Nebraska Historical Marker: The City of Lincoln

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Location

Rural Interstate 80, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska

View this marker's location 40.897684, -96.65510

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Marker Text

Lincoln, the capital city of Nebraska, is situated in a basin which originally attracted both Indians and whites because of its deposits of salt. However, despite attempts at development beginning in territorial days, no significant commercial returns were realized. This basin was surveyed in 1856, and a decade later the Legislature decided to make this area the new seat of state government. Over objections to removing the capital from Omaha, the city was platted in 1867. It grew slowly until 1870, when completion of a line of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad promoted development. In 1869 the University of Nebraska was established and the cornerstone of its first building laid. Prominent on the skyline is the tower of the Nebraska State Capitol, the third such structure on the site. This building, designed by Bertram Goodhue, was constructed in 1922-32. The innovative design has been widely acclaimed, and the building is designated as a National Historic Landmark. Visible in the middle distance are two large elevators for the collection and storage of grain which suggest the importance of agriculture in Nebraska's economy.

Bibliography

Elton A. Perkey, “Perkey’s Nebraska Place Names” (1995), Nebraska State Historical Society

Marker program

See Nebraska Historical Marker Program for more information.