Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln is the state capital of Nebraska. It formerly was a village known as Lancaster, but with Nebraska entering the Union as the 37th state on March 1, 1867, the village was chosen as the state capital and renamed Lincoln. Lincoln was a very unlikely choice for a city or a capital, as it was not located on a navigable waterway or near a major intersection of trade routes. Lincoln was focused around a small stream with about a dozen other streams nearby, although not even the smallest of boats could use these streams for travel. A portion of the Oregon Trail passed within 10 miles to the south of Lincoln, but a seasonal salt flat was deemed its most advantageous asset.

In reality, it was a problem with other options that led to Lincoln becoming Nebraska's capital city. A commission appointed to locate a capital site wanted it inland from the towns along the Missouri River, such as Omaha. Rivalries among other locales further contributed to the naming of Lancaster—a minute prairie town with few requisite resources such as water, lumber, or other building materials—as Nebraska's state capital. On July 29, 1867, the village of Lancaster was renamed Lincoln, in honor of the slain president.

[Page 411]Progress and development in Lincoln were dependent on the arrival of the westbound railroad lines. The competing rail companies were enticed with bonds and land, and in June 1869, the governor of Nebraska, Nebraska's Capital Commission, and a representative of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad met to break ground for the terminal in Lincoln. As more railroads began running through the capital, Lincoln attracted the road builders as well. Soon Lincoln was home to a newly formed state university; local, county, and state government offices; a prison; and a hospital. It also became a major point of departure for settlers heading west.

Lincoln sustained explosive growth through its first year as the capital. Population rose from 30 citizens before Nebraska's statehood to more than 2,500 in 1870. However, Lincoln's development was not without difficulties. An economic depression hit the country, lasting through 1876, and this hindered growth. In addition, an infestation of grasshoppers in early 1876 plagued the state's agricultural enterprises. A new growth spurt followed the depression, and Lincoln became a major transportation center, with four railway systems present.

Finding a sufficient supply of water continued to be a problem for the city. The first well was constructed in 1882, and it supplied Lincoln with more than a million usable gallons of water each day. A second well was dug in 1887 to aid the first, as its supply was becoming strained. This second well also supplied the burgeoning city with a million gallons of water per day, and then numerous other wells were created to the south of Lincoln. Lincoln had one last obstacle to overcome in solidifying it as Nebraska's capital city. The original capitol building was falling apart by the late 1880s. The need for construction of a new building led to new cries for moving the state capital. A number of communities called for the change to their cities, but fighting only served to solidify Lincoln's place as Nebraska's capital. When a new capitol building was finished in 1888, all calls for a different capital city were defeated.

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