional standards.

Unfortunately 2003 is also the second consecutive year of severe budget cuts, bringing significant staff reductions, shortened hours, and curtailed services. Similar cuts, caused by state revenue shortfalls, have affected most states.

Nevertheless, the Society's achievements were notable: The Museum of Nebraska History's antiquated air conditioning, which failed completely in the summer of 2002, was replaced with a new state-of-the-art system. In June the reconstructed 1874 cavalry barracks (or Cheyenne Outbreak Barracks) at Fort Robinson was dedicated, its construction made possible by joint funding from the state and the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation. As in other years, the Foundation supported a variety of activities including equipment purchases, publications, internships, National History Day travel scholarships, acquisitions for Society collections, and research fellowships for visiting scholars. To commemorate the 125th anniversary the Society mounted a year-long series of "Nebraska Treasures" exhibits and programs, and the annual meeting on September 26 will mark both the Society and the headquarters building anniversaries.

We want to thank NSHS trustees Herb Grandbois of Omaha and Keith Blackledge of North Platte for their service to the Society. Each has served two terms on the Society board, and their interest, leadership, and good counsel will be missed. Thanks are due, too, to the many friends of the Society who have donated materials to the collections. The museum, the library and archives, and the archeological collections are richer as a result of their generosity- and the story of this state's past is more complete. To make it possible to distribute this report widely while keeping costs low, these donors are not individually acknowledged here, but all will be listed on the Society's website at www.nebraskahistory.org.

Jack Preston, President
Nebraska State Historical Society
Board of Trustees

Lawrence Sommer,
Director and State Historic
Preservation Officer

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Highlights

With six divisions, four locations in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as six state historic sites, a branch museum, and numerous unstaffed properties across the state, the Nebraska State Historical Society is a diverse and widespread institution. Nevertheless, the agency's mission is clear, unified by its institutional values and the seven goals of its strategic plan. The touchstone for all its work, the strategic goals are the framework for the agency's collective achievements in the year 2002­03:

Abbreviations Used

Arch=Archeology Division DIL=Digital Imaging Lab GRFCC=Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center HP=Historic Preservation Office

L/A=Library/Archives Division M&HS=Museum and Historic Sites Division R&P=Research and Publications Division Vols=Volunteers

Collections

Acquire, preserve, and make accessible collections, sites, and information that best represent the history and culture of Nebraska and its people.

• Completed conservation assessment of Library/Archives collections. (GRFCC)
• Prepared long range preservation plan for the Museum of Nebraska History collections. (GRFCC, M&HS)
• Re-housed, treated, or completed condition reports on some two hundred objects from the MNH collection. (GRFCC)
• Treated, scanned, and rehoused more than fourteen hundred glass plate negatives from the NSHS Aero Service collection. (DIL)
• Created more than three thousand digital files of objects from collections of M&HS, L/A, Archeology (Arch), and Historic Preservation (HP) divisions. (GRFCC, DIL)
• Completed or accepted more than 144 new projects for conservation treatment from other institutions and individuals. (GRFCC)
• Began cataloging the Ford Center library's collection of conservation and preservation related titles. (GRFCC)
• Completed conservation assessments or full collection surveys for ten institutions. (GRFCC)
• Received records of thirty businesses, individuals, organizations, research projects, and construction projects. (L/A)
• Cataloged 638 new titles into the library collection. (L/A, Vols)
• Microfilmed thirty-five reels of newspapers for the Nebraska Newspaper Project, seventy reels of the papers of folklorist Benjamin Botkin for UN-L; and processed 100 reels produced by Correctional Services. (L/A)
• Received more than 3,000 reels of security microfilm and 156 cubic feet of records in the State Archives. (L/A)
• Completed two film preservation projects funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation, and received additional NFPF funding for a third project. (L/A)
• Purchased the thirteen-volume index to the 1910 Nebraska census, thirteen microfilm reels of Nebraska state and county histories, World War I draft cards, and seventeen replacement reels of Omaha city directories. (L/A)
• Accessioned 711 objects from 83 donors into the museum collections (M&HS)
• Completed a collections management manual. (M&HS)
• Established an integrated pest management program at the museum, all historic sites, and archeology lab. (GRFCC, M&HS, Arch)
• Continued laboratory analysis of materials from seven sites. (Arch)
• Accepted 500 boxes of artifacts and associated records from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation formerly housed at the University of Nebraska State Museum. (Arch)
• Moved 5,500 artifact boxes and field equipment from the Museum of Nebraska History to the Archeology Division collections facility in the Lincoln Children's Museum. (Arch) · Inventoried nearly 10,000 objects from 22 archeological sites for the Bureau of Reclamation. (Arch)
• Selected over sixty archeological objects and developed draft labels for the "Nebraska Treasures" project. (Arch)
• Developed a display about the Archeology Division for the headquarters building. (Arch)
• Completed Nebraska Historic Buildings Surveys in Webster, Nuckolls, Sarpy, and Saunders counties; began surveys in Nemaha and Cass counties. (HP)
• Completed a statewide survey and overview of highway development with Nebraska Department of Roads. (HP)
• Completed a 3,040-acre survey and archeological investigation of Lower Elkhorn and Platte River drainage in Douglas and Sarpy counties; recorded more than a hundred new sites. (HP, Arch)
• Completed a 5,200-acre archeological survey of the Upper Loup drainage in Custer, Loup, Blaine, Thomas, Brown, and Cherry counties, recording forty-three new archeological sites. (HP, Arch)
• Processed twenty-three National Register of Historic Places sites. (HP)

Awareness

Increase public awareness of NSHS as the primary resource for Nebraska history information.

• Conducted tours for more than a thousand government officials, students, visiting professional peers, and members of the general public. (GRFCC, DIL)
• Continued ongoing research and writing for Society publications and outside publishers. (All Divisions)
• Published Volume 83 of Nebraska History (R&P)
• Negotiated a reprint agreement with University of Oklahoma Press for Fort Robinson and the American West, 1874-1899. (R&P)
• Completed editing of volume one of the Eli S. Ricker interviews, and began editing of volume two (R&P)
• Distributed "Nebraska Timeline" to newspapers throughout the state (R&P)
• Cosponsored publication on the importance and care of archeological records for the "Explore Nebraska Archeology" series. (HP, Arch)
• Represented the agency on national and local media. (All Divisions)
• Presented papers and workshops, and chaired sessions at professional meetings; taught university classes, presented workshops for peers and members of the general public. (All Divisions)
• Consulted with institutions nationwide on digital imaging of collections. (DIL)
• Maintained and updated the Society's website. (M&HS)
• Assisted in planning for a marker at the George Norris birthsite, Sandusky County, Ohio. (M&HS)
• Coordinated and presented twelve History Forum brown-bag lectures, all taped for broadcast on local public access television. (All Divisions)
• Participated in planning and implementing the fifth Nebraska Teacher's Institute. (All Divisions)
• Supervised more than twenty-five volunteers in a thousand hours of fieldwork, data entry, and laboratory processing of artifacts. (Arch)
• Sponsored a consultation among the Historical Society, the Department of Roads, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma regarding discovery of Pawnee sites during highway construction. (Arch)
• Participated in agency-wide Public Dimension Assessment project. (All Divisions)
• Sponsored regional National Register of Historic Places training for local preservation advocates and property owners. (HP)
• Conducted or participated in more than fifty public outreach information and educational meetings statewide. (HP)
• Participated in "Centennial of Flight" programs with other state agencies, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute, and private citizens. (HP)
• Awarded three $2,000 grants to support research in Society collections. (R&P)

Public Service

Deliver historical information and materials to the public in ways that meet users' needs.

• Consulted with curators at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery (Lincoln) on upgrading museum storage areas. (GRFCC)
• Conducted tours and demonstrations for conservators, museum and library professionals, students, and community groups. (GRFCC, M&HS, L/A)
• Trained personnel from other institutions in conservation treatments and paper preservation. (GRFCC, L/A)
• Helped organize and hosted a three-day public event highlighting the contributions of African Americans to the historic and cultural shaping of the state. (All Divisions)
• Held a public workshop on the safe display of art and objects. (GRFCC)
• Conducted a workshop on bone conservation and preservation at the University of Kansas Museum of Anthropology. (GRFCC)
• Taught graduate level courses for the Museum Studies Program (GRFCC,M&HS, L/A) and the Archeological Field School, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. (Arch)
• Produced more than two thousand scans for the Kansas State Historical Society and University of Kansas "Territorial Kansas Online" project. Completed twenty other digital imaging projects for state agencies, regional institutions, and other clients. (DIL)
• Served more than five thousand reference room patrons, answered nearly four thousand research requests by mail, and provided more than five hundred microfilm reels to researchers through interlibrary loan. (L/A, Vols)
• Curated Reel Treasures: Nebraska's Contribution to America's Best Films, the 2002 NSHS film series. (L/A)
• Produced inventories for nine collections of material from the archives. (L/A, Vols)
• Welcomed nearly eighty-four thousand visitors to the sites and museums including more than eleven thousand schoolchildren at the Museum of Nebraska History. (M&HS, Vols)
• Designed, produced, and opened nine exhibits. (M&HS)
• Presented lectures to twenty-six public and school groups. (Arch)
• Fielded more than 150 inquiries from the public regarding various aspects of Nebraska archeology. (Arch)
• Recruited and trained seventeen new docents. Twenty-six docents conducted 389 museum tours. (M&HS, Vols)
• Implemented a series of thematic gallery tours to support teachers in addressing state education standards. (M&HS)
• Developed new teacher surveys for assessing outcomes of student interactions with the museum. (M&HS)
• Offered a new series of summer "Making History Workshops." (M&HS)
• Responded to more than three hundred requests for educational materials. (M&HS)
• Filled orders for some eighty-eight thousand Nebraska Trailblazers. (M&HS)
• Sent traveling educational trunks to fourteen school districts and museums. (M&HS)
• Provided judges and in-depth critiques for Nebraska History Day. (M&HS, R&P)
• Held several temporary quilt and sewing shows at the Senator George Norris State Historic Site. (M&HS)
• Served an average of fifty-five people at each "Sunday Afternoon at the Rock" program. (M&HS)
• Held annual Spring Festival at Willa Cather State Historic Site, which included grand opening of the Opera House. (M&HS)
• Held annual spring conference and the annual Neihardt Day celebration at John G. Neihardt State Historic Site. (M&HS)
• Held fifth Neihardt/Black Elk Young Writers Workshop with faculty from Wayne State College. (M&HS)
• Installed six new markers and made plans to refurbish markers in need of repair. (M&HS)
• Provided support to the University of Nebraska's Trailside Museum at Fort Robinson. (M&HS)
• Evaluated 198 Department of Roads projects for potential impact on National Register of Historic Places eligible sites. More than 30 new archeological sites were discovered. (Arch)
• Recorded 250 previously unknown Euroamerican and Native American archeological sites identified by archeologists from the Society and other agencies. (Arch)
• Provided archeological fieldwork experience to students from Omaha area elementary and high schools and the Durham Western Heritage Museum. (Arch)
• Participated in eighteen investigations with the State Patrol crime lab and other law enforcement agencies. (Arch)
• Conducted fifty-six site file and literature searches for outside researchers. (Arch)
• Participated in a multitribal consultation sponsored by the Kansas City office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (Arch)
• Discovered and initiated excavations at Engineer Cantonment, the 1819­20 winter camp of the Stephen Long Expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains. (Arch)
• Conducted emergency excavations at a deeply buried 5,000-year-old site near Elm Creek for the Department of Roads. (Arch)
• Completed fieldwork documenting Sidney-Black Hills Trail ruts north of Marsland for the Department of Roads. (Arch)
• Sponsored a dig for Fontenelle Forest members at Engineer Cantonment. (Arch)
• Sponsored seven professional internships for graduate students in archeology and museum studies. (Arch)
• Assisted with LR2CA (a proposed constitutional amendment to allow future legislation to assist historic properties) that will appear on the general election ballot in 2004. (HP)
• Cosponsored the Nebraska Lied Main Street Program with state agencies, commissions, foundations, and the UN-L College of Architecture. (HP)
• Represented NSHS in planning and programing committees on environmental enhancement, outdoor recreation, trails and tourism development.(HP, R&P, Arch)
• Funded Certified Local Government (CLG) historic preservation projects in Lincoln and Omaha. (HP).
• Funded a preservation plan for the historic Lincoln Highway near Elkhorn with city, county, regional, and federal agencies. (HP)
• Processed applications for historic preservation tax incentive projects and approved three totalling more than $6,000,000. (HP)
• Commented on potential effects on historic and culturally significant properties of fifteen hundred federal undertakings. (HP)
• Sponsored statewide Section 106 training for federal and state officials. (HP)
• Initiated discussions with the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska for development of National Register designation for traditional Ponca lands as a significant cultural landscape. (HP)
• Began consultations on creating preservation plans with the National Forest Service for historic NFS properties in four counties. (HP)
• Continued bimonthly programs and publication of a newsletter for volunteers. (Vols)

Facilities

Provide and maintain state-of-the-art facilities for Society collections and programs.

• Completed roof repairs, installed water purification system, conducted facility tour for legislature's 309 Committee, Consulted on air conditioning replacement for MNH. (GRFCC, M&HS)
• Installed new air conditioning at the Museum of Nebraska History. (M&HS)
• Remodeled and equipped new collections department offices, labs, and records storage areas in the Museum of Nebraska History. (M&HS)
• Developed plans for future collections storage needs. (GRFCC, M&HS)
• Completed building construction, maintenance and repair projects at Thomas P. Kennard House, Fort Robinson, Neligh Mill State Historic Site, and Chimney Rock Visitor Center. (M&HS)
• Provided carpentry, construction, and installation support to other divisions. (M&HS)
• Upgraded the security system at the Senator George Norris State Historic Site. (M&HS)
• Completed the historic landscape installation at the Thomas P. Kennard House. (M&HS)

Technology

Use new technology to further the Society's mission.

• Acquired new computers and a variety of software, digital cameras, scanners, printers, servers and networking equipment, and Internet tools software. (All Divisions)
• Expanded individual and agency-wide use of Internet resources for communication, research, interaction with patrons and peers, other agencies, and state government; posted hundreds of new pages, including new data bases, and texts on the Society website. (All Divisions)
• Prepared data from the Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey for conversion to agency's Geographic Information System. (HP)
• Began preparing Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey county reports for eventual posting on the the NSHS website. (HP)
• Began converting color slides and digital images of historic properties for use in public programs and online. (HP)
• Produced an online exhibit of original source materials relating to Chimney Rock for the Western Trails Project, a multi-state collaborative project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. (L/A, DIL)
• Purchased a library automation system for improved access to materials in-house and online. More than twentyeight thousand titles (of some fifty thousand) have been entered. (L/A)
• Designed a collection-level guide to the Society's archival holdings that will be accessible and searchable online, funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. (L/A)
• Began a project to convert catalog records to an automated form. (L/A)
• Added four thousand automated catalog records of Nebraska newspapers to the online catalog. (L/A)
• Digitized audio and video clips for exhibits and online projects. Presented a workshop on digitizing moving images and sound recordings at the annual meeting of the American Association for State and Local History. (L/A)
• Mounted NSHS's first online exhibit, "Still Making the Best Better: One Hundred Years of 4-H in Nebraska." (M&HS)
• Coordinated ground penetrating radar and magnetometer surveys at Engineer Cantonment and Fort Atkinson. (Arch)
• Completed a report on the Nebraska Cultural Resources Geographic Information System (NCRGIS) project. (Arch)
• Initiated accession-level database for all recorded archeological sites. (Arch)

Funding

Secure and maintain an adequate, stable, and diversified base of financial support.

Raised fees and increased earned income through fees for services. (All Divisions)

Solicited and received outside funding for Ford Center library cataloging project and equipment purchases. (GFRC)

Raised outside funds to underwrite exhibits costs for "Another Nebraska: A Look at our Black Heritage." (M&HS, R&P)

Provided support to the NSHS Foundation fundraising efforts through development of exhibits, flyers, posters, newsletters, and other requests. (M&HS)

Participated in "Lincoln's History Mystery," a NSHS Foundation awareness and fundraising event. (M&HS, R&P, L/A)

Entered into cooperative agreements with the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for curation of federal archeological collections. (Arch)

Renewed Nebraska Department of Roads Cooperative Agreement for the Highway Archeology Program. (Arch)

Generated more than $19,457 in net sales at museum stores across the state. (M&HS, Vols)

Received Transportation Enhancement Act Funds to repair damaged historical markers (M&HS)

Received grant funds from federal, state, and private sources. (All Divisions)

Staff

Develop and retain the most qualified staff possible.

• Hired a new Ford Center coordinator. (GFRC)
• Contributed a total of 9,157 unpaid work hours to the Society. (Vols)
• Provided opportunities for staff to attend workshops, classes, and professional conferences. (All Divisions)
• Hired an architectural historian to evaluate standing structures potentially affected by Nebraska Department of Roads undertakings. (Arch)
• Established an office in Chadron for the senior research historian. (R&P)

Nebraska State Historical Society Awards

Addison E. Sheldon Award: Gage County Historical Society.
For outstanding achievements in the preservation and interpretation of Nebraska history. Also recognized: Kent Wilson, GCHS director, retiring after fifteen years service.

James L. Sellers Memorial Award: Dr. Timothy Mahoney, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
For the outstanding article in the previous year's volume of Nebraska History, "The Great Sheedy Murder Trial and the Booster Ethos of the Gilded Age in Lincoln, Nebraska," Winter 2001.

Robert W. Furnas Award: Robert C. Pettit.
For outstanding contributions to the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Thirty-six years as a curator in the Society's museum collections; cataloged tens of thousands of items, oversaw computerization of collections records, donated more than two hundred objects.

Nebraska Preservation Award: Dutton-Lainson Company, Hastings.
Rehabilitation of the 1902 Hastings Burlington Depot, in cooperation with the city of Hastings and the Nebraska Department of Roads.

Asa T. Hill Award: Nebraska Department of Roads.
For achievements in the preservation of Nebraska archeology. For its partnership with the Society in the Highway Salvage Archeology program and assistance in locating and excavating diverse historic and prehistoric sites.

Nebraska State Historical Society Board of Trustees

Jack Preston, President
Pat Kennedy, 1st Vice President
Joyce Hillman-Kortum, 2nd Vice President
Patricia Phillips, Treasurer
Lawrence J. Sommer, Secretary
Trustees, elected members:
Margaret Allington
Keith Blackledge
Peter Bleed
James Denney
Patrick Kennedy
Jason Kress
Ann Marsh
Patricia Phillips
Jack Preston
Charles Trimble
Sally Stauffer Vifquain
Bev Wilhelm

Trustees, appointed members:

G. H. Grandbois
Joyce Hillman-Kortum
Martin Massengale

Nebraska State Historical Society Financial Report
Fiscal Year Operations 2002-03
(Based on preliminary year-end information. Excludes fiscal year accruals.)

Revenues                         %     Dollar Amounts

State Appropriations          63.96        $4,123,531
NSHS Foundation Support        3.98           256,774*
Earned Income                 18.61         1,199,997
Federal Grants/Contracts      12.85           828,493
Donations/Grants/Spec. Events   .60            38,433

Total Revenues                             $6,447,228

Expenditures

Museum/Historic Sites         20.74        $1,337,369
Administrative Services       20.41         1,315,819
Library/Archives              16.23         1,046,409
Historic Preservation         15.50           999,394
Archeology                    12.44           801,936
Conservation                   8.56           551,825
Research & Publications        6.12           394,476

Total Expenditures                         $6,447,228

*In addition to the figure above the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation provided direct support in the amount of $74,732.

Respectfully submitted,

Tony A. Schmitz
Deputy Director for Operations

 

Donors
Archeology, Museum, Library/Archives Divisions
July 1, 2002 - June 30, 2003

Douglass G. Adams, Ukiah, CA
Suzy Albin, El Cajon, CA
Fred Amis, Omaha
Ramona Anderson, North Platte
Curt & Donna Arens, Crofton
Ruth Ann Aschwege, Hays, KS
Marilyn Atance, London, Ontario, Canada
JoAnn Auxier, Falls City
Frank A. Berigan, Jr., Omaha
Ann E. Billesbach, Lincoln
Marjorie Wall Bingham, Minnetonka, MN
Delmar & Ruth Borchers, Utica
Edward George Borgens, Jr., Sacramento, CA
Virginia Bowmaster, Lincoln
Elinor L. Brown, Ceresco
Dave Brubaker, Sacramento, CA
Kathryn Buck, Sutton
Thomas R. Buecker, Crawford
Delia M. Burchfield, DVM, Bayard
Walter Cady, Omaha
Claire A. Callan, Fairbury
Grace Carmody, Trenton
Sandra Carter-Duff, Denver, CO
Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh, Omaha
Malcolm H. Churchill, Washington, DC
Patricia Churray, Lincoln
Clerk of the Legislature, Lincoln
Colorado State Archives, Denver, CO
Congregational Christian Church, David City
Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT
Creighton University, History Department, Omaha
Stanley J. Copley, Franklin
Lorna (Mrs. Jack) Critchfield, Lincoln
Dr. Ruth Crone, Omaha
Earl J. Curris, Warba, MN
Cushman, Inc., Lincoln
Ron Dahlke, Lincoln
Donald G. Darnell, Lincoln
Davidson Titles, Inc., Omaha
Thomas M. Davies, Jr., representing the Estate of Hubert Arnold, LaMesa, CA
Davis Design, Lincoln
Dawes County Historical Society Museum, Chadron
Mary DePutron, Lincoln
Ellen & Raymond DeVries, Lincoln
Diocese of Nebraska, Omaha
Angela Dresch, Primrose
Ned Eastlack, Lincoln
Jill Ebers, Lincoln
Paul J. Eisloeffel, Lincoln
Ramona A. Ellison, Rising City
John Emmert, Topeka, KS
Andrea I. Faling, Lincoln
Mark Ferguson, Billings, MT
Mary K. Florence, Omaha
Richard & Jean Flower, Nelson
William J. Foley, Sr, Topeka, KS
Dr. Mary Carol Foreman, Stillwater, OK
Four Footed Fotos Inc., Issaquah, WA
Mitzi Fox, Albion
Frances H. Gaines, Omaha
Richard L. Galusha, Omaha
Ruth Gehrig, Stamford
Judy Gibson, Beatrice
Sue Gilmore, Carroll
Golden Pioneer Museum, Golden, CO
Jane Graff, Seward
Robert L. Graff, Beatrice
Suzanne Graham, Lincoln
Mike Grant, Frankfurt, KY
Great Plains Yearly Meeting, Central City
Diane Gritz, Lincoln
Woody Guthrie, Malcolm
Leland M. Hancock, Lincoln
Ruth C. Hansen, Lincoln
Hastings Public Library, Hastings
Stan Hayes, Manhattan, KS
Dan C. Hedberg, Whitney
Joan Hees, Lincoln
Linda L. Hein, McCook
Janice Mae Hellerich, Raymond
Pam Hendricks, Lincoln
Pat Henry, Lincoln
Mary F. Eis Hessler, Lincoln
Historical Society of the 8th Circuit Court, Omaha
Historical Society of Washington, DC, Washington, DC
Jack Hoover, Jr., Lincoln
Eldon Hostetler, Milford
Barbara L. Houck, Seal Beach, CA
Mary Ann Behlen Hruska, Walnut Creek, CA
Marie A. Huber, Bruning
Cindy Hulsebuss representing the Estate of Thomas Creigh, Jr.
Gene and Bobbie Hunzeker, Cincinnati, OH
Lynne M. Ireland, Lincoln
Gloria Bailey Jackson, Chaseburg, WI
Josef A. Jackson, Grand Island
Barbara B. James, Baldwin City, KS
Mary Jenks, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Richard E. Jensen, Lincoln
Linda Jones, Lincoln
Dr. Theodore P. Jorgensen, Lincoln
Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO
Sarah Keil, Keizer, OR
Kay Kimberly, Big Springs
Mrs. Eugene Klum, Lincoln
Robert E. Knoll, Lincoln
Jill Koelling, Lincoln
E.A. Kral, Wilber
Doug A. Kristensen, Kearney
Richard Kuska, Taos, NM
Leo L. Lemonds, Hastings
Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society, Lincoln
Lincoln Public Schools Arts & Humanities Focus Program, Lincoln
Lincoln Public Schools Association of Office Professionals, Lincoln
Lincoln Symphony Guild, Lincoln
Connie Linesch, Culver City, CA
Frederick C. Luebke, Lincoln
Tom Lutzi, Lincoln
Sid Magdanz, Omaha
James Magorian, Lincoln
Mariposa Museum & History Center, Mariposa, CA
Jodi Marra, Guilford, CT
Gerald W. Mathews, Omaha
Ronald E. Mattson, Baltimore, MD
Edward McAndrews, Los Angeles, CA
Ken and Peggy McClure, Lincoln
Lucia McCreery, Brooklyn, NY
Jim McKee, Lincoln
Mary McKee, Aztec, NM
McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington, IL
Midlands Marketing, Omaha
Mid-Continent Public Library/Genealogy & Local History Branch, Independence, MO
Midwest Bank, Pierce
Dennis Mihelich, Omaha
Martha J. Miller, Lincoln
Ruth V. Mills, Spokane
Judy Moeller, Lincoln
James L. Mohon, Norman, OK
Gerri Monahan, Lincoln
Rosalind, Morris, Lincoln
Ronald Morse, Indianapolis, IN
Gary Mossa, Lincoln
David R. Murphy, Lincoln
Ralph Myers, Thornton, CO
National Blue Family Association, Seattle, WA
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution - Nebraska, Lexington
Nebraska Chapter of National Association of Postmasters of the United States, Laurel
Nebraska Federation of Women's Clubs, Seward
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, Lincoln
Nebraska State Department of Aeronautics, Lincoln
Nebraska State Historical Society, Administration Division, Lincoln
Nebraska State Historical Society, Archaeology Division, Lincoln
Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln
Nebraska State Quilt Guild, Fremont
Nebraska United Methodist Historical Center, Lincoln
Hilda Neihardt, Phoenix, AZ
Carol Nelson, Lincoln
Night Howl Productions, Clay Center
North Platte Valley Museum, Gering
Mark Norton, San Francisco, CA
Dr. Sharon D. Ocker, Sioux City, IA
Mary-Lou Olsen, Eagle, ID
Paul Olson, Lincoln
Christopher S. Parker, Stone Mountain, GA
John and Mary Pavel, Titusville, FL
Curt Peacock, Lincoln
Perkins Library representing Carol and Frank Medsker, Hastings
Peru State College Library, Peru
Ray Peterson, Jr., Vancouver, WA
Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Nu Chapter, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney
Platte County Historical Society, Columbus
Ponca Public Library, Ponca
Lajean Price, Lincoln
Primrose Centennial Committee, Primrose
Public Library of Steubenville & Jefferson County, Steubenville, OH
L. Robert Puschendorf, Lincoln
Robert L. Quinsey, Eureka, CA
Harold Raburn, Holdrege
Russ Reno, Lincoln
Robert Richter, Ogallala
Fred J. Riffe, Marathon, FL
Marlene Riggle, Gillette, WY
Mae W. Robertson, Rosemont, PA
Marilyn Rodgers, Marengo, IA
Al Rodriquez, Omaha
Phillip J. Rooney, Lincoln
Daniel J. Roth, Lincoln
Judy Rowe, Nebraska City
Tom Ryan, Lincoln
San Jose Public Library, San Jose, CA
Chris Sautter, Ceresco
Dan R. Schneiderheinz, Central City
John R. Schubert, Lincoln
Sara Gibson Schwake, Eugene, OR
Carl Schweser, Iowa City, IA
Sharon Seagren, Lincoln
George C. Seward, Scarsdale, NY
Sharing Across Generations for Enrichment (SAGE), Lincoln
Gwenith O. Sheldon, De Norte, CO
Winona Duncan Snell, Laguna Woods, CA
Marjorie Mae Warren Snodgrass, Lincoln
Margie Sobotka, Elkhorn
Barbara W. Sommer, Lincoln
Lawrence Sommer, Lincoln
Southeast Community College, Lincoln
Jan Stehlick, Dorchester
Georgia Covey Stone, Lincoln
Elinor L. Stroup, Topeka, KS
Ray Svoboda, Lincoln
Donald Swanson, Lincoln
Textron/Cushman Inc., Lincoln
Robert Thomson, Plattsmouth
Texas Historical Commission, Austin, TX
Donald Trauger, Oak Ridge, TN
Thad T. Uehling. Lothian, MD
Underhill Society of America, Oyster Bay, NY
United States District Court, Lincoln
University of Nebraska - Archives & Special Collections, Lincoln
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha
Larry E. Vaughan, Lincoln
Chad Wall, Bancroft
Laura Pearl Wall, Haigler
Washington County Historical Society, Ft. Calhoun
West Virginia Division of Culture & History/Archives & History, Charleston, WV
Dee Weyeneth, Lincoln
Lorry Wagner, Brighton, MI
Chad Wall, Lincoln
Janice Wendl, Omaha
James W. Wengert, Omaha
Mayor Don Wesely, Lincoln
Western Historical Manuscript Collection, Kansas City, MO
Larry G. White, Austin, TX
Sue Williams, Lincoln
Kathleen L. Young, Lincoln

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Doorway inscription at the Historical Society headquarters building, Lincoln.

Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation

Prominent among the year's notable achievements listed by Society Director Larry Sommer and President Jack Preston in their letter at the beginning of this annual report, is the reconstruction of the 1874 cavalry barracks (or Cheyenne Outbreak Barracks) at Fort Robinson. Built with the help of many generous donations that made it possible to match public challenge funding from the Legislature, the barracks is a brilliant example of the impact private-public partnerships can have on the Historical Society's capacity to preserve and interpret the state's history. Without generous private support, we could not provide the solid, physical presence of that building, which enables visitors to visualize the events that transpired there.

Throughout this report, you have seen other examples of the innovative ways the Historical Society is preserving our state's history and sharing it with the widest audience possible. The Foundation brings donors and projects together to enrich and expand the Society's efforts to safeguard, interpret, and share the irreplaceable record of Nebraska's history.

The Foundation's work depends on the thoughtfulness and generosity of many individuals, businesses, and foundations. This year, when economy is the watchword, this summary annual report does not have space to list all their names, but a complete list of donors and foundation members will be available online at www.nebraskahistory.org/foundatn/index.htm. On behalf of the Foundation's board of trustees, I would like to thank everyone who has joined us in supporting the Nebraska State Historical Society and invite you to experience all the Historical Society has to offer throughout the state.

Allison D. Petersen, President
Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation

Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation Board of Directors

Allison D. Petersen, President
Steven E. Guenzel, Exec. Vice President
Jack D. Campbell, Vice President
Joanne F. Shephard, Secretary
C. John Guenzel, Treasurer

Martha A. Greer
Dr. James W. Hewitt
Dr. F. William Karrer
Dr. Frederick C. Luebke
Carol F. Maddux
Dr. Martin A. Massengale
John D. Massey
George H. Moyer, Jr.
James F. Nissen
Robert D. Northrop
Cynthia A. Olson
John W. Webster
Amy Scott-Willer
S. N. "Bud" Wolbach
Dr. John R. Wunder

Board of Directors Emeritus
Caroline Kivett

Ex Officio (NSHS representatives)
Jack Preston, President NSHS
Patricia Phillips, Treasurer NSHS
Lawrence Sommer, Director NSHS

Executive Committee
Allison D. Petersen, President
Steven E. Guenzel, Exec. Vice President
Jack D. Campbell, Vice President
C. John Guenzel, Treasurer
Dr. James W. Hewitt
James F. Nissen
John W. Webster

Jackie Spahn, Executive Director
128 North 13th Street, No. 1010
Lincoln, NE 68508
Telephone: (402) 435-3535
Fax: (402) 435-3986
E-mail: nshsfadmin@alltel.net

For a detailed, illustrated version of the 2002­03 Nebraska State Historical Society Annual Report visit the Society's website at www.nebraskahistory.org

For Nebraska State Historical Society membership information call (402) 435-3535 or e-mail nshsfmember@alltel.net

Nebraska State Historical Society
1500 R St., P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln, Nebraska 68501
Telephone: (402) 471-3270
Fax: (402) 471-3200
E-mail: nshs@nebraskahistory.org
Website: www.nebraskahistory.org

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