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Rooted in the Plains
Rooted in the Plains is a podcast about the people, places and moments that shaped the Great Plains.
We’ll dig into stories of resilience, curiosity and courage. These are the voices that whisper through the wind and are written in the dirt beneath our feet.
Podcasting since 2025 • 7 episodes
Rooted in the Plains
Latest Episodes
The Pony Express: Short-Lived with Lasting Effects
From gunfights at Rock Creek to hot peaches at Liberty Farm, this episode traces the short but powerful run of the Pony Express. Though it lasted just 18 months, its mark across Nebraska endures, from relay stations and home stops to the towns ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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14:54
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From Slavery to Service on the Frontier
In the years after the Civil war, newly freed men stepped into uniforms and became part of the U.S. Army’s first Black regiments. Known later as the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry, these soldiers built f...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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14:45
Mountains, Tribes, and Truth: Grinnell’s American West
In this episode of Rooted in the Plains, we follow the life of George “Bird” Grinnell, naturalist, writer and advocate for the American West. From his early days learning under Madam Audubon to his expeditions across Montana and Yellowstone, Gr...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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11:23
Curtains Up on the Prairie: Nebraska’s Opera Houses, 1870-1920
In this episode of Rooted in the Plains, we open the doors to Nebraska’s opera houses, cultural centers that stood at the heart of prairie towns between 1870 and 1920. Though few ever hosted full operas, these spaces bustled with activity: trav...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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16:22
Barbed Wire and the End of the Open Range Podcast
A deceptively simple invention reshaped the Great Plains. In this episode, we explore how barbed wire transformed farming, ended the era of open-range cattle drives and stirred up fierce legal battles and neighbor disputes. From sod fences, osa...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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9:29