Grant supports historical society's podcast

NEBRASKA CITY – The Nebraska City Historical Society is planning to use a Nebraska Tourism Commission grant to promote its “Trails that Moved a Nation” media campaign as part of the America 250 celebration.

A $10,000 grant is part of $828,000 in marketing grants offered by Visit Nebraska.

The promotion project will feature a podcast on historical topics, collaboration with a social media influencer and paid commercial spots about Nebraska City and America’s westward movement.

The historical society will partner with the Chimney Rock Visitor Center, Scottsbluff Monument and the Museum of Nebraska Art to feature the work of William Henry Jackson, whose time in Nebraska City helped shape him into one of America’s greatest photographers of the West.

Historical Society President Kathy McKillip said the Tourism Commission places high value of the statewide connectivity that Jackson’s artwork provides.

 Here is the society's press release

Nebraska City, NE – The Nebraska City Historical Society, the states preeminent historic preservation organization recently received Nebraska Tourism Commission Grant funding support. The Society, which originated in 1937 to preserve and protect the history and stories of Nebraska City’s founding members and early settlement, was awarded more than $10,000 from the Nebraska Tourism Commission Marketing Grant Program. The grant was awarded to assist the Society in the success of a modernized, well-functioning marketing campaign focusing on the nation’s 250th anniversary by incorporating the Westward Movement.

Nebraska Tourism Director Jenn Gjerde stated, ““Through this year’s grant cycle, we are strategically reinvesting tourism dollars into communities across Nebraska, balancing statewide promotion with targeted local support to maximize economic impact. Visit Nebraska announced these grant awards totaling $828,131 in funding in the combined application cycle of the Community Impact and Visit Nebraska Marketing Grant programs. Visit Nebraska received a total of 84 applications for this grant cycle requesting just over $2,000,000 in funding. The application process is extremely competitive.”

Society President, Kathy McKillip stated, “This marketing project which we have called “Trails that Moved a Nation” – 250th Anniversary Edition is a proposal which has 3 key components: collaborating with a (1)social media influencer to bring the East and West borders of the state together through the work of William Henry Jackson, increasing educational outreach by targeting the westward movement via (2)Society driven podcast featuring guests from our own local history leaders, History Nebraska, National Parks Service, the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Visitors Center, Chimney Rock Visitor Center, Scouts Bluff National Park and the Missouria-Otoe Nation, all while saturating the (3)metro region with a media blitz through on air interviews and .30’s commercial spots and special feature segments, by driving listeners to the Society website and local Nebraska City events. The current website can host the following as it relates to content

creation, podcasting and social media connectivity, which we encourage everyone to follow us on our Facebook page, nebraskacityhistoricalsociety.

McKillip added, “The Society is grateful for the funding support from the Tourism Commission, and it is not lost on us how competitive the grant cycle is. We appreciate the level of confidence that has been shown towards the Society by funding at our requested level!”

The Society will be partnering with the Chimney Rock Visitor Center and Scottsbluff Monument, along with the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) to feature the westward movement and art of William Henry Jackson in celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary. William Henry Jackson’s time in Nebraska City was an important early chapter in his career, helping shape him into one of America’s greatest photographers of the West. In the late 1860s, while living and working in Nebraska City as a portrait photographer and traveling artist, Jackson honed his technical skills and gained experience documenting frontier life. Nebraska City—then a busy gateway to the West—exposed him to explorers, emigrants, and landscapes that fueled his desire to photograph beyond the studio. This period provided the foundation for the field photography that later made him famous, including his landmark images of Yellowstone and the American West.

Through his work, Jackson captured sweeping landscapes, frontier towns, Native American life, and the “wagon-trail” era, preserving scenes that might otherwise have vanished from record. His art combines documentary realism with artistic composition — giving viewers not just a historical document, but also emotional and aesthetic insight into a vanished world.

McKillip shared “The Society shares several of the same approaches that the Tourism Commission places high value on such as statewide connectivity to build stronger partnerships, as a way to have a positive impact not only within Nebraska City and Otoe County but statewide, regionally and nationally with our history, exhibits, educational programming and special interest projects.” McKillip added, “As we, the Society see things, we are all more alike than different and this partnership demonstrates that. We are grateful and excited to bring and host social media influencers to Nebraska City and provide the guidance for the “trails that moved a nation” and explore in depth the Westward Movement. The grants’ targeted timeline is for the second quarter of 2026, so we have lots to do to prepare for it and launch it by April and in time for Arbor Day while kicking off peak travel season! “

Society President, Kathy McKillip stated, “This project will provide us an advantage for a different perspective to enhance and educate the visitor’s experience about the history of Nebraska City and Nebraska. As we now engage and celebrate our country’s 250th Anniversary. We love promoting and recognizing all areas of history of Nebraska City and Otoe County which includes, the Westward Movement.”

McKillip continued with, “it is important that the Society collaborates and diversifies with many organizations and projects to stay relevant. This is one of those opportunities. The

Society works hard to be fiscally responsible by applying for a variety of grants to assist in carrying out the mission of the organization, and we are always looking to increase our membership – so won’t you join us!”

The Society’s website is nebraskacityhistoricalsociety.com and you can find them on Facebook just search and follow NebraskaCityHistoricalSociety

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