The Joslyns of Lynhurst is an authoritative account of the lives of George and Sarah Joslyn and the construction of their estate. The result of a two-year research project to solve several mysteries about the couple and their castle, The Joslyns of Lynhurst finally answers the question of who designed the grounds of the estate and identifies the craftsmen who created the magnificent interiors and art-glass windows that grace the couple’s thirty-four-room mansion.
After coming to Omaha in the 1880s with little material wealth, the Joslyns managed to create a vast media empire and amassed one of the largest fortunes in the state of Nebraska. Author Daniel Kiper dispels many of the scurrilous myths about them—such as their involvement in the drug trade and their purportedly eccentric behavior—and instead portrays them as the important cultural and civic leaders that they truly were. Kiper also takes a fascinating look at why Sarah Joslyn spent the majority of her fortune constructing the Joslyn Memorial Art Museum in memory of her beloved husband.
The Joslyns of Lynhurst, an essential contribution to Nebraska history, also highlights the history of the city of Omaha from 1880 through World War I, providing many insights into the city of which few residents are aware.