Nebraska Trivia & Tidbits

Looking for Nebraska trivia? Try our list Nebraska little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Built with locally quarried limestone and completed in 1894, the Stone Building is the oldest commercial building in Kimball (pop. 2,559). Through the years, the two-story building has housed a lumber and hardware business and general merchandise store with a dance hall and community center upstairs.

first appeared: 11/1/2009

Established in 1884, Haythorn Land & Cattle Co. near Ogallala (pop. 4,930) is one of the state's largest ranches, with 90,000 acres in three counties.

first appeared: 10/18/2009

Charlie and Sherry Zeller, owners of Chuck's Woodbarn in Bartley (pop. 355), specialize in the lost art of steam-bending wood to create camelback trunks, also called dome-topped or steamer trunks.

first appeared: 10/4/2009

Chartered in 1856, the Bank of Florence in Florence operated for more than a decade before Nebraska became a state. Today, the restored frontier bank is a museum in Omaha.

first appeared: 9/20/2009

Old-fashioned phosphates, ice cream sodas and sundaes still are served and savored at the soda fountain inside Arapahoe Pharmacy, open under various names and owners in Arapahoe (pop. 1,028) since 1899.

first appeared: 9/6/2009

German settlers in Grand Island (pop. 42,940) organized a German singing society, or "Liederkranz," in 1870 to provide musical and social entertainment, and to cultivate the members' musical talents. The group's brick hall, completed in 1912, long has served the community for meetings, civic activities and as a voting place.

first appeared: 8/23/2009

Founded in 1995, Little Log Co. of Sargent (pop. 649) is one of the town's top employers and builds birdhouses and bird feeders. The business specializes in custom designs for more than 60 colleges, universities and companies such as John Deere.

first appeared: 8/9/2009

With more than 1,475 acres, Wilderness Park in Lincoln is the largest in the city and offers more than 22 miles of bridle, hiking and biking trails.

first appeared: 7/26/2009

—The Willa Cather Thematic District in Red Cloud (pop. 1,131) and Webster County (pop. 4,061) includes more than 190 sites related to the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who grew up in the area. The historic district is believed to be the largest in the United States dedicated to an author.

first appeared: 7/12/2009

—The 48 steps leading to the main entrance of the Capitol in Lincoln represent the number of states in 1922, when construction on the building began.

first appeared: 6/28/2009

—Built as an exhibit for the 1932 Adams County Fair, Fisher Fountain was so popular that it was installed permanently the next year in Hastings Park in Hastings (pop. 24,064). It was seen as a symbol of hope during the Great Depression.

first appeared: 6/14/2009

—The longest pedestrian bridge linking two states is the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which spans 3,000 feet across the Missouri River between Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa (pop. 58,268). The bridge opened last September.

first appeared: 5/31/2009

—Built in the 1860s, the home of Secretary of State Thomas P. Kennard still stands and is the oldest house within the original plat of Lincoln. Designated a Nebraska Statehood Memorial, the home is open for tours.

first appeared: 5/17/2009

—In 1958, Rising City (pop. 386) native Clifton Hillegass borrowed $4,000 to publish his first batch of literary study guides, CliffsNotes, modeled after Coles Notes, published by Jack Cole in Canada. Hillegass sold the company for $14 million in the late 1990s.

first appeared: 5/3/2009

–The state fishing record for the largest grass carp is held by Ronald Anderson of Omaha, who landed a 62–pound, 1–ounce whopper from Buckskin Hills Lake in August 2007.

first appeared: 4/19/2009

—Kerford Limestone Co., in Weeping Water (pop. 1,103), is the state's largest and most productive limestone mine. Founded in 1966, the company produces more than 2 million tons of limestone each year for use in asphalt and concrete in road, bridge and building construction.

first appeared: 4/5/2009

—Bison, elk, cranes, pronghorn antelope, wolves and other animals native to the scenic Platte River valley can be seen up close at the drive-through Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari in Ashland (pop. 2,262).

first appeared: 3/22/2009

—At age 12, Emily Wemhoff called every household in her hometown of Creston (pop. 215) to ask if they had a smoke alarm, then secured money for homeowners who didn’t. She launched Project S.A.F.E. (Save a Friend Everyday) to increase fire-safety awareness, and “Practice Your Fire Escape Plan Day,” both still ongoing.

first appeared: 3/8/2009

—In 1932, Sen. George Norris of McCook (pop. 7,994) wrote the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which moved the presidential inauguration date from March to January, eliminating a four-month gap between the presidential election and the swearing-in, and abolishing the “lame duck” sessions of Congress.

first appeared: 2/22/2009

—More than 2,000 clown dolls from around the world delight visitors at the Klown Doll Museum in Plainview (pop. 1,353), which celebrates “Klown Days” each June.

first appeared: 2/8/2009

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