Sod houses and homesteads
On the nearly treeless plains, settlers built houses from blocks of prairie sod. Families posed proudly in front of them, often with their horses, wagons, sewing machines and organs brought out into the yard. Solomon Butcher, a photographer in Custer County, made thousands of images of these homesteads, and his work and that of other local photographers appeared on postcards. Real photos of sod houses and homestead families are among the most historically significant Nebraska cards.
Prairie towns
The Union Pacific, the Burlington and other railroads crossed Nebraska, and towns grew at regular intervals along them. Each had a main street, a depot, grain elevators, a bank, a hotel and churches. Real photos of these towns, often made only a few times by a local photographer, are what most Nebraska town collectors seek.
Farms and harvests
Wheat, corn and later sugar beets in the west shaped Nebraska agriculture. Real photos of threshing crews, steam engines, corn husking, harvest scenes and farmsteads are popular with agricultural collectors. Sugar beet factories at Grand Island, Scottsbluff and other towns appear on cards.
The Sandhills and cattle
The Sandhills of north central Nebraska are grass-covered dunes suited only to grazing, and they became cattle country. Ranches, roundups, cowboys and small ranch towns appear on real photo cards popular with Western collectors.
Omaha
Omaha's stockyards and packing houses, among the largest in the country, its railroad yards, streets and the Missouri River bridges appear on many cards. The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of 1898, held in Omaha, predates the main postcard boom, but souvenir cards and views associated with it are collected. The Easter Sunday tornado of 1913 struck Omaha, and cards of the damage are historically significant.
Lincoln
Lincoln, the capital, appears on cards showing the old and new capitols, the university and city streets. The new capitol, with its tall tower, was built between 1922 and 1932, and construction views are collected.
Places and subjects to look for
- Custer County and central Nebraska: sod houses and homestead families.
- The Platte Valley: railroad towns along the Union Pacific.
- The Sandhills: ranches, cowboys and small towns.
- The Panhandle: Scottsbluff, sugar beets and Chimney Rock.
- Omaha: the stockyards, packing houses, streets and the 1913 tornado.
- Lincoln: the capitols, the university and city views.
- Small towns with main streets, depots and elevators across the state.
The Oregon Trail landmarks
Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff and Courthouse Rock, famous landmarks on the Oregon Trail, appear on many cards. Common printed views are plentiful, but early real photos are more interesting.
Weather and events
Tornadoes, blizzards, floods and prairie fires struck Nebraska towns, and local photographers recorded the damage. They also photographed parades, homecomings, county fairs and Chautauquas. Event real photos from identified towns are prized.
Real photos versus printed views
Omaha and Lincoln landmarks were printed by publishers in quantity. Real photos of sod houses, small towns, harvests, ranches and weather events carry most of the value in a Nebraska collection.
What is common
Printed views of Omaha buildings, the capitols, Chimney Rock and later chrome highway cards are plentiful.
Why Nebraska town cards matter
Many small Nebraska towns peaked in population in the early twentieth century and have since shrunk as farms grew larger and railroads closed branch lines. Real photos made when those towns were busy are often the best surviving record of them. Local historians, genealogists and families with Nebraska roots look for them, which is why even a plain real photo of a small Nebraska main street deserves careful attention.
Questions about Nebraska postcards
Are sod house postcards valuable? Real photos of sod houses and homestead families are historically significant and collected.
Are small-town Nebraska postcards collectible? Yes, real photos of main streets, depots and elevators are the most wanted.
Are Omaha tornado postcards worth anything? Real photos of the 1913 tornado damage are collected.
Do you buy Nebraska collections? Yes, complete collections from anywhere in the state, by mail.