In 1902, there were only a few automobiles, and they were viewed as luxuries for the wealthy. But year after year, more vehicles hit the road. In this episode, we revisit early 20th-century Omaha and explore how well the automobile was accepted into society and the expectations people had of drivers, as described in the 1980 Nebraska History Magazine article, "The Devil Wagon Comes to Omaha: The First Decade of the Automobile," written by Tommy R. Thompson.

In 1820, Major Stephen H. Long described the Nebraska landscape as the Great American Desert, characterized by wide-open prairies and very little to no tree cover. Years later, efforts to change that landscape took hold thanks to key contributors to Nebraska's history. In this episode, we learn about the early efforts to encourage widespread tree cultivation in Nebraska in this 1972 Nebraska History Magazine Article, "Trees but no Timber: Prelude to the Timber Culture Act," by Burton J Williams.

Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium is one of the nation’s iconic college football venues. Its construction almost didn’t happen due to the severe economic challenges of the time. In this episode, we find out how a tribute to the state’s World War I veterans became a reality through the 1998 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Give Till it Hurts: Financing Memorial Stadium,” written by Michelle Fagan.

In 1897, numerous reports of an unusual phenomenon in the sky described what some thought to be a UFO. A ship with multiple lights, sometimes said to have wings, was spotted at night, beginning in Nebraska and spreading across the United States. What was it? This episode searches for the answer through the 1979 Nebraska History Magazine article, “This Mysterious Light Called an Airship,” by Roger Welsch.

Podcast description: Fort Robinson in northwest Nebraska once served as a World War II prisoner of war camp. One of the war’s best-kept secrets was a special program meant to denazify German soldiers, implemented at camps across the country, including Fort Robinson. This episode explores this secret program through the 2005 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Still the Old Marlene: Hollywood at the Fort Robinson Prisoner of War Camp,” written by Melissa Marsh.

The trial of Mary Sheedy and alleged co-conspirator “Monday” McFarland for the murder of Mary’s husband, John Sheedy, caused an uproar. How could a middle-class woman of the Victorian Era commit adultery and murder in Lincoln, Nebraska

We return to the scene of the crime in this 2001 Nebraska History Magazine article titled “The Great Sheedy Murder Trial and the Booster Ethos of the Gilded Age in Lincoln,” written by Timothy R. Mahoney.

It was a plague of biblical proportions. Swarms of locusts assaulted crops, tools, and clothing. The events not only devastated farmers but also foreshadowed today’s expectations about the government’s role in responding to natural disasters. Today, we dive into the 2008 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Grasshoppered: America’s Response to the 1874 Rocky Mountain Locust Invasion,” written byAlexandra Wagner.

Horse racing was a popular sport in the American West. As preparations for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago were being made, it was suggested that a grand horse race from the West to Chicago should take place.

In this episode, we explore the planning, promotion, opposition, and story of the actual race itself through the 1972 Nebraska History Magazine article, "The Chadron-Chicago 1,000 Mile Cowboy Race," by William Deahl Jr.