Lincoln, Nebraska

History

Lincoln started out as the village of Lancaster, which was founded in 1856, and became the county seat of the newly-created Lancaster County in 1859. The territorial capital of Nebraska had been Omaha since the creation of the territory in 1854, but the bulk of the population wanted to move the capital to a more central location. Since most of the population was south of the Platte River, the legislature voted to move the capital south of the river and as far west as possible. The village of Lancaster was chosen, in part due to the salt flats and marshes nearby.

Related Topics:
1856 - Lancaster County - 1859 - Nebraska - Omaha - 1854 - Platte River - Flats - Marshes

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However, Omaha interests attempted to derail the move by having Lancaster renamed after the recently assassinated President, Abraham Lincoln. At the time, many of the people south of the river had been sympathetic towards the Confederate cause and it was assumed that the legislature would not pass the measure if the future capital was named after the leader of the Union cause. The ploy did not work, as Lancaster was renamed Lincoln and became the state capital at the same time that Nebraska became a state, on March 1, 1867.

Related Topics:
President - Abraham Lincoln - Confederate - Union - Nebraska - March 1 - 1867

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