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.