Lincoln, Nebraska Essay, Research Paper

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