Lincoln, city, capital and second largest city of Nebraska, U.S., and seat (1869) of Lancaster county, in the southeastern part of the state, about 60 miles (95 km) southwest of Omaha. Oto and Pawnee Indians were early inhabitants in the area. Settlers were drawn in the 1850s by the salt flats located nearby. The site was named Lancaster (for the Pennsylvania city) by a salt company representative in 1856. It was soon determined that salt mining would not be feasible (the salt basin is now underwater). The site was chosen as the state capital in 1867 (the year of Nebraska statehood) because crossing the Platte River to reach the territorial capital of Omaha was difficult for those living south of the river (“South Platters”). Lincoln was officially founded that year. A legislator who opposed the capital’s move from Omaha named the new site for Pres. Abraham Lincoln in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade the South Platters—many of whom had favoured the Confederacy in the American Civil War—to vote against the change of location.
The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad from Plattsmouth arrived in 1870, and Lincoln became a railroad junction for the major routes from Chicago to Denver and from Kansas City, Mo., to Billings, Mont. By the 1890s the city had 19 different rail routes. Railroads furnished Lincoln with its most important industry through the establishment of major repair and locomotive shops in suburban Havelock. Havelock, University Place, College View, and Bethany, previously separate towns, were annexed by Lincoln during 1926–30. German settlers from Russia became the city’s largest ethnic group in the early 20th century.
Lincoln is a regional centre of government, commerce, finance, arts, education, and health care. It has extensive rail connections and an airport. Agricultural products include soybeans, corn (maize), sorghum, wheat, hogs, and poultry. Lincoln is a major grain market with milling, grain storage, meatpacking, and farm-equipment distribution businesses. Manufactures include industrial rubber products, motorcycles, watercraft, software, scientific instruments, wireless communication equipment, electrical products, construction materials, turf maintenance equipment, bricks, and pharmaceuticals. Of economic significance is Lincoln’s growth as an insurance centre, with dozens of firms having home offices there. Aviation services, communication technology, railroading, business services, medical research, and printing are also important. Government-operated institutions, including several correctional facilities, also contribute to the economy.
Educational institutions include the University of Nebraska (1869), Union College (1891; Seventh-day Adventist), Nebraska Wesleyan University (1887; Methodist), and a campus of Southeast Community College (1973). There are also several notable museums and art galleries on the grounds of the University of Nebraska. The Nebraska Art Association, the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, and the Lincoln Community Playhouse provide cultural opportunities. The state capitol, completed in 1932 and Lincoln’s third, was designed by U.S. architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue; its central tower, rising 400 feet (120 metres) from a massive three-story base, is a highly visible landmark. The legislature that meets there became unicameral in 1937 (unique in the United States).
In the early 20th century the political life of the city was dominated by William Jennings Bryan, who lived there from 1887 to 1921. As a young lawyer, Bryan entered politics and went to Congress (1890) from Lincoln, where, after his defeat in the presidential election of 1900, he published his weekly journal, the Commoner. Fairview (1903), the Bryan home, which is today on the grounds of a medical centre, has been restored.
Lincoln is the site of the Nebraska State Fair (August). Museums devoted to state history and natural history are located in the city. Pioneers Park has a nature centre with trails and interpretive exhibits. Spring Creek Prairie preserves more than 500 acres (200 hectares) of unplowed ta