In July 1862, a noisy, smoke-belching machine known as the ‘Prairie Motor’ rolled into Nebraska City. Though its journey lasted only three miles before a fateful breakdown, its legacy would reshape the trails of the American West.

On today’s episode, we discover the story behind this ten-ton vehicle from the 1998 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Nebraska City’s Steam Wagon,” written by William E. Lass.

On April 15, 1912, the world watched in shock as the 'unsinkable' Titanic disappeared into the North Atlantic. Most of us know the global headlines, but there’s a much more personal side to the story for Nebraska.

Today, we’re diving into lesser-known Nebraska connections to the disaster as written in the 1997 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Nebraska Connections to a Titanic Disaster,” written by Edward R. Tryon.

Senator George Norris was a man deeply rooted in the rural values of small-town America. As a congressman and senator from Nebraska, he leveraged his perspective to challenge corporate monopolies and became one of the most effective legislators in American history. Today, we explore his beliefs and character in this 1989 Nebraska History Magazine article titled “George W. Norris: A Reflective View,” written by Richard Lowitt.

Grace Abbott was a reformer who fought to end child labor, battled for immigration rights, and helped architect the Social Security Act. In today's episode, we learn more about the Nebraskan who became a champion to many through the 1975 Nebraska History Magazine article, "Grace Abbott of Nebraska," written by Lela B. Costin.

In the Golden Age of Hollywood, few names shone brighterthan Robert Taylor—the man critics called 'the man with the perfect face.' But long before he became a legend of the silver screen, he was a young man named Spangler Arlington Brugh, growing up in Gage County. In today’s episode, we chronicle his early life through the 1994 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Robert Taylor of Beatrice: The Nebraska Roots of a Hollywood Star,” written by E.A. Kral.

In 1872, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and othersattempted to organize a grand buffalo hunt. The event came with various challenges and was ultimately deemed a failure. Today, we look back at the story and correspondence between the men organizing the event through the 2005 Nebraska History Magazine article, “Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and the Grand Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls,” written by Joseph G. Rosa.

Between 1882 and 1894, U.S. soldiers fired lead bullets bythe ton at the Department of the Platte’s target ranges, first located near Fort Omaha and later near Bellevue. In this episode, we learn of their story and how a system of target practice helped produce an “army of marksmen” in this 2016Nebraska History Magazine article, “Uncle Sam’s Sharpshooters”, written by James E. Potter.

In the late 1800s to early 1900s, a large number of Czech immigrants found a new home in Nebraska. In this episode, we learn more about the Czech struggle for independence, explore their cultural life, and the persistent challenge of assimilation on the prairie through the 1993 Nebraska History Magazine article, "Czech-Americans: The Love of Liberty," written by Joseph G. Svoboda.