Friday, May 23, 2008

History online

I'm not exactly sure why, but The Chief's Corner seems to be particularly popular among librarians. Someone must have discovered it one day, and forwarded the link around. It makes sense, I suppose, since they are in the information business. At any rate, some of the employees over at the Nebraska Library Commission took note of a few posts concerning the history of the Lincoln Police Department. It turns out that the commission is involved in a great project to do exactly what we've been working on: preserving and digitizing many of our historic documents and photos for online access.

We've been doing this work using a succession of interns. Free labor is great, but it's also episodic, so the work proceeds slowly, if steadily. The Library Commission, however, has the scanning, conversion, and web serving of historic documents on a fast track with the Nebraska Memories Project. We are thrilled to have their help, and this is a great way to make our historic documents available to the general public. We hope you enjoy the collection as it grows!

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Archive photo, 1840's Detox?

Chris said...

All Nebraska history is interesting, I'm glad most of it is being preserved. The third gentleman standing from the left looks a little like you Chief. It's all in the mustache!

Anonymous said...

TO: May 23, 2008 7:29 AM

Is that Peggy and Robert?

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Were the cigars part of the required uniform?

Anonymous said...

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08278.html

Michael Sauers said...

Chief;
I believe I need to take the blame/credit for all your librarian fans. I teach blogging to librarians in NE and around the country and constantly hold this blog up as an amazing example of blogging done right. Not only is it well written, but also informative and entertaining. Its also an excellent example in answering the question about how a public official can blog without raising the ire of those higher up in the political chain. Bravo and well done!

Michael Sauers
Technology Innovation Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission
http://www.travelinlibrarian.info/

Tom Casady said...

Thanks, Michael!

8:15-

That's C.B. Beach, Chief of Police with the stogie. He was involved with the only lynching I know of in Lancaster County, August 23, 1884. He had accompanied the County Sheriff (later police chief) Sam Melick to a farmstead in SW Lancaster County with a prisoner to make an eyewitness ID with the victim of a rape. On the way, a band of about 50 masked riders grabbed the prisoner and hung him high.

I believe it was another intern doing historical research, Ron Boden (now Deputy Ron Boden) who unearthed that story during his internship back in the late 1980's.

Anonymous said...

Is that Captain Begg's with his hand on the Chief's left shoulder??

Anonymous said...

Guy on the far left is Mark Stahlhut.

Anonymous said...

-1:58

"You're fired"-Beggs

Anonymous said...

While looking at the 1940's Lincoln Police Officers Photo that is part of the Memories collection, I notice a couple of names that sounded familiar. Guy Dean? Related to the Ford dealership? Paul Kerl? Related to former officer Roy Kerl?

Anonymous said...

Here's a question for the historians: When did LPD retire its last horse-drawn vehicle?

Anonymous said...

Here's a question: When is LPD going to start using horse drawn vehicles again since gas is $4.00/gal?

Tom Casady said...

Anonymous 6:11- Yes!

Anonymous 6:33- Can't say for certain, but the 1917 blotter has no clear indication of horses, and mentions autos and drivers quite a bit. The 1891 blotter has quite a bit of horse talk associated with the escorting of President Benjamin Harrison around the City during a presidential visit.


You-know-who-you-are-multiple-anonymous-commenters:

LOL at the various nominations of who would know when horse drawn vehicles were retired. I can't post those, but I enjoyed the

Anonymous said...

I like seeing horses for parade duty and such, but I'm glad we don't have a city full of them. If we did, I probably smoke those cigars all the time to mask road apple odor and fend of those flies. Gas is roughly 10 dollars a gallon equivalent in Germany, but the Polizei still haven't switched back yet. If they did, they'd probably have to rename themselves the Geschtunkenerpolizei or similar.

Well, here's a more recent historical change question then: When did LPD eliminate the rank of Lieutenant?

Anonymous said...

Your MDT's did their weekly crash again Monday morning. It's getting real old.

Tom Casady said...

2:35-

What? You mean computer systems are not up 100% of the time?

We might have to do police work without an MDC on occasion? I guess we'll have to keep issuing Bic pens and notepads.

Wow, and I thought $4 gas was bad.

Anonymous said...

That would be nice to drive a Benz everyday at work.

Anonymous said...

Say, did these individuals post bond and then move up to the 1st & Adams area? It looks like somebody is in the same line of "work" up there.

Tom Casady said...

10:51-

I saw that cluster, but as far as we know, the prior suspects are not in that vacinity. The adult defendant continues to recieve three hots and a cot at taxpayers' expense.

Anonymous said...

At least he's not slashing tires in jail. What is the fascination with tire slashing? Any theories Chief?

Anonymous said...

Ah, I see that he's got a PH on 5/30 for the criminal mischief charge. Over $1,500, that's a felony, correct? He's also got a docket call on 6/04 for some kind of escape thing, but I'm scratching my head over that one.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Freud would say that the tire slashing has to do with a mother complex...