Brown Bag History Series

Bring your lunch and learn! These seasonally recurring events bring highly-qualified speakers to the library to share varied topics of cultural, historical, or scientific interest. These free programs are a partnership of the University of Nebraska at Kearney's History Department and the Kearney Public Library. #HistoryRemembered

Brown Bag Lunch Option 1

Autumn LangemeierAutumn Langemeier (History Nebraska)

  • Wednesday, March 8, 2023
  • Noon–1:00 pm
  • Kearney Public Library

Make My Mark Upon the Plains: Historical Marker Equity in Nebraska 

Historical markers are some of the most well-loved features of Nebraska’s landscape. They highlight the stories of communities and individuals within Nebraska’s complex history. The Historical Marker Program has evolved since its founding in the 1950s. Historically, this program was seemingly closed off or unattainable for many in the state. The Historical Marker Equity Program is a new program that was developed to offer improved access for underrepresented communities and fields of Nebraska history. Autumn Langemeier will discuss the history of Nebraska’s Historical Marker Program, the new Historical Marker Equity Program, and why historic markers matter not only to Nebraskans as individuals but also to the citizens of Nebraska as a whole.

Autumn Langemeier is a two-time alumnus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a BA in History and Psychology with a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies and an MA in History.  Her research mainly focuses on women’s domestic history, textiles, and material culture.  An exhibit she helped design, One Story, Two Sides: Ella Frank’s Wedding Day, can be viewed at the G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture on the UNK campus.  She began her current work at History Nebraska in December of 2021 as the coordinator of the new Historical Marker Equity Program.  Autumn enjoys cooking, sewing, traveling, and going to the theater in her free time. 

Upcoming Dates and Speakers

  • Wednesday, April 12 – Topic to be announced presented by Professor Laurinda Weisse