Missing from the History Books

Education, Entertainment, General, History, Nebraska 2 Minutes

Plenty of historic events have taken place in Nebraska over the years, but not all of them have made it into common knowledge. Some are so obscure or unusual that they aren’t even found in most history books. These six things are so crazy that it’s almost hard to believe they happened right here at home.


1. A Nebraskan “won the war” for the US.

Andrew Jackson Higgins

Andrew Jackson Higgins, born in Columbus in 1886, would grow up to manufacture boats that the US Navy found instrumental in winning WWII (though his company was not based in Nebraska). In fact, more than 96 percent of US Navy boats were “Higgins boats” at the end of the war. Then-General Dwight Eisenhower referred to Higgins as the man who won the war for us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Higgins

2. Early Nebraska maps featured six “ghost counties” that never existed.

Just after Nebraska became a state, mapmaking company Colton printed maps containing six counties in western Nebraska that were entirely nonexistent. The mistake came about because the mapmaker referenced an early legislative bill which showed an alternate version of the county lines. By the time the county lines were finalized, the maps were already printed. Other mapmakers copied the incorrect map, and the error was not corrected on new maps for more than a decade.

3. Nebraska was hit by a Japanese balloon bomb in WWII…and no one said a word.

Japan sent out balloon bombs during WWII, then tracked where they ended up so they could perfect the technique for hitting their targets from such a far distance. One such bomb exploded over the Dundee area of Omaha in 1945. In the interest of thwarting the Japanese efforts to chart the bomb’s trajectory, the incident was kept completely out of the news until after the war ended. Today, a historical marker stands on the site where the bomb exploded.

4. A tiny Nebraska town voted itself out of existence.

Seneca, NE

The Thomas County town of Seneca, which was incorporated in 1888, dissolved in 2014 after a year of disputes and acrimony. The incident which began the disputes was regarding an ordinance that barred residents from keeping horses within town limits. Over the course of several months, bickering and bitterness led to the village board voting to dissolve Seneca. The motion won by a single vote. Seneca officially became an unincorporated community in mid-2014.

5. The first self-propelled vehicle west of the Mississippi was debuted in Nebraska.

In the mid-1880s, an entrepreneur named Joseph Renshaw Brown saw the opportunity to introduce steam-powered vehicles to the prairie. His contraption caused a lot of excitement in Nebraska City where its journey began. After its payload was attached and the vehicle started to chug toward Kearney, it unceremoniously died seven miles into the trip. Although it didn’t achieve its mission, the vehicle still made history.

6. A “volcano” once existed in Nebraska…before it was washed away.

In northeastern Nebraska, a mysterious hill right on the banks of the Missouri River used to release heat and steam of such power that people assumed it was a volcano. In reality, it was a chemical reaction within the hill causing these events. In 1878, a flood washed the “volcano” away forever.

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Published by NebraskaFilly

Army veteran (1976-1979), retired with entirely too much time on my hands

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182 thoughts on “Missing from the History Books”

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  16. WTH??????????????????????

    Citizen 817
    February 15, 2023 1:36 am

    Truck Filled with Acid Overturns in Arizona, Leading to Hazmat Alert and Another Emergency Evacuation

    Arizona authorities have issued a hazmat alert and a ‘shelter in place’ warning is in effect for all individuals within a one mile radius of Tucson Arizona, after a truck carrying hazardous materials overturned on the I-10 highway.

    Police said that the truck was carrying about “2000 pounds of the toxic chemical nitric acid.”

    https://open.substack.com/pub/thekylebecker/p/truck-filled-with-acid-overturns

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Feisty Hayseed
    February 15, 2023 1:40 am
    Reply to Feisty Hayseed

    MSU shooter had a criminal record including a felony for possession of a loaded weapon.

    HE ONLY SERVED ONE DAY.

    Shocking that he got released and continued to be a criminal. pic.twitter.com/b727Ep8p2f

    — UltraZeeStrong (@ZeeStrong60) February 14, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

  18. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
    well we probably wouldn’t fall for the cv lockdown bullshit again…

    Halley
    February 15, 2023 4:29 am

    Here’s a conspiracy theory for you:

    The attacks on infrastructure, food supply, airspace, cyber security, legit information, energy grid, etc etc etc are all a huge False Flag operation that will soon, and very conveniently, necessitate the “national security imperative” of Martial Law by the Coup dÉtat.

    How do people come up with such things? ; )

    Liked by 1 person

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  22. “Palestine, Ohio train wreck: It’s the dioxin — It’s not just what was in the tanker cars. It’s what happens when they burn and combine. This may be the largest dioxin plume in world history. I know of no more serious release, ever.”

    Eric F Coppolino
    Feb 13

    (Train on fire in Palestine, OH)
    EXCERPT: “Dear Friend and Reader: Most coverage of the train wreck in Palestine, Ohio is missing one word: dioxin. There were reportedly 14 tanker cars full of vinyl chloride, a precursor to polyvinyl chloride — that is, vinyl. Burning vinyl is the most serious source of dioxin in the environment — whether from trash incinerators, house fires or chemical spills.

    While vinyl chloride is a precursor chemical to making PVC, any time chlorinated compounds burn there will be dioxins created. And dioxin is a manufacturing byproduct of any manufacturing process involving chlorine, from “disinfectants” to the bleaching of paper. There was plenty of dioxin in those tanker cars before they caught fire.

    This mess of 14 tanker cars (really, many more, but 14 had vinyl chloride) was then set on fire by the government, apparently to make it easier to clear the railroad tracks. This was the worst possible decision. It has turned many, many miles into what should be no-man’s land. But I have not heard of one single test for dioxin being done.

    Note that dioxin goes by several other names, including TCDD, and is sometimes abbreviated “2,3,7,8.” Dibenzofurans, or furans for short, are identical in their toxicity but are spoken about less often. Many other chemicals, such as PCBs, are “dioxin-like compounds.”

    This Affects a Very Large Region of the Country — This is not a local issue. This massive plume will spread far and wide, and is being blown by the prevailing winds across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York State, toward the population centers of the northeastern U.S.

    And via land and water, the toxins can spread in many directions, via water, soil movement and air (since the prevailing winds are only an average). And the contamination is so serious that even soil tracking will spread significant amounts.

    What few people remember is how the town of Times Beach, Missouri was evacuated, purchased by the federal government, leveled and had its zip code removed, from far, far less dioxin contamination. It’s now a state park, though I’m not sure who would want to have a picnic there.

    Dioxin Has Been Silenced for a Generation
    Dioxin has been out of the news for more than 30 years. Therefore, very few people today have any sense of the problem — including journalists and editors. It is one of the most serously environmental issues, but the background is not known by nearly anyone (and that’s partly why I have posted the history below).

    After a series of fraudulent articles in The New York Times that claimed they are as dangerous as sunbathing, the issue disappeared. A federal reassessment of dioxin’s toxicity was stuffed early in the Clinton administration. I cover the reassessment in this 1994 article I wrote for Sierra.

    Dioxins are Degradation Byproducts of Chlorine-Based Chemicals
    Dioxins and their first cousins furans are compounds created when chlorinated chemicals burn, explode or degrade. They are never made as a product; they are a contaminant and degradation product. They are directly related to PCBs, which are considered dioxin-like compounds.

    Dioxins were the extremely toxic component in the Vietnam War-era defoliant Agent Orange. The were at the Love Canal in Niagara Falls; they were the toxin involved in the evacuation and dissolution of Times Beach, Missouri. They are the cause of toxic shock syndrome from bleached paper tampons.”

    Much more: https://planetwavesfm.substack.com/p/palestine-ohio-train-wreck-its-the

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There is one accurate quote about dioxin that is making the rounds, in connection to the Palestine disaster:

      Neil Donahue, a professor of chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University in nearby Pittsburgh, said he worries that the burning could have formed dioxins, which are created from burning chlorinated carbon materials.

      “Vinyl chloride is bad, dioxins are worse as carcinogens and that comes from burning,” Donahue said.

      Dioxins are a group of persistent environmental pollutants that last in the ground and body for years and have been one of the major environmental problems and controversies in the United States.

      Dr. Lynn Goldman, dean of George Washington University’s School of Public Health, agrees this is a possible risk, but is more concerned about uncombusted vinyl chloride vapors that could be lurking in the immediate vicinity.

      “Until there has been a thorough assessment, the soot as well as any other materials should in my opinion be treated as contaminated by vinyl chloride and/or dioxins or other contaminants until proven otherwise,” she said.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. STORY AT-A-GLANCE:

    — The U.S. government has secretly been tracking those who didn’t get the COVID jab, or are only partially jabbed, through a previously unknown surveillance program designed by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    — The program was implemented April 1, 2022, and adopted by most medical clinics and hospitals across the U.S. until January 2023

    — Under this program, doctors at clinics and hospitals have been instructed to ask patients about their vaccination status, which is then added to their electronic medical records as a diagnostic code, known as ICD-10 code, so that they can be tracked inside and outside of the medical system

    — These new ICD-10 codes are part of the government’s plan to implement medical tyranny using vaccine passports and digital IDs

    — They’re also tracking noncompliance with all other recommended vaccines using new ICD-10 codes, and have implemented codes to describe WHY you didn’t get a recommended vaccine. They’ve also added a billable ICD code for “vaccine safety counseling”

    https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2023/02/14/federal-government-tracking-unvaccinated.aspx

    Liked by 1 person

  25. sliding down here…just got the kitchen cleaned up. I made my favorite Portuguese Sponge Cake. gotta beat the egg whites (a DOZEN of them) to make this cake! anyway i make a mess whenever i make it, but we do love it!

    Liked by 2 people

      1. the outside is a sweet, crispy crust type thing…and the inside if light and fluffy. it is so gooooooood.
        the pictures do not do the flavor justice!
        and it’s full of eggs!
        it’s practically an omelet…LOL (that’s what i tell myself…)

        Liked by 2 people

          1. yes. the recipe is super simple.
            beat 12 egg yolks with 2 cups of sugar. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 tsp baking powder. combine.
            in a separate bowl beat 12 egg whites till stiff peaks form. fold egg whites into the first mixture.
            pour into angel food pan that’s been prepared. (use butter and then granulated sugar instead of butter and flour like a regular cake.)
            bake on bottom shelf in oven at 350* for 45 minutes. do NOT open oven door before.

            Liked by 1 person

              3. I got this recipe from the Portuguese women i worked with 30 years ago. they always brought it to parties.
                the first mixture is relatively thick so folding the egg white mixture into it takes a while, but the results are well worth it.

                Like

              6. I might be tempted (on the 2nd or 3rd one) to mix brown sugar with the white to push it to a caramel butter crunch…. Maybe even finely chopped pecans too…. 🙂 I’m an inveterate lily guilder

                Liked by 1 person

          1. i invert it like an angel food cake, for 8-10 minutes. then i run a sharp knife around the edge and when you turn it over it slides right out of the pan.

            Like

  26. clarion
    February 15, 2023 9:00 am

    Many Missed The Point

    Karl Denninger

    We just had a train derail in East Palestine Ohio. There is circulating video out showing apparent sparks and evidence of severe overheating on one of the car’s axles in the immediate vicinity of a “hot box” detector alongside the track. The evidence shows this condition existed something like forty miles before the derailment occurred. This is quite-convincing evidence that the train operators, corporate or both either (1) had knowledge that the train was unsafe while in operation before the derailment and could have prevented the derailment by stopping the train and attending to the fault or (2) there was serious and gross negligence in that the detector was not working.

    Indeed one of the purposes of the guy in the caboose in years gone by was exactly this; as your train went past his he got to look at all the trucks on your railcars and your caboose attendant got to look at his and if there was an evident overheating problem said attendant would see it. We now have electronic devices that can do this job placed alongside the tracks but you have to (1) maintain them and (2) use the data they give you.

    GM infamously was tagged for knowingly using defective ignition switches that would fail to make contact at inappropriate times and were blamed for fatalities when the engines shut off and resulted in a serious accident and, during some of the events, death. The company managed to avoid getting tagged financially for most of these incidents when they filed for bankruptcy during the 08 timeframe. But no part of their corporate liability shield in fact protected any of the people who knew of the defective switches and did nothing to stop using them, and they were, under criminal law, accessories before the fact to those serious injuries and deaths. This absolutely supported manslaughter charges for each and one of said deaths yet exactly zero said persons were prosecuted.

    https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=248101

    Liked by 1 person

  37. EXCERPT: “Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) is endorsing former President Donald Trump in his bid to return to the White House in 2024, Breitbart News has learned exclusively. Hageman, who defeated the anti-Trump former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in the congressional primary in Wyoming last year with Trump’s support, issued a statement, which she provided to Breitbart News, formally endorsing Trump in his campaign for the White House.

    “President Trump stood with me for my election in 2022, and I am proud to stand with him in 2024,” Hageman said. In her endorsement statement, Hageman said she believes Trump was “one of the best presidents” the United States has seen in her lifetime.

    “I believe that Donald Trump was one of the best presidents of my lifetime,” Hageman said. “His policies were great for Wyoming and the Country as a whole. He understood that we must promote and support our domestic energy industries, allow states to responsibly develop their own natural resources, enforce immigration laws and protect our southern border, and lead the country with strength so that our allies respect us while our enemies fear us.”

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/02/15/rep-harriet-hageman-endorses-donald-trump-president-2024/

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Miss Pat – Good morning!

    I have a sewing question/puzzle/problem for my favorite sewing pro….

    Sally’s Dad bought an LLBean shirt and it’s made of a loosely woven soft brushed cotton twill. The button hole stitching are the tiniest stitch width I ever saw and one has pulled loose on one side and the fabric has frayed. The others are likely to pull loose too.

    To restore and anchor it, I’d have to reweave or darn the fabric first to have anything to reattach the button hole. I’m a klutz with hand sewing, no kind of needlewoman at all.

    I’ve thought of sewing wider buttonholes over each one of the shirt’s buttonholds so they might hold better….but my new 1970s metal gear Kenmore machine bought for sewing wheelchair stuff doesn’t do pretty zig-zag or satin stitch.

    I’m thinking of buying a second machine (used or new) for button holes and clothing. Maybe one like your heavy duty Singer machine. But I’m not sure I really need it – or would use it much. For me – except for Sally’s wheelchair jobs – a sewing machine is only needed once or twice a year – but when you need it, you need it. I have several pants and pajama bottoms that need new elastic, some pants need hemming and other alterations. My current machine can do all that.

    What would you advise me to do?

    Maybe I should tell him to send the shirt back to LLBean for a refund/credit or trade for a new shirt of a different kind.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Pat can no doubt help out but how long has he had the shirt? If it is a recent purchase, like within the last month or so, I would think he could exchange it at least. Especially from LL Bean – if it were a cheap WM or Target purchase, that would be a whole different kettle of fish.

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Morning GA!
      have you ever worked with fusible products?
      my son had a similar problem with a shirt he loved and couldn’t find a replacement for. I was able to fuse a small rectangular piece of fabric (same weight and roughly same color) to the BACK of the shirt and then redo the buttonhole on the front of the shirt. you couldn’t even detect the repair.
      before i would attempt to do that though since your machine doesn’t do buttonholes, I would try sending the shirt back to LLBean.
      hope this helps!

      Liked by 1 person

        1. it would!
          and my son has put on a little weight over the years, so when he finds a button down shirt he really likes, he gives it to me and i reinforce the entire shirt band down the front with the fusible stuff before he wears it too much. saves a lot of headaches

          Liked by 2 people

  39. Mornin’ Miss Filly – thanks for another great dose of NEBRASKA! Please keep ’em coming!

    Also love all the news you bring here and at Marica’s!

    You are the best!

    Liked by 2 people

  40. “The Honorable Andrew Bridgen MP — It is time to stand up and support the many heroes in this battle”

    Robert W Malone MD, MS
    25 min ago

    EXCERPTS: “Last week, I was asked by John Mappin if I would fly into London to help support the honorable Andrew Bridgen, MP in his quest to clear his name and to help spread the word about the censorship and barriers to free speech which he has encountered while trying to help alert the public to the the adverse events associated with the vaccine. Jill and I immediately decided that this was a trip worth taking.

    Brian Rose of “London Real” heard that I would be coming to town and asked for a sit-down interview. I consider him a friend and fellow truth warrior, and I had the time directly after landing, and so was glad to enthusiastically agree. Once we landed at Heathrow, Jill and I took an Uber to the new studio of “London Real”. I had been thinking the interview with Brian would be two hours max, but almost five hours later, the interview finished. Another great hit with Brian, and we covered a wide range of topics. I love giving the long format interviews, but the truth is that making one’s self emotionally vulnerable, fact-based and being in the present for that long, can really wear you out! Jill and left his studio to arrive at the wonderful Connaught Hotel.

    There we had a small dinner party with our host Mr. John Mappin, the Honorable Andrew Bridgen, MP and leaders in the fight for freedom of speech, medical freedom, justice, anti-fascism, globalism and freeing the people of England from an increasingly corrupt and authoritarian government, one which seems hell bent on rejoining the European Union.

    The dinner lasted long into the UK morning (easy when you are on Eastern time) allowed us all to strategize, listen, compare battle scars and work out a plan for tomorrow’s big reception. I think it was two in the morning, when we wrapped up the session and someone snapped this image in the lobby of the hotel.

    Why is this important? As many know, Mr Bridgen, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Leicestershire (UK), was removed from his position of whip for the Conservative party when he tweeted that a consultant cardiologist had told him the vaccine roll-out was “the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust”. Mr Bridgen could permanently lose the party whip – meaning he will sit as an independent, depending on the outcome of an “investigation.”

    That would be an investigation to not allow free speech from a serving member of British Parliament. His free speech sin was expressing opinions, based on evidence-based, peer reviewed papers about the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and the adverse events associated with it. Party members from both sides of the aisle tried to spin what Mr. Bridgen said as anti-semitic. Many, including many Jewish scientists feel differently. In fact, Jewish scientists from around the globe have objected to this defamation of Mr. Bridgen:

    “Jewish scientists from around the world have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to withdraw claims that Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen is guilty of making antisemitic comments. The request was made in an open letter to the PM amidst the continued controversy over Mr Bridgen’s remarks where he compared Covid-19 vaccinations to the Holocaust. The group, which includes epidemiology expert and former advisor to the Israeli Healthcare Public Committee, Dr Ifat Abadi-Korek, claims that the PM’s remarks “seized upon an opportunity” to criticise the outspoken MP. They also believed the remarks “limited free speech” and the right to question vaccine efficacy.”

    This is the reason Jill and I are here. To support Andrew Bridgen. To support the rights of any member of British Parliament to speak freely. To stop censorship. In the USA, we have a republic with a strong constitution and Bill of Rights to protect the people right to free speech, the UK is not so lucky. So, tomorrow we have a reception to show support for the Honorable Andrew Bridgen. Myself and others will provide the entertainment to a mixed audience of politicians and luminaries in the form of brief lectures about the free speech, propaganda, censorship and the need to ensure medical freedom and safety.

    However, it is important to note that many believe that it wasn’t the tweet that got Mr. Bridgen suspended, but rather a speech given to Parliament in December. A speech which has generated an enormous number of views and interest (the transcript follows after the video link):

    https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/the-honorable-andrew-bridgen-mp

    Liked by 2 people

  42. interesting concept but it is safe to be there and drawing crowds??

    Alex1689
    February 15, 2023 10:49 am

    I woke up this morning feeling like I was missing something in the news.

    I thought about it, and then I hit on what it is that is that empty space in the news:

    The benefit concert.

    Katrina, Live Aid, Ukraine.

    You know.

    Where’s the one for E. Palestine?

    Crickets.

    No one is taking a page from the lefty playbook?

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if John Rich and Donald Trump and Elon Musk teamed up to host a simulcast on Twitter and a streaming platform (Rumble?) to raise money for the people, animals, and organizations impacted and displaced and killed by the train derailment and chemical cloud?

    Bryson Gray, 5 Times August, Jimmy Levy, Tom McDonald . . . President Trump could MC. Could be awesome.

    The funds raised could be split equally and directly donated to each church, fire department, and animal rescue organization within 50 miles. No Red Cross needed because it didn’t show up anyways.

    It would be actually heroic, it would be a slap in the face to all the agencies and politicians doing nothing except hiding or sitting on their butts, and it would be a very pointed method of highlighting the way this country has pushed “the deplorables” into second class citizen status, a development which is a dishonor to everything that made America great.

    And we will forgive John Rich if he doesn’t say “Joe Biden hates white people ” after his third song. Take the high road.

    Liked by 2 people

  43. littleflower481
    February 15, 2023 11:10 am

    Has anyone else noticed that the crew of the poison train in Ohio has not been mentioned? Remember how the rail union was going to go on strike because they were cutting back on crew and it is not safe and Biden forced them to not strike ? Made some phony offer. Well, I wonder how many crew were on that train. My guess, is two: the engineer and one other.

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Judge orders recount of 2020 to proceed in Chester County PA
    FTA
    “It was disappointing to see the law misunderstood by Judge Sommer and by Democrats Moskowitz and Maxwell,” said Nestor, “as well at the Republican secretary of state, who also filed his brief with the Commonwealth Court.” Moskowitz and Maxwell are running for re-election.

    She expects ballot boxes in the precincts under appeal will be opened and a recount conducted, which will either find the results are correct or are “unreconcilable.”

    Kichline made the point the process was violated, and that was the key issue in the dispute, not the petitioners’ views on ballot security. She noted there were also petition challenges in neighboring Berks County which did follow the law and refrained from certifying its election. Eventually, a judge denied those petitions.

    “I think it’s our obligation as a Board of Elections to follow the law,” said Kichline. “We couldn’t certify the election until after the judge had a hearing and made a ruling,” she said. And Judge Sommer would not hear the case until the following week. “It was very, very clear to me that we couldn’t certify the election ahead of Judge Sommer having his hearing. I’m pleased to see that the Commonwealth Court reviewed this. There is very clear law and very clear procedure.”

    Joseph DiGuglielmo, the lawyer for the voters, said, “I would hope that those politicians who have a duty to administer elections would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate transparency, integrity, security, fairness, and honesty in our elections. But they are doing just the opposite. The Pennsylvania Department of State and the county commissioners (who also sit on the county boards of elections) for 26 counties where recount petitions were filed, have fought against the voters of Pennsylvania and objected to the exercise of their rights under the election code.

    “The key takeaway from the Commonwealth Court’s decision, which agreed with the petitioner’s interpretation of the recount statute, is that the Pennsylvania Department of State and county commissioners around the commonwealth cannot intentionally misinterpret the Election Code to shield their administration of elections from public scrutiny, he added. “The Commonwealth Court ordered the Chester County Court of Common Pleas to commence the recounts, which will likely start and finish within one day.”

    https://delawarevalleyjournal.com/appeals-court-overturns-chester-county-judge-on-2022-election-audit/

    Liked by 1 person

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