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CultureGrams
States Edition
2014
Nebraska
The Cornhusker State
Established 1867
37th State
Nebraska is a Native American (Oto) word meaning “broad, flat water.”
The University of Nebraska’s football team, the Cornhuskers, is often one of the best college teams in the country.
They draw sellout crowds because their games are some of the year’s most important events.
Hebron is home to the world’s largest porch swing, which seats 25 people.
The Cornhusker nickname is a tribute to those early Nebraskans who husked corn by hand.
Nebraska is home to the world’s largest mammoth (a prehistoric elephant) fossil.
Buffalo Bill Cody started the first rodeo show in North Platte in 1882.
Alliance has a large replica of Stonehenge made up of 38 old cars. It is named Carhenge.
The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska in 1872. It is estimated more than one million trees were planted
in the state with prizes awarded to the people who properly planted the most number of trees.
Gerard and Edwin Perkins of Hastings invented Kool-Aid in 1927. The town still holds an annual Kool-Aid Days
festival.
The Lewis and Clark, Mormon, Oregon, and Pony Express historic trails all passed through Nebraska.
Climate
Nebraskans often joke that if you don’t like the state’s weather, wait five minutes and it
will change. Summers are generally hot and winters are usually very cold, with average
January temperatures of 20 to 29°F (-7 to -2°C), depending on the region. Spring and
fall tend to be pleasant. But sometimes Nebraska weather can be destructive. Each
year, the state gets close to 50 tornadoes, many of which harm people and ruin homes.
Winter blizzards, hailstorms, and blinding dust storms add to the trouble. And droughts
(dry spells with no rain) can be especially devastating to farmers.
Average Seasonal High and Low Temperatures
Spring: 61/36°F
Summer: 86/60°F
Fall: 63/37°F
Winter: 37/14°F
Geography
Most of Nebraska is part of the Great Plains. This is the huge area of rolling flatlands
covering many states in America’s Midwest. Nebraska’s Sand Hills, part of the Great
Plains, are large stretches of grass-covered sand dunes. In fact, they are the biggest
area of sand dunes in the western hemisphere. Only two sand dune areas in the world
are larger: the Arabian and Sahara deserts. Unlike these deserts, though, Nebraska’s
Sand Hills have streams and grass, so they are a great place to raise cattle. The state
also has many unusual rock formations, like the famous Chimney Rock. These rock
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formations helped guide pioneers traveling through Nebraska on their way west.
Nebraska’s 77,358 square miles (200,356 sq km) make it the 16th largest state.
Resources and Economy
About 95 percent of Nebraska land is devoted to agriculture. This is a higher
percentage than any other state. Ranching is the most important agricultural industry.
The state has millions of cows. They graze on the plains where herds of buffalo used to
wander. Corn is the biggest crop. With all that cattle and corn, food processing is
naturally Nebraska’s largest manufacturing industry. Food processing factories take raw
products from the farm or ranch and turn them into something you can buy at the
grocery store. These factories produce things like breakfast cereal, flour, milk, soup,
popcorn, and ice cream. Newer industries, like telecommunications, have also helped
Nebraska become a state with little unemployment.
Time Line
Thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, Native American
tribes live in Nebraska
AD 1500
AD 1541
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado claims Nebraska territory for Spain
1682
René-Robert Cavelier, known as La Salle, explores the Mississippi
River and claims Nebraska territory for France
1700
1714
Étienne Veniard de Bourgmont becomes the first explorer to reach
Nebraska
1720
The Pawnee defeat Spanish forces under Pedro de Villasur
1800
1803
France sells the Louisiana Territory to the United States
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1804
U.S. president Thomas Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark to explore the
Louisiana Territory
1823
The Bellevue trading post becomes Nebraska’s first permanent
settlement
1840s
Pioneers pass through Nebraska on the Oregon Trail
1854
The Kansas-Nebraska Act allows Nebraskans to decide whether they
will allow slavery; Nebraska becomes a U.S. territory
1862
The Homestead Act leads to a flood of settlers
1865
The railroad is built going west from Omaha
1867
Nebraska becomes a state
1900
1902
The Reclamation Act allows large-scale irrigation
1930s
The Great Depression and the dust bowl drought hit the state
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1980s
Economic troubles lead to ruin for many of Nebraska’s farmers
1982
A new law prevents individual farmers from selling their land to
corporations
1986
Kay Orr is elected as the first female Republican governor in the
United States
1999
Nebraska becomes the first state to suspend capital punishment (the
death penalty) for two years in order to study the fairness of the law
2000
2007
A blizzard hits eastern Nebraska, dumping a foot of snow on Omaha
2009
The state legislature votes to change capital punishment from
electrocution to lethal injection
PRESENT
People of the Buffalo
Native American tribes lived in Nebraska for centuries. When Europeans arrived, the
Lakota, Cheyenne, and Pawnee were some of the largest tribes. With bows and arrows
they hunted the huge herds of buffalo that once roamed the Nebraska plains. They ate
the buffalo meat and used the skins to make clothing, tepees, and other items.
Era of Exploration
A Frenchman named Étienne Veniard de Bourgmont may have been the first European
to touch Nebraska soil, in 1714. Both France and Spain claimed the area at different
times during the 1700s, but in 1803 France sold a huge piece of land to the United
States. It was called the Louisiana Territory, and it included Nebraska. President
Thomas Jefferson sent two men, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to explore the
Louisiana Territory. Until that time, few Americans had ever seen the area. Lewis and
Clark traveled up the Missouri River, met with Native Americans, and wrote reports on
what they saw.
Land Rush
After the Lewis and Clark Expedition, people began passing through Nebraska on trails
going west. A few army posts were created to protect them, but few people settled in
Nebraska. That changed when Nebraska became a territory in 1854. The U.S.
government began selling large pieces of land called homesteads for very cheap
prices. If you promised to stay for five years, you could get your own farm for only $10!
This was called the Homestead Act. Thousands of people moved in to get the great
deals. By 1864, the population had boomed to almost 123,000!
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Hard Times for Native Americans
Not everyone was happy about the cheap land. Originally, the government had thought
that nobody would ever want to live in Nebraska, so it had promised Native Americans
that they could always live there. But the government broke the treaties it had made
and forced many Native Americans out of Nebraska in the 1870s. Sometimes terrible
battles between the tribes and U.S. troops took place. Also, the Native Americans’
buffalo supply was shrinking because buffalo hunters killed thousands of buffalo to
make room for new farms.
On the Farm
After the Civil War, Nebraska had enough people to become a state. Railroads made it
easier for people to travel to frontier states like Nebraska, but the early years of
statehood were difficult. Sometimes hordes of grasshoppers ate the crops or droughts
came. Despite these hardships, Nebraska’s population reached one million by 1890.
Later improvements in irrigation made it easier for farmers to water their crops, so
farms were able to expand into new areas of Nebraska that before wouldn’t sustain
crops.
Century of Change
The 20th century was a time of challenges and growth for Nebraskans. World War I
created a large demand for Nebraska beef and crops to feed U.S. soldiers. This meant
high prices and good profits for farmers and ranchers. With the end of the war, prices
dropped. Then the Great Depression came in the 1930s. This was a worldwide
economic slump, and it brought down crop prices even more. As Nebraskans struggled
to survive, a series of droughts hit the state. The lack of water limited crop production
and caused severe dust storms. World War II brought a demand for food supplies once
again, and Nebraskans were able to recover. Since then, more and more people have
been taking jobs in Nebraska’s cities like Omaha and Lincoln, although agriculture still
remains the backbone of the state.
Population
Most of Nebraska’s early settlers in the 19th century came from Europe. With cheap land being offered by the
railroads, thousands of people came from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and other countries. In fact, in 1900 almost
one-sixth of Nebraskans were German. African Americans began arriving after the Civil War. Many Native American
tribes still live in Nebraska, and there are three Native American reservations in the state. Omaha and Lincoln are
Nebraska’s largest cities, and more than half of Nebraskans live in or near one of these two cities.
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Government
Capital: Lincoln
State Abbreviation: NE
Governor: Dave Heineman (Republican)
U.S. Senators: 2
Deb Fischer (Republican)
Mike Johanns (Republican)
U.S. Representatives: 3
Republicans: 3
State Senators: 49
Counties: 93
Nebraska has just one house in the state legislature. All other state legislatures
have two houses.
Candidates for state senator don’t have to say whether they belong to the
Republican, Democratic, or any other party.
Famous People
Willa Cather
Fred Astaire — Dancer and actor
Max Baer — World heavyweight boxing champion
Standing Bear — Ponca leader
Marlon Brando — Academy Award–winning actor
William Jennings Bryan — Orator and politician
Willa Cather — Author of O Pioneers!
Father Edward Flanagan — Founder of Boys Town, a home for children
Gerald R. Ford — 38th U.S. president
Bob Gibson — Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
Crazy Horse — Oglala Sioux leader
“Malcolm X” Little — African American activist
John G. Neihardt — Poet and author of books about Native Americans
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Mari Sandoz — Author and historian
Hilary Swank — Academy Award–winning actress
Gerald R. Ford
“Malcolm X” Little
Hilary Swank
Native America
The Pawnee, Cheyenne, and Lakota tribes occupied Nebraska long before European
explorers came to the area. The Pawnee were a large tribe divided up into four
separate bands: the Chaui, the Kitkehahki, the Pitahauerat, and the Skidi. Each band
lived in a large village. Pawnee families built large dome-shaped lodges, made from
poles covered with earth. The women were responsible for the growing season. They
planted and harvested maize (corn), squash, and beans. They often carried their babies
in cradleboards (baby carriers) on their backs as they worked or traveled. The men
went on buffalo hunts twice a year, living in portable teepees while away from home.
The Cheyenne were also farmers and lived in permanent villages. Each family had a
fire that was kept burning all day while family members went about their daily activities.
The fires were also a gathering place at night where wise men told stories and tribe
members celebrated special events and traditions.
The Lakota were not farmers, but rather gathered wild plants such as potatoes,
strawberries, and onions. The majority of their food came from hunting buffalo, deer,
and elk. They traded with other tribes for the remaining things they needed. The Lakota
lived in teepees that they could take with them when they followed the buffalo herds.
European arrival brought foreign diseases which cut down the native population by the
thousands. As settlers moved in, they killed the massive buffalo herds and took the land
the tribes lived on. Those who survived were forced onto reservations by the end of the
1800s.
The four federally recognized tribes today include the Omaha, Ponca, Santee Sioux,
and Winnebago. The tribal population is made up of young people, and the majority
lives on reservations across the state. Unemployment is higher on the reservations than
off and incomes are lower in general. Many tribal members are employed in health and
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education, helping to provide these services to other members. Most reservations also
operate casinos, using the profits to keep the reservation running. Most of these affairs
are directed by the Tribal Council, made up of a chairperson and members elected by
the tribe.
Willa Cather
Willa Cather, one of America’s greatest writers, grew up in Red Cloud. Cather
graduated from the University of Nebraska before becoming a writer and editor for
magazines in the eastern states. When she began writing novels, she focused on the
Nebraska of her youth. Cather’s books show what life was like for pioneers on the
Nebraska frontier. Her characters show the bravery with which these pioneers met
hardships. Some of her most famous novels include O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and One
of Ours. Many of her books take place in Red Cloud itself. Her childhood home there
has been made a state historic site.
Cornhuskers
In Nebraska, the term “Cornhuskers” covers all men’s and women’s sports teams at the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Though the school teams had many nicknames
originally, the Cornhuskers is the one that finally stuck. From football to gymnastics,
sports are a big deal in Nebraska. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln boasts one of
the best teams in college football. They have won five national championships and are
currently part of the Big Ten Conference. The team has also turned out several
Heisman Trophy winners and many All-Americans as well as NFL players. The
Huskers’ home field, Memorial Stadium, regularly hosts enormous crowds of fans who
love to cheer their team on to victory.
State Symbols
State Bird
Western meadowlark—Lewis and Clark wrote about this bird during their famous
expedition.
State Tree
Cottonwood—This shade tree can grow to be 100 feet (30 m) tall, with a trunk 6 feet (2
m) in diameter.
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State Flower
Goldenrod—Designated the state flower in 1895, goldenrod is 2 to 3 feet (61–91 cm)
tall and blooms in clusters of tiny yellow blossoms.
State Fossil
Mammoth—Fossils of this extinct elephant-like mammal have been found all over the
state.
Other Symbols
Songs: “A Place Like Nebraska” and “Beautiful Nebraska”
Beverage: Milk
Folk Dance: Square dance
Fish: Channel catfish
Gem: Blue agate
Grass: Little bluestem
Insect: Honeybee
River: Platte River
Rock: Prairie agate
Soft Drink: Kool-Aid punch
State Motto
Equality before the Law—This was placed on the first state seal, made in the same year Nebraska became a state.
Pro Sports Teams
There are currently no professional sports teams in Nebraska.
For More Information
See www.nebraska.gov or contact the Nebraska Tourism Commission, 301 Centennial Mall South, PO Box 98907,
Lincoln, NE 68509; phone (877) NEBRASKA; web site www.visitnebraska.gov.
© 2014 ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University. It is against the law to
copy, reprint, store, or transmit any part of this publication in any form by any
means without strict written permission from ProQuest.
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