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Sheltering Cattle

Human beings weren’t the only species selected to survive a nuclear attack in Nebraska. In 1963, Roberts Dairy Company, outside of Omaha, conducted a two-week survival test for 35 cows, one bull, and two student cowhands. They built a concrete shelter under the dairy at Elkhorn that was big enough to house over 200 Golden Guernsey cows and a couple of bulls. Milk is especially susceptible to contamination by radioactive elements, and so Roberts and the Office of Civil Defense ... Read more

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Rural Shelters

Did farm homes in Nebraska need fallout shelters, even if they were located far away from the supposed targets of nuclear bombs?

What You Should Know about Biological Warfare
During the Cold War, civil defense officials thought that the U.S.S.R. might attack our farms with biological agents, 1955.
Produced by the Federal Civil Defense Administration

"Shelters make good sense," declared Mrs. Lorraine Still, Custer County home agent, "even though farm families may live hundreds of miles from military targets or large population centers." In ... Read more

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Civil Defense

Lesson Plan & Activities: 1950-1974: Civil Defense - Grade Level [4-12]

Duck and Cover was produced in 1951 for use in elementary schools. Kids were taught how to "duck and cover" — diving below their desks or against a wall if a bright flash of light appeared.
U.S. Civil Defense

Former Nebraska Gov. Val Peterson was head of the Federal Civil Defense Administration when he warned citizens against the dangers of massive fallout from the hydrogen bomb.

A New Look at the H-Bomb
Former ... Read more