UNK Special Collection is comprised of materials on select subject areas, such as the history of Nebraska, the Great Plains, and settlement of the West. For this collection the Library is committed to assembling primary and secondary scholarly materials on specific topics that support UNK's curricular and research needs.
Select digitized Special Collections materials are available here.
Statement on Harmful Material: Materials in UNK Archives and Special Collections are historical in nature and reflect the society in which they were produced. As such, they may contain racial, gender, sexual, religious, and other language and imagery that are offensive by today's standards. The documents, images, publications, and other materials have been retained in order to fully represent the materials in their original format. If the offensive text is not in the original, but in a finding aid, catalog record, or other description created by library employees, please contact Archives and Special Collections to bring this to our attention. Archives & Special Collections is guided by the core values of the Society of American Archivists. If you have questions about this statement or about Archives and Special Collections’ work, we welcome your feedback. Please contact us at archives@unk.edu or 308-865-8593.
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A History of the Kearney Public Library & Information Center: the First Century 1890-1990
Ron Norman
History of the Kearney, Nebraska Public Library, written for its centennial in 1990.
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Kearney State College 1905-1980: A History of the first seventy-five years
Philip S. Holmgren
History of Kearney State College, produced for the 75th anniversary of the institution.
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A Shape a Writer Can Contain
Don Welch
Detailed instruction on how to write an essay from Nebraska poet Don Welch
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Candles for Christmas
Bernice Halbert
Self-published booklet containing a poem about Christmas, using candles as its main theme.
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A Short History of De Witt 1872-1972
Bonnie Runty, Rhonda Powers, and Julie Bergmeier
History of De Witt, Nebraska written by three Tri County Schools students for a local history organization. Includes images and maps. It covers early settlement to 1930. Discusses the history of the town, including labor, organizations (including the Klu Klux Klan), rural education, and more.
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The Wild Bill-McCanles tragedy : An actual photographic reproduction
Charles Dawson
Part of the Pioneer Tales of the Oregon Trail and of Jefferson County series. Reproduction of a 1912 publication that recounted the story of Wild Bill Hickock and D.C. McCanles
Printing date of the reproduction approximate.
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Kearney Cotton Mill: A Bubble that Burst
Charles Jankins
Paper drawing on primary sources and oral history interviews to tell the story of the Kearney, Nebraska cotton mill
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Dance Calls Series Three - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Produced by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
Square dancing calls popular in nebraska in the late 1800s
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Early Nebraska Cooking - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Produced by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
"Early Nebraska cooking, because of its lack of variety, often became unappetizing for even the least fastidious settlers. Sowbelly (salt pork), corn meal and coffee were nearly always on the table for the main meals."
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Pioneer Recollections - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Produced by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
"These reminiscences of life in Nebraska during the 1870s and 1880s have been obtained through personal interviews with pioneers by members of the Nebraska Writers' Project."
Includes several stories about pranks, information on pioneer remedies and medicine, as well as tales of a more historical nature.
Statement on Harmful Material: Materials in UNK Archives and Special Collections are historical in nature and reflect the society in which they were produced. As such, they may contain racial, gender, sexual, religious, and other language and imagery that are offensive by today's standards. The documents, images, publications, and other materials have been retained in order to fully represent the materials in their original format. If the offensive text is not in the original, but in a finding aid, catalog record, or other description created by library employees, please contact Archives and Special Collections to bring this to our attention. Archives & Special Collections is guided by the core values of the Society of American Archivists. If you have questions about this statement or about Archives and Special Collections’ work, we welcome your feedback. Please contact us at archives@unk.edu or 308-865-8593.
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Pioneer Religion - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Produced by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
History of religion in Nebraska. Following a general introduction, sections cover places of worship, preaching, and rivalries.
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Pioneer Schools - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
"This pamphlet, on pioneer schools in nebraska, does not attempt to tell the history of the early schools in the State, but is limited to relating some of the lore (customs, habits, stories) of the pioneer school."
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Pioneer Tales - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
"All of these hoaxes, tall-tales and experiences have been obtained from itnerviews with Nebraskans who pioneered in the State. They have never been printed and their editing has been kept to a minimum."
Common story topics include horse trading, threshing, cattle drives, and more.
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The Negroes of Nebraska
Writers' Program, Work Projects Administration in the State of Nebraska
Statement on Harmful Material:
Materials in UNK Archives and Special Collections are historical in nature and reflect the society in which they were produced. As such, they may contain racial, gender, sexual, religious, and other language and imagery that are offensive by today's standards. The documents, images, publications, and other materials have been retained in order to fully represent the materials in their original format. If the offensive text is not in the original, but in a finding aid, catalog record, or other description created by library employees, please contact Archives and Special Collections to bring this to our attention. Archives & Special Collections is guided by the core values of the Society of American Archivists. If you have questions about this statement or about Archives and Special Collections’ work, we welcome your feedback. Please contact us at archives@unk.edu or 308-865-8593.
Preface:
The Negroes of Nebraska, though a book arbitrarily limited as to length, nevertheless is an attempt to highlight the entire picture of Negro life in this State. It represents the efforts of several persons. If the book has achieved its intended purpose it has done so because these persons have consulted every available source in collecting and verifying the material from which it was written.
The State's Negro citizens comprise, numerically, a minority group, and much of the colorful side of their story, in the absence of written records, is irretrievably lost. Yet much more that would have been lost has found permanence in this account, through the diligent research of two Negro employees of the Nebraska Writers' Project, Fred D. Dixon and Albert J. Burks. The fact remains that there are gaps in the story, and because of incomplete records inaccuracies may appear in the text. If such are noted the editors will appreciate having these brought to their attention.
The editors wish to acknowledge their gratitude for valuable aid and criticism to the University. of Nebraska, the Nebraska State Historical Society, and to Raymond R. Brown and Millard F. Wood, Executive Secretaries respectively of the Urban Leagues of Omaha and Lincoln. Drawings are by Paul Gibson, Omaha Negro artist.
Sponsored by The Omaha Urban League Community Center. Written and compiled by workers of the Writers' Program, Work Projects Administration in the state of Nebraska. Drawings by Paul Gibson.
OCLC Number: 123134673
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Dance Calls Series 2 - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Produced by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
Explanation of the history of dances in Nebraska pioneer days - complete with discussion of "flea cracking" - as well as a selection of dance calls
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More Farmers' Alliance songs of the 1890's - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
The present song collection continues the recital of farmers' greivances against the railroads and the banking and political interests allied with them. Most songs have been gleaned from the files of the Farmers' Alliance.
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More Santee-Sioux Indian Legends - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Produced by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska.
Seven Santee-Sioux legends from the files of the Word Carrier.
Statement on Harmful Material: Materials in UNK Archives and Special Collections are historical in nature and reflect the society in which they were produced. As such, they may contain racial, gender, sexual, religious, and other language and imagery that are offensive by today's standards. The documents, images, publications, and other materials have been retained in order to fully represent the materials in their original format. If the offensive text is not in the original, but in a finding aid, catalog record, or other description created by library employees, please contact Archives and Special Collections to bring this to our attention. Archives & Special Collections is guided by the core values of the Society of American Archivists. If you have questions about this statement or about Archives and Special Collections’ work, we welcome your feedback. Please contact us at archives@unk.edu or 308-865-8593.
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Pioneer Dance Calls - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
Explanation of the history of dances in Nebraska pioneer days as well as a selection of dance calls
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Reminiscences of Dad Streeter - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
These reminiscences of George W. Streeter, who prefers to be known as Dad Streeter, relate experiences and events in which he participated while living in Nebraska during the 1880's. He lived the life of a roving cowboy.
In addition to his stories of the range, his accounts of bull-whacking, mule skinning and stage-draiving, the pranking of tenderfeet and missionaries, his meetings with Cattle Kate, Calamity Jane and Buffalo Bill, the hazards of prairie fires and blizzards, frontier justice and encounters with Indians, are a valuable contribution to the folklore of the West.
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Santee Sioux Indian Legends - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Eight Santee-Sioux legends collected from the files of the Word Carrier, a paper published by the Santee Normal Training School.
Statement on Harmful Material: Materials in UNK Archives and Special Collections are historical in nature and reflect the society in which they were produced. As such, they may contain racial, gender, sexual, religious, and other language and imagery that are offensive by today's standards. The documents, images, publications, and other materials have been retained in order to fully represent the materials in their original format. If the offensive text is not in the original, but in a finding aid, catalog record, or other description created by library employees, please contact Archives and Special Collections to bring this to our attention. Archives & Special Collections is guided by the core values of the Society of American Archivists. If you have questions about this statement or about Archives and Special Collections’ work, we welcome your feedback. Please contact us at archives@unk.edu or 308-865-8593.
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Ballads - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
"The ballads in this collection were sung in pioneer Nebraska. They have come from the people themselves, having been repeated by word of mouth from generation to generation...It is only from spontaneous folk singing that the ballads can be given color, atmosphere, and new themes, so many of which have been suggested within the past few years by such epic Nebraska events as the drouth, three-cent hogs, ten-cent corn, farm foreclosures and the Farm Holiday Movement."
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Farmers' Alliance Songs of the 1890's - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
These Farmers' Alliance songs have been gleaned from the files of the Farmers' Alliance - the official organ of the Nebraska State Alliance. This weekly paper, published in the 1890's, was later known by a variety of titles. It was always liberal and strongly populistic in its views.
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Nebraska Cattle Brands
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
"Nebraska cattlemen have more than 13,000 brands registered with the Division of Live Stock Brands in the Secretary of State's OFfice.
All the brands are a part of the folklore of the state, since their designs were originated by the stockmen themselves...Regardless of whether the brand design was made into a romantic flourish of the setting sun, or into a simple initial, it became a trademark and thing of pride for its owner. So all these cattle brands, apart from their practical worth in the stock business, have an aura of romance and strangeness."
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Place Name Stories - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska.
"The following pages are devoted to those Nebraska place names that reveal interesting stories concerning their origin. In some instances the story of a locale's naming, as in the case of Weeping Water, derives from a folk legend. This, however, makes the story all the more interesting; since it is the tale, not the fact, in which we are interested in this pamphlet. Consequently all the hundreds of Nebraska places that have been named in honor of early settlers, railroad officials, or towns in other states have been omitted."
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Songs About Nebraska - Nebraska Folklore
Federal Writers' Project
Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project in Nebraska
"The songs collected in this pamphlet are those that are sung the most or are best known by the people of the state. For each song we include a brief history and we have included the melody for those not sung to familiar airs. In each case permission to use the words and music has been granted us by the proper proprietor of the song or the holder of the copyright."