Name: World War II Nebraska
Brand: Melissa Amateis
SKU: 9781467139090
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

World War II Nebraska

9781467139090

$21.99

The fight against the Axis required sacrifice and dedication, and Nebraskans proudly answered the call. Three ordnance plants and two naval munitions depots brought employment and economic opportunities but also housing shortages and racial disturbances. The U.S. Army Air Corps established eleven air bases here, leading to community engagement through USOs and war bond drives. In central Nebraska, the North Platte Canteen welcomed thousands of service members en route to war on troop trains. Henry Doorly's successful scrap campaign became a model for a nationwide operation. Local farmers fed the nation, K-9 war dogs trained at Fort Robinson and native sons Ben Kuroki and Andrew Higgins affected the war in very different ways. Through detailed archival research, author Melissa Amateis tells the remarkable story of the Cornhusker State's homefront.

Around Bennington

9781467106245

$24.99

The area around Bennington played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States. The Missouri and Platte Rivers were important travel corridors for indigenous peoples, early explorers, trappers, and pioneers. Railroads revolutionized travel and led to the creation of hundreds of small villages along the rail lines; Bennington, founded in 1887, was one of these villages. The arrival of the automobile and better roads decreased the dependency on rail service. By 1975, the rail line that created Bennington had been abandoned. Bennington benefitted from upgraded roads and highways and from suburban sprawl. In the meantime, the Washington community declined, eventually closing its school and church.

Christmas in New England, Second Edition

9781641941167

$19.95

This history of the holiday is an endless delight, with stories about all your favorite Christmas traditions, from Mystic to Maine, the Berkshires to Boston.Here are some of the more than fifty New England holiday traditions traced and described in this enchanting treasury: Charles Follen and the Christmas Tree ChurchFlying Santa, Silent Santa, and Secret SantaRudolph, the Most Famous ReindeerA Magical Ride on the Polar ExpressLouis Prang, Father of the American Christmas CardCandlelight Strolls at Old Sturbridge Village and Strawbery BankeA Norman Rockwell ChristmasCapt. James Magee's Holiday Party

Cover image for Christmas in New England, Second Edition, isbn: 9781641941167

Antelope County

9780738598871

$24.99

Named for the frisky and elusive animals that bounded across the prairie, Antelope County is located in the center of Nebraska's northeast corner. The county's gently rolling slopes are bisected by the Elkhorn River Valley. The first people traveling through the area were fur traders and Pawnee, Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe Indians. After passage of the Homestead Act in 1862 and the end of the Civil War in 1865, the lure of starting a new life on unclaimed land in the West brought settlers to the valley. When immigrants from New England, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois rode the ferry across the Missouri River, they were advised to travel farther west to the fertile soil of the Elkhorn Valley. After Antelope County was founded in 1871, railroads promoted the establishment of Oakdale, Neligh, Tilden, Clearwater, Elgin, Orchard, Brunswick, and Royal. The settlers engaged in farming and related agricultural activities.

Nebraska POW Camps

9781626194199

$21.99

During World War II, thousands of Axis prisoners of war were held throughout Nebraska in base camps that included Fort Robinson, Camp Scottsbluff and Camp Atlanta. Many Nebraskans did not view the POWs as "evil Nazis." To them, they were ordinary men and very human. And while their stay was not entirely free from conflict, many former captives returned to the Cornhusker State to begin new lives after the cessation of hostilities. Drawing on first-person accounts from soldiers, former POWs and Nebraska residents, as well as archival research, Melissa Marsh delves into the neglected history of Nebraska's POW camps.

Papillion

9780738576527

$24.99

Papillion's name is derived from French fur traders who ventured near the valley of the Papio Creek as early as 1739. The butterfly-filled meadow was so beautiful that one of the men is said to have exclaimed in his native tongue, "Papillon!" (meaning "butterfly"). The land would later come to be known as Papillion. Native Americans roamed freely across the local prairie until 1857, when John L. Beadle obtained a land grant and platted a town. Successful negotiations with the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific Railroads ensured the growth and prosperity needed for the Papillion Town Company to incorporate in 1870. Businesses soon lined the center of the village as German immigrants cultivated the land. New schools and churches enhanced the establishment of the booming community, which became the seat of Sarpy County. The pioneers persevered through fire, pestilence, and flood to establish Papillion, a town destined to survive.

Hastings

9780738561219

$24.99

Hastings was founded in 1872 on the open prairie at the intersection of two railroads. It grew to become the "Queen City of the Plains," cigar-making capital of Nebraska, birthplace of Kool-Aid, and the site of the largest inland naval ammunition depot in America during World War II.

Butler County

9780738560519

$24.99

Harvey L. Boston opened the Boston Studio in downtown David City in 1893. For about the next 35 years, Boston personally recorded the people and places of Butler County using photography. Boston had an eye for detail, and through his photographs, one is able to inspect and appreciate the clothing of the early years of the 20th century: from everyday styles to formal and special occasion costumes. The Boston Studio was opened toward the end of what was known as the Victorian era, a time when how a woman and members of her family dressed was a reflection of the family's prosperity. This attention to detail is very evident in the photographs taken by Boston. The various fashions worn by Butler County residents provide a wealth of information about a person's life, even when information about that person is not otherwise known. While once almost lost to history, the Boston Studio Collection of approximately 60,000 negatives has now been preserved and is available for the public to again appreciate for its historic value. The more than 200 Boston photographs carefully selected for this book demonstrate what life was like in Butler County between 1900 and 1920 and feature a cross-sampling of the people, both well known and anonymous, who were responsible for influencing the early history of Butler County.

Grand Island

9780738560571

$24.99

During the early 20th century, Grand Island was a unique and diverse community. No one captured this better than Julius Leschinsky. As Grand Island's premier photographer from the 1880s to the 1930s, Leschinsky immortalized a time of great change and growth in American culture. Through the compelling images of the Lumbard-Leschinsky Studio Collection, witness how Grand Island grew from a railroad town to an economic and cultural hub in central Nebraska. Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer has selected some of Leschinsky's best work to share a rare and detailed look into nearly every facet of life in Grand Island from 1910 to 1918. Many of these remarkable images have never been published and have not been seen for nearly 100 years.

Grand Island and Hall County

9780738541440

$24.99

Grand Island and Hall County, settled by German immigrants in 1857, benefited from the diversification that the railroad and western immigrants brought to central Nebraska. Their stories, captured in these images, are the stories of the heart and soul of America. Located in the Platte River valley, Grand Island and Hall County have long served as a gateway to the West. Thousands of western immigrants traveling the California-Overland and Mormon Trails purchased their supplies from the many road ranches scattered across Hall County. The Union Pacific Railroad arrived in Grand Island on July 8, 1866, and brought with it growth and prosperity. Grand Island swiftly evolved from a prairie town to a railroad city. From the sugar beet factory to the world's second-largest horse and mule market, business and industry flourished, and the people of Hall County reaped the benefits.

Washington County

9781467126281

$24.99

The area that would become Washington County was first settled by the explorers, trappers, and fur traders who traveled by steamboat along the Missouri River to an area inhabited by the Otoe, Missouri, and Omaha Indians. These settlers were pioneers of German, English, Danish, and Irish ancestry who migrated west in search of a better life. They came by steamboat, flatboat ferry, the occasional canoe, on horseback, in wagon teams, and sometimes by foot, venturing into the vast great plains of the frontier. They staked their claims, built sod and hewn-log homes, and traveled on the first post roads using old Indian trails. From the timberland along the river, they pushed westward into the lush rolling hills of red top, timothy, clover, and prairie grasses and tilled the virgin soil to build their futures. It would be another 15 years before the railroad broke ground. These brave men and women journeyed westward, traveling with all their possessions, into the untamed territory that they would later call home.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

9781467136556

$21.99

Long ranked as one of the top zoos in America and even the world, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium's history has remained untold, until now. Beginning as little more than a menagerie, the zoo transformed into a spectacular attraction that now draws two million visitors per year. Supporters responded to innovative features such as the iconic desert dome, the new African Grasslands exhibit, the indoor jungle and the all-encompassing aquarium. More than just a showcase, the zoo also supports renowned wildlife conservation and research programs that help preserve endangered species ranging from coral reefs to tigers. Author Eileen Wirth celebrates the history and promising future of the landmark that continues to elicit great local pride.

University of Nebraska at Omaha

9780738551104

$24.99

The University of Nebraska at Omaha, inaugurated in 1968, emerged from the Municipal University of Omaha established in 1931, which grew out of the University of Omaha founded in 1908. In each of the school's three lives, the faculty sought to provide quality education for recent high school graduates and adults returning to school in a well-rounded learning environment. The commuter college moved from relying on charitable donations and tuition to a city tax base and ultimately state revenues. The campus grew numerically and spatially. Accommodating students and faculty, setting priorities and funding initiatives is a continuous challenge not always met expeditiously. The exciting visual cavalcade and text captures a century of public higher education in America's urban heartland and the role of graduates in American society.

Nebraska's Cowboy Rail Line

9780738560328

$24.99

Nebraska's Cowboy Line existed for nearly 125 years and covered more than 400 miles as it made its way across the northern portion of the state. The construction of the rail line, which started in 1869, was the impetus for the establishment of many towns, and even the relocation of some, along the route. The line was employed to transport miners to the Black Hills during the gold rush of the late 1800s, it carried thousands of Irish and German immigrants to the largely unsettled area, and it allowed politicians to meet their constituents. It also was used to deliver necessities, amusements, technology, and new innovations to the state's citizenry.

Nebraska City

9781467114493

$24.99

When Lewis and Clark pulled their way up the Missouri River in the summer of 1804, their journals reported an area of boundless prairie and beautiful streams on the river's west bank. Fifty years later, the community of Nebraska City was born on that very spot. For many decades, the community served as a jumping-off point for travelers bound farther westward as thousands of wagon trains departed every year. By the late 1800s, the city became known for another reason: the home of Arbor Day. First introduced by Nebraska City resident J. Sterling Morton in 1872, Arbor Day became Nebraska's holiday and is now celebrated worldwide. The 1900s saw a decline in the transportation industry but a rise in manufacturing and the growing and canning of produce. Today, historical tourism makes up the economic lifeblood of this small but thriving community.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

9781467125581

$24.99

Early in 1869, Nebraska's legislature convened for the first time in the new capital city of Lincoln. Eager to reap the benefits of the Morrill Act, legislators quickly approved a bill establishing the University of Nebraska. Visionary lawmakers rejected the creation of two universities and determined that the state university and the state agricultural university should "be united as one educational institution." Thus was born Nebraska's great land grant and comprehensive research university that serves Nebraskans and the world beyond the state. Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, Olympic athletes, and Nobel Prize-winning scientists have launched their careers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as have world-class artists, entertainers, educators, and business leaders.

Omaha's Easter Tornado of 1913

9780738531847

$24.99

On Sunday, March 23, 1913, the burgeoning city of Omaha, Nebraska, fell victim to one of the worst tornado disasters in American history. Downtown was spared, but the fashionable neighborhoods of the city's western fringe and the ethnic neighborhoods of north Omaha were destroyed. Over 100 lives were lost, and millions of dollars in property damage was done. Photographers descended upon Omaha, rendering astonishing images of the storm's aftermath. This book uses nearly 200 of those photographs, many of which are drawn from the Durham Western Heritage Museum archives, to document the tornado's path of destruction, as well as stories of survival, compassion, reconstruction, and the remarkable unity and resilience of the Omaha community.

Omaha's Trans-Mississippi Exposition

9780738531519

$24.99

During the summer and early fall of 1898, Omaha, Nebraska, came alive with the sights and sounds of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition. Despite a drought, a difficult economy, and a declaration of war between the United States and Spain, over two and one-half million people gathered on the exposition grounds to celebrate fifty years of progress. This book documents the grand spectacle of the exposition through a remarkable collection of archival photographs, many of which were taken by official exposition photographer Frank A. Rinehart. In these pages, you will discover the architectural splendor and the abundant cultural and artistic achievements that have made Omaha's Trans-Mississippi Exposition a legendary event in American history.

North Platte's Keith Blackledge

9781467148047

$21.99

Popular culture glorified newspapers in the 1970s, creating a kind of mythical community newspaperman--like Keith Blackledge, longtime editor of the North Platte Telegraph. In his editorials and columns he praised, scolded, cajoled, teased and encouraged readers. He provided a civic connection while, mostly behind the scenes, he worked to make the town better. Blackledge's story resonates today because it's also about the evolution of newspapers. The editor's career spanned a time when the industry was hit by a tsunami of change, including shrinking circulations and advertising revenues, and new technologies altering forever the way news is produced and consumed. Author Carol Lomicky chronicles the life of this remarkable newspaperman.

The College World Series

9780738533797

$24.99

Since 1950, Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium (formerly Municipal Stadium) has hosted the nation's top college baseball programs in the College World Series. Baseball fans from every corner of the country have taken the annual "Road to Omaha" and packed the seats to see championship baseball at its best. In 1954 thousands saw Jim Ehrler of Texas toss the tourney's first no-hitter en route to the Longhorns winning back-to-back CWS championships. Fans at the 1970 tournament saw Southern Cal defeat Florida State in the midst of their unmatched five-year championship run. In 1996 Rosenblatt's faithful took in the dramatic bottom-of-the-ninth, two-out, two-run homer by Louisiana State's Warren Morris, giving his team a 9-8 upset victory over powerhouse Miami.

Lost Restaurants of Omaha

9781625858689

$21.99

Omaha is known for its beef, but the history of its most famous restaurants goes far beyond. The French Café was the place to go to celebrate. Piccolo Pete's, Mister C's and Bohemian Café helped shape neighborhoods in Little Italy, North Omaha and Little Bohemia. The tales of restaurateurs like the tragic Tolf Hanson; the ever-optimistic Ross Lorello; Anthony Oddo, once a resident at Boys Town; and Giuseppa Marcuzzo, a former bootlegger, also tell the story of the city. Restaurants played a prominent role as history unfolded in Omaha during prohibition, wartime rations, the fight for equal rights and westward expansion. Author Kim Reiner details the fascinating history behind Omaha's classic eateries.

Detour Nebraska

9781625858818

$23.99

For many, Nebraska is the flat prairie seen from the interstate. Yet with the Sandhills, bluffs and river valleys, the state has an abundance of riches. The heritage of early settlers is evident. Fort Kearny and Chimney Rock were pioneer harbors. The Fur Trade Museum and the Homestead Monument of America tell of those who came to make a life. Carhenge is a nationally known treasure. The Joslyn Art Museum features world-class art, and the Nebraska National Forest is the largest hand-planted forest in the nation. Native Nebraskan Gretchen Garrison details the places and people that make the Cornhusker State unique.

Omaha Food:

9781467117814

$21.99

Without its once-booming livestock industry, Omaha would be a very different place. Although it was originally known for its legendary steakhouses, today's eateries exceed the influence of cattle. Out of a rich foundation of traditions like steaks with hash browns and mostaccioli, Reubens and South O dive bars grew a creative culinary community with a fiercely loyal following. Today, Omaha is a platform for nationally recognized chefs. Home to one of America's greenest restaurants and the recent birthplace of the Rounder, the story of Omaha food is ripe for the telling. Author Rachel P. Grace celebrates the scene in this unapologetically witty culinary adventure.

Vetter Health Services

9781467113830

$24.99

Jack and Eldora Vetter began Vetter Health Services (VHS) in 1975 with the belief that elderly people deserve dignity in life. Forty years later, what began as the couple's personal mission has grown to include more than 30 award-winning senior-care facilities home to 2,200 residents and patients who are cared for by 3,500 team members. Based in Elkhorn, Nebraska, VHS is recognized as a national leader in providing safe, comfortable, and happy senior living centers. Each facility is built around the individual needs of residents and the community; every aspect of care and operation is shaped by the VHS mission, vision, and values. Support and expertise are always available from administrators and team members who share Jack and Eldora Vetter's heart for service and passion for excellence. Together, they are changing the view of long-term care for senior citizens.

Baseball in Omaha

9780738532769

$24.99

Professional baseball history in Omaha began in 1869 when the Cincinnati Red Stockings came to town, besting local teams 65-1 and 56-3, and touching off a barnstorming tradition that would bring Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and others over the years to League Park, Brown Park, and Municipal Stadium (later rededicated as Rosenblatt Stadium). Omaha became part of the Western League in 1895. William "Pa" Rourke's League Park at 20th and Vinton became Omaha's first municipal ballpark in 1911 and the center of professional Omaha baseball until its destruction by fire in 1936. The 1940s and early 1950s saw the Omaha Cardinals play as part of the Western League and American Association, with the Dodgers appearing briefly in the early 60s. Since 1969, Omaha has been home for the Kansas City Royals AAA team. Since 1950, Omaha has hosted the NCAA College World Series. But Omaha baseball is also about the sandlots and games played at Riverview Park, Benson Park, Fontenelle Park, Brown Park, Athletic Park, and Burdette Park; about the Packing houses, breweries, restaurants, car dealerships, and insurance companies that have sponsored teams; and about neighborhood teams battling for bragging rights and the high school players who were immortalized in Robert Phipps' columns in the Omaha World Herald.

Hastings

9780738519005

$24.99

Railroads were responsible for establishing many towns in Nebraska, including Hastings. The location of the city was determined by the junction of two railroads, the Burlington and Missouri River, and the St. Joseph and Denver City. Hastings was founded in 1872 and named after railroad construction engineer Major Delmonte Hastings.

Hastings: The Queen City of the Plains includes over 200 photographs from the Adams County Historical Society and the author, Monty McCord. You will see Heartwell Park, which was originally established as a private park by James B. Heartwell in 1886. Other images show the Fisher Rainbow Fountain, one of the most identifiable landmarks in the city, located in front of the utilities building. This book also showcases images of the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot, which was built during World War II, and had a large impact on Hastings' development.

Nebraska Beer:

9781467117807

$21.99

Nebraska's craft beer scene may be relatively young, but the state's rich brewing history stretches back to the 1800s. Tyler Thomas of NebraskaFoodie.com presents the whole story, from quenching thirsts in small towns before Prohibition to homebrewers going commercial and launching the nation's first winery/microbrewery combination. From bourgeois to blue collar, the craft breweries thriving today have distinct and entertaining stories. What drives them all are passionate people pouring their hearts into great beer, which they share one pint, pitcher or growler at a time.

Norfolk

9781467113984

$24.99

In July 1866, three wagon trains of German immigrants from Wisconsin arrived at their new home on the North Fork of the Elkhorn River in northeastern Nebraska. The settlers intended to call the town Northfork, but in 1868, when the abbreviated "Norfork" was submitted to federal postal authorities, the government assumed the name was misspelled and changed it to Norfolk. Since the town's founding, the story of the community has been one of continuous growth that has led to a bountiful, thriving town. Norfolk's hardworking people are generous, welcoming, and open to new ideas. Though it has changed with time, the unconquerable spirit of the city remains young and active. Images of Modern America: Norfolk is a photographic journey into the 21st century.

Crete

9780738593920

$24.99

Late-19th-century publications regularly promoted Nebraska's young cities and towns, and Crete was no exception. Settled by homesteaders, merchants, railroaders, and New Englanders associated with Doane College, Crete began as an agricultural trade center, but it soon possessed the refinements of gentility and city culture. One 1890s booklet described the 20-year-old town, with a population of 3,000, as a modern, cosmopolitan, progressive city--traits that few places of similar size in the West could claim. A newspaper article exclaimed, "No city in the West has attracted more attention among Easterners than Crete" and that no other city had a more promising future. Another article called Crete "the gem of the Blue River valley." Situated 25 miles from Nebraska's capital city of Lincoln, Crete already had electricity, running water, a college, churches, a library, and numerous businesses and industries by the late 19th century. The photographs within provide a glimpse into the past life of a town that has continued to evolve and thrive.

Welcome to Omaha

9781467128650

$24.99

Millions of people traveling America's railroads and highways pass through Omaha, breaking for an overnight stay. At the end of the day, the traveler's experience is in the hands of transportation workers, hoteliers, and restaurateurs who promise comfort, food, and safety. Omaha's hospitality industry offerings ranged from the modest Scandinavian Young Women's Christian Association and the Hotel Harley bachelor lodgings to the lofty Fontenelle and Blackstone Hotels. The resilient Paxton has been a fixture since 1882. Visitors to Omaha took in the bright lights and culture, documenting their impressions on postcards that picture the city's hotels, restaurants, train depots, bridges, and weather events.

Mari Sandoz's Native Nebraska

9780738507842

$24.99

When the Mari Sandoz High Plains Center opens in Chadron, Nebraska in 2001, it will be one of three centers at which Nebraska honors its outstanding writers. Through the compilation of over 200 images in this new book, taken from historical collections and her own work, author and photographer LaVerne Harrell Clark contributes to that same purpose. In it, she recreates the frontier life of settlers and the neighboring Sioux and Cheyenne Indians of the sandhills region of northwestern Nebraska. Accompanied by in-depth captions detailing Mari Sandoz's life and works, these images illustrate how she came to hold an outstanding place as an American writer until her death in 1966. Born in 1896, in the "free-land" region of the Nebraska Panhandle, Sandoz was greatly influenced in her writing by the people who called at her homestead. Her acquaintances included Bad Arm, a Sioux Indian who fought at the Little Bighorn and was present at Wounded Knee, "Old Cheyenne Woman," a survivor of both the Oklahoma and Fort Robinson conflicts, and William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the legend of the Old West.

Nebraska's Carl Milton Aldrich and the Arbor Day Song

9781467152990

$23.99

Since 1910, the Arbor Day song has been a cherished part of Nebraska's tree-planting holiday tradition. Its author, Carl Milton Aldrich, belonged to an exceptionally talented family that included his mother, a Woman's Christian Temperance Union co-founder, and retail magnate Harry Selfridge. Born to pioneering associates of J. Sterling Morton, the Otoe County native became a leading meatpacking expert and prominent political activist who worked with some of the most powerful men in Gilded Age America. For thirty years, he expertly managed Nebraska City's largest business, the Morton-Gregson Company, and was one of Arbor Day's most influential promoters. Rachel Brupbacher, his great-great-granddaughter, recounts the inspiring story of how he guided his hometown through both its golden years and darkest hours, selflessly working for the sake of its future.

Nebraska's Carl Milton Aldrich and the Arbor Day Song

University of Nebraska-Omaha Football

9781467114615

$24.99

From its inaugural season in 1911 through its final season in 2011, the University of Nebraska-Omaha football team always faced an uphill struggle in terms of resources. The program reached a pinnacle in 1954 with its lone unbeaten season. Many other teams and individuals also found great success, winning conference titles and bowl games and moving onto professional careers. Just because the school no longer offers football, it does not mean that the thousands of men who played for the Mavericks from 1971 to 2011, the Indians from 1939 to 1971, and the Cardinals and the Maroons before should not be remembered and honored for the years they poured their hearts and souls into the Omaha football program.

The Lighthouses of New England

9781933212203

$14.95

This is a reissue of one of Edward Rowe Snow's most enduring classics. First published in 1945, it relates the histories of over fifty of the region's lighthouses in rich detail. Snow gives special emphasis to the story of heroine Abbie Burgess at Maine's Matinicus Rock Light, to the rich histories of Boston Light and Minot's Ledge Light. Modern day lighthouse expert Jeremy D'Entremont has provided extensive annotations to Snow's chapters, bringing the information about each lighthouse up to date.

Historic Storms of New England

9781889833279

$14.95