Essay/Term paper: Lincoln, nebraska

Essay, term paper, research paper:  World History

Lincoln, Nebraska


The city of Lincoln is the capital of the Cornhusker State, Nebraska. Lincoln
is located in the southeastern part of the state, about 60 miles (100
kilometers) southwest of Omaha. It lies in a shallow basin about 1,160 feet (355
meters) above sea level. Salt Creek and its tributaries thread through the basin.
Lincoln serves as a center for educational, cultural, and religious institutions.
The city also developed as the trade center for a wide agricultural area.
In the city are the buildings that house the various departments of the city,
county, and state governments, the state mental and orthopedic hospitals, and
the state penitentiary. Also located in Lincoln are a veterans' hospital and the
regional headquarters of the Veterans Administration and the United States
Department of Agriculture.
The University of Nebraska was founded in Lincoln in 1869. The city is also
the home of Nebraska Wesleyan University and Union College.
The State Capitol, designed by the architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and
completed in 1932, has a central tower that rises 400 feet (120 meters) from a
massive two-story base and is considered a showpiece of American government
architecture. `The Sower', a statue symbolizing Nebraska's farms, stands atop
the tower. Museums include the State Museum of History, the University of
Nebraska's Christlieb Western Art Collection, and the Sheldon Memorial Art
Gallery, designed by architect Philip Johnson. Pioneers Park includes a nature
center. The Nebraska State Fair takes place in Lincoln each summer. Other
cultural groups include a symphony orchestra, the Lincoln Community Playhouse,
and the National Art Association.
Lincoln got its first rail connection in 1870 and by the late 1800s had 19
different rail routes. Railroads gave Lincoln its most important industry--
railroad-car repair. Among the city's manufactures are dairy and meat products,
telephone equipment, agricultural machinery, cement, bricks, and drugs. There
are also printing and publishing plants, and the city is the headquarters for
more than 30 insurance companies.
Lincoln arose from a settlement established in 1856 to work salt deposits. In
1859 it was named Lancaster, the seat of Lancaster County. When Nebraska became
a state in 1867, the town was renamed for President Abraham Lincoln and became a
compromise choice for the state capital over Omaha and a site south of Salt
Creek. William Jennings Bryan, long a leader in American politics, lived in
Lincoln from 1887 to 1921. His home, Fairview, has been restored with original
furnishings and memorabilia.
Between the years 1926 and 1930 Lincoln annexed the towns of Havelock,
University Place, College View, and Belmont. The city has a mayor-council form
of government. Lincoln owns its water and electric systems