Lincoln

Ellsworth, Lincoln, 1880-1951, American explorer, b. Chicago, Ill. He was a surveyor and engineer in railroad building and later a prospector and mining engineer in NW Canada. He became the financial supporter and associate of Roald Amundsen in his arctic aviation ventures. In 1926 they flew in the dirigible Norge N from Spitsbergen over the North Pole to Alaska, where Ellsworth distinguished himself by saving the lives of two companions. He was an observer in the 1931 flight of the Graf Zeppelin to Franz Josef Land and Northern Land. In 1936 he accomplished the first flight over Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. In 1939 he flew into interior Antarctica from the Indian Ocean side, viewing the previously unseen land named American Highland. With Amundsen he wrote Our Polar Flight (1925) and First Crossing of the Polar Sea (1927). His later books were Search (1932), Exploring Today (1935), and Beyond Horizons (1938).

Kirstein, Lincoln, 1907-96, American dance and theater executive and writer, b. Rochester, N.Y. One of the most significant figures in 20th cent. American ballet, Kirstein was cofounder of the American Ballet and the School of the American Ballet in 1934 and of Ballet Caravan in 1936. He is best known for helping to establish the New York City Ballet, and was its general director from 1948 to 1989. Together with choreographer George Balanchine, whom he brought to the United States in 1933, Kirstein encouraged the development of a truly American style of dance. He was the author of many books on dance, including Dance (1935), a compendious history; Ballet Alphabet (1939); The Classic Ballet, Basic Technique and Terminology (with Muriel Stuart, 1952); Movement and Metaphor (1970); a history of the New York City Ballet (1973); Nijinsky Dancing (1975); and Ballet: Bias and Belief (1983).

A man of enormous refinement, varied interests, and definite tastes, Kirstein was also the author of numerous essays, many collected in By With To & From (1991); a novel (1932); two books of poetry (1965, 1987); dance and art criticism; and several works on modern figurative artists, including the definitive biography of Elie Nadelman (1973) and two studies of Pavel Tchelitchew (1947, 1994). In the U.S. army during and after World War II, Kirstein was instrumental in recovering for their owners works of art plundered by Nazi officials during the war. As a producer he worked with the Shakespeare Memorial Theater at Stratford, Conn., and for many years presented the 12th-century musical drama The Play of Daniel annually at Christmas in New York. Kirstein also promoted cultural exchange programs between Japan and the United States.

Steffens, Lincoln (Joseph Lincoln Steffens), 1866-1936, American editor and author, b. San Francisco, grad. Univ. of California, 1889, and studied three years in Europe. Steffens became one of the leading muckrakers, and while he held (1902-11) successive editorial positions on McClure's, the American, and Everybody's magazines he wrote sensational articles exposing municipal corruption; they were later collected in The Shame of the Cities (1904), The Struggle for Self-Government (1906), Upbuilders (1909), and other volumes. His autobiography (1931) contains not only personal reminiscences but also valuable information on the leftist movements of his era.

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-65, 16th President of the United States (1861-65).

Early Life

Born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin in backwoods Hardin co., Ky. (now Larue co.), he grew up on newly broken pioneer farms of the frontier. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was a migratory carpenter and farmer, nearly always poverty-stricken. Little is known of his mother, Nancy Hanks, who died in 1818, not long after the family had settled in the wilds of what is now Spencer co., Ind. Thomas Lincoln soon afterward married Sarah Bush Johnston, a widow; she was a kind and affectionate stepmother to the boy. Abraham had almost no formal schooling—the scattered weeks of school attendance in Kentucky and Indiana amounted to less than a year; but he taught himself, reading and rereading a small stock of books. His first glimpse of the wider world came in a voyage downriver to New Orleans on a flatboat in 1828, but little is known of that journey. In 1830 the Lincolns moved once more, this time to Macon co., Ill.

After another visit to New Orleans, the young Lincoln settled in 1831 in the village of New Salem, Ill., not far from Springfield. There he began by working in a store and managing a mill. By this time a tall (6 ft 4 in./190 cm), rawboned young man, he won much popularity among the inhabitants of the frontier town by his great strength and his flair for storytelling, but most of all by his strength of character. His sincerity and capability won respect that was strengthened by his ability to hold his own in the roughest society. He was chosen captain of a volunteer company gathered for the Black Hawk War (1832), but the company did not see battle.

Returning to New Salem, Lincoln was a partner in a grocery store that failed, leaving him with a heavy burden of debt. He became a surveyor for a time, was village postmaster, and did various odd jobs, including rail splitting. All the while he sought to improve his education and studied law. The story of a brief love affair with Ann Rutledge, which supposedly occurred at this time, is now discredited.

Early Political Career

In 1834, Lincoln was elected to the state legislature, in which he served four successive terms (until 1841) and achieved prominence as a Whig. In 1836 he obtained his license as an attorney, and the next year he moved to Springfield, where he became a law partner of John T. Stuart. Lincoln's practice steadily increased. That first partnership was succeeded by others, with Stephen T. Logan and then with William H. Herndon, who was later to be Lincoln's biographer. Lincoln displayed great ability in law, a ready grasp of argument, and sincerity, color, and lucidity of speech.

In 1842 he married Mary Todd (see Lincoln, Mary Todd) after a troubled courtship. He continued his interest in politics and entered on the national scene by serving one term in Congress (1847-49). He remained obscure, however, and his attacks as a Whig on the motives behind the Mexican War (though he voted for war supplies) seemed unpatriotic to his constituents, so he lost popularity at home. Lincoln worked hard for the election of the Whig candidate, Zachary Taylor, in 1848, but when he was not rewarded with the office he desired—Commissioner of the General Land Office—he decided to retire from politics and return to the practice of law.

Slavery and the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The prairie lawyer emerged again into politics in 1854, when he was caught up in the rising quarrel over slavery. He stoutly opposed the policy of Stephen A. Douglas and particularly the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In a speech at Springfield, repeated at Peoria, he attacked the compromises concerning the question of slavery in the territories and invoked the democratic ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence. In 1855 he sought to become a Senator but failed.

He had already realized that his sentiments were leading him away from the Whigs and toward the new Republican party, and in 1856 he became a Republican. He quickly came to the fore in the party as a moderate opponent of slavery who could win both the abolitionists and the conservative free-staters, and at the Republican national convention of 1856 he was prominent as a possible vice presidential candidate. Two years later he was nominated by the Republican party to oppose Douglas in the Illinois senatorial race.

Accepting the nomination (in a speech delivered at Springfield on June 16), Lincoln gave a ringing declaration in support of the Union: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." The campaign that followed was impressive. Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of debates (seven were held), in which he delivered masterful addresses for the Union and for the democratic idea. He was not an abolitionist, but he regarded slavery as an injustice and an evil, and uncompromisingly opposed its extension.

Presidency

Though Douglas won the senatorial election, Lincoln had made his mark by the debates; he was now a potential presidential candidate. His first appearance in the East was in Feb., 1860, when he spoke at Cooper Union in New York City. He gained a large following in the antislavery states, but his nomination for President by the Republican convention in Chicago (May, 1860) was as much due to the opposition to William H. Seward, the leading contender, as to Lincoln's own appeal. He was nominated on the third ballot. In the election the Democratic party split; Lincoln was opposed by Douglas (Northern Democrat), John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and John Bell (Constitutional Unionist). Lincoln was elected with a minority of the popular vote.

To the South, Lincoln's election was the signal for secession. All compromise plans, such as that proposed by John J. Crittenden, failed, and by the time of Lincoln's inauguration seven states had seceded. The new President, determined to preserve the Union at all costs, condemned secession but promised that he would not initiate the use of force. After a slight delay, however, he did order the provisioning of Fort Sumter, and the South chose to regard this as an act of war. On Apr. 12, 1861, Fort Sumter was fired upon, and the Civil War began.

Although various criticisms have been leveled against him, it is generally agreed that Lincoln attacked the vast problems of the war with vigor and surpassing skill. He immediately issued a summons to the militia (an act that precipitated the secession of four more Southern states), ordered a blockade of Confederate ports, and suspended habeas corpus. The last action provoked much criticism, but Lincoln adhered to it, ignoring a circuit court ruling against him in the Merryman Case (see Merryman, ex parte). In the course of the war, Lincoln further extended his executive powers, but in general he exercised those powers with restraint. He was beset not only by the difficulties of the war, but by opposition from men on his own side. His cabinet was rent by internal jealousies and hatred; radical abolitionists condemned him as too mild; conservatives were gloomy over the prospects of success in the war.

In the midst of all this strife, Lincoln continued his course, sometimes almost alone, with wisdom and patience. The progress of battle went against the North at first. Lincoln himself made some bad military decisions (e.g., in ordering the direct advance into Virginia that resulted in the Union defeat at the first battle of Bull Run), and he ran through a succession of commanders in chief before he found Ulysses S. Grant. In the early stages of the war Lincoln revoked orders by John C. Frémont and David Hunter freeing the slaves in their military departments. However, the Union victory at Antietam gave him a position of strength from which to issue his own Emancipation Proclamation.

The restoration and preservation of the Union were still the main tenets of Lincoln's war aims. The sorrows of war and its rigorous necessity afflicted him; he expressed both in one of the noblest public speeches ever made, the Gettysburg Address, made at the dedication of the soldiers' cemetery at Gettysburg in 1863. For a time Lincoln was threatened by the desertion of the Republican leaders as well as by a strong opposition party in the presidential election that loomed ahead in the dark days of 1864; but a turn for the better took place before the election, a turn brought about to some extent by a change of military fortune after Grant became commander and particularly after William T. Sherman took Atlanta.

Lincoln was reelected over George B. McClellan by a great majority. His second inaugural address, delivered when the war was drawing to its close, was a plea for the new country that would arise from the ashes of the South. His own view was one of forgiveness, as shown in his memorable phrase "With malice toward none; with charity for all." He lived to see the end of the war, but he was to have no chance to implement his plans for Reconstruction. On the night of Apr. 14, 1865, when attending a performance at Ford's Theater, he was shot by the actor John Wilkes Booth. The next morning Lincoln died. His death was an occasion for grief even among those who had been his opponents, and many considered him a martyr.

The Lincoln Legend

As time passed Lincoln became more and more the object of adulation; a full-blown "Lincoln legend" appeared. Yet, even if his faults and mistakes are acknowledged, he stands out as a statesman of noble vision, great humanity, and remarkable political skill. It is not surprising that the Illinois "rail-splitter" is regarded as a foremost symbol of American democracy. Paintings, sculptures, and architectural works memorializing Lincoln are legion; the most famous shrines are his home and tomb in Springfield, Ill., and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Lincoln, Benjamin, 1733-1810, American Revolutionary soldier, b. Hingham, Mass. He served under Horatio Gates in the Saratoga campaign before becoming (1778) commander in the South. In 1779 he failed, in conjunction with a French fleet under Admiral d'Estaing, to take Savannah and was beaten back to Charleston, where he surrendered (1780) to an overwhelming force commanded by Sir Henry Clinton. Lincoln was exchanged in time for the Yorktown campaign and received General Cornwallis's sword at the surrender. From 1781 to 1783 he was Secretary of War. In 1787 he commanded the Massachusetts state militia that helped suppress Shays's Rebellion.

Lincoln, John de la Pole, earl of: see Pole, family.

Lincoln, Levi, 1749-1820, American public official, b. Hingham, Mass., grad. Harvard, 1772. A lawyer, he held various local offices during the American Revolution and later became a Jeffersonian political leader. He served (1801-4) as U.S. Attorney General. He was subsequently lieutenant governor and governor of Massachusetts.

Lincoln, Mary Todd, 1818-82, wife of Abraham Lincoln, b. Lexington, Ky. Of a good Kentucky family, she was living with her sister, daughter-in-law of Gov. Ninian Edwards of Illinois, in Springfield, Ill., when she met and married (1842) Lincoln. Although they were very different in temperament and upbringing, their marriage was an affectionate one. The harsh portrayal of Mary Lincoln by William H. Herndon is certainly exaggerated. Of the four sons she bore (Robert Todd, Edward Baker, William Wallace, and Thomas or "Tad"), only Robert Todd lived to manhood. The death of Willie in 1862 was a great sorrow to both Abraham and Mary Lincoln, and Tad's death in 1871 seems to have unsettled her mind (already affected by seeing her husband murdered at her side). She was adjudged insane (1875), but the decision was reversed a year later.

Lincoln, Robert Todd, 1843-1926, American lawyer and public official, b. Springfield, Ill., son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. He served on General Grant's staff and after the Civil War studied law. An able corporation lawyer, he chiefly served railroad interests and was (1897-1911) president of the Pullman Company. Of retiring disposition, he never ran for office but was secretary of war (1881-85) and minister to Great Britain (1889-93). Much of the last two decades of his life were spent at Hildene, his estate near Manchester, Vt.

Lincoln denied access to those papers of his father that he owned to all except the authorized biographers, John G. Nicolay and John Hay, and left them to the Library of Congress on the condition that they be sealed until 21 years after his death. In 1947 the papers were made public.

Lincoln, county: see Lincolnshire.

Lincoln, city (1991 pop. 79,980) and district, Lincolnshire, E England, in the Parts of Kesteven, on the Witham River. Located at the junction of the Roman Fosse Way and Ermine Street, the city is a center of road and rail transportation. Manufactures include heavy machinery, light-metal products, automobile and electronic parts, and food products. Lincoln was an ancient British settlement, the Roman Lindum or Lindum Colonia, and was one of the Five Boroughs of the Danes. Lincoln Castle, begun by William I in 1068, was contested in the civil war between Matilda and Stephen (12th cent.). The town was burned in the 12th cent.; three parliaments were held in Lincoln in the 14th cent. Parliamentarians captured it in 1644. For centuries horse races and fairs have been held in Lincoln. The Lincoln Cathedral, first built from 1075 to 1501, has a central tower 271 ft (83 m) high, containing the famous bell "Great Tom of Lincoln." One of the few extant copies of the Magna Carta is in the cathedral. In Lincoln are teacher-training, theological, art, and technical colleges.

Lincoln. 1 City (1990 pop. 15,418), seat of Logan co., central Ill., in a farm area; inc. 1865. It is a shipping and industrial center in an agricultural area with light manufacturing. The city was platted and promoted (1853) with the aid of Abraham Lincoln and named for him when he was still an unknown country lawyer. Lincoln practiced law there from 1847 to 1859, and buildings and places associated with him have been preserved or reconstructed. A state school for the mentally retarded is in the city.

2 City (1990 pop. 191,972), state capital, and seat of Lancaster co., SE Nebr.; inc. 1869. It is the railroad, trade, and industrial center for a large grain and livestock area. Cattle are slaughtered and processed; there is printing and publishing; and beverages, construction materials, electronics, motorcycles, sports equipment, valves and cylinders, asphalt, and automotive parts are among its manufactures. A number of insurance companies have their home offices there. Founded in 1864 as Lancaster, the city was chosen as the site of the capital in 1867 and renamed. It is the seat of the Univ. of Nebraska, Union College, and Nebraska Wesleyan Univ. A planetarium, an art gallery and sculpture garden, the state historical society and its museum, and a performing arts center are in the city. The state penitentiary and several hospitals are also there. The state capitol, designed by B. G. Goodhue, with sculptures by Lee Lawrie, was completed in 1934. William Jennings Bryan lived in Lincoln from 1887 to 1916; his home is preserved.

3 Town (1990 pop. 18,045), Providence co., NE R.I.; set off from Smithfield and inc. 1871. Once a textile town, its manufactures include wire, tubing, metal parts, and thread. Limestone has been quarried there since colonial times. Many pre-Revolutionary houses and a state park are in the town.

(born April 6, 1866, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.—died Aug. 9, 1936, Carmel, Calif.) U.S. journalist and reformer. He worked for New York City newspapers (1892–1901) and was managing editor of McClure's Magazine (1901–06), where he began his famous muckraking articles—later published as The Shame of the Cities (1904)—exposing corruption in politics and big business. He lectured widely and aroused public interest in seeking solutions and taking action. He later supported revolutionary activities in Mexico and Russia and lived in Europe (1917–27). The success of his Autobiography (1931) returned him to the lecture circuit.

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(born Jan. 24, 1733, Hingham, Mass.—died May 9, 1810, Boston) American Revolutionary officer. After serving in the Massachusetts militia (1755–76), he was appointed major general in the Continental Army. As commander of forces in the South in 1780, he was forced to surrender with 7,000 troops after the British victory at Charleston, S.C. Released in a prisoner exchange, he served in the Yorktown campaign in 1781. From 1781 to 1783 he served as secretary of war, and in 1787 he commanded the militia forces that suppressed Shays' Rebellion. From 1789 to 1809 he was collector for the port of Boston.

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(born Feb. 12, 1809, near Hodgenville, Ky., U.S.—died April 15, 1865, Washington, D.C.) 16th president of the U.S. (1861–65). Born in a Kentucky log cabin, he moved to Indiana in 1816 and to Illinois in 1830. After working as a storekeeper, a rail-splitter, a postmaster, and a surveyor, he enlisted as a volunteer in the Black Hawk War (1832) and was elected captain of his company. He taught himself law and, having passed the bar examination, began practicing in Springfield, Ill., in 1836. As a successful circuit-riding lawyer from 1837, he was noted for his shrewdness, common sense, and honesty (earning the nickname “Honest Abe”). From 1834 to 1840 he served in the Illinois state legislature, and in 1847 he was elected as a Whig to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1856 he joined the Republican Party, which nominated him as its candidate in the 1858 Senate election. In a series of seven debates with Stephen A. Douglas (the Lincoln-Douglas Debates), he argued against the extension of slavery into the territories. Though morally opposed to slavery, he was not an abolitionist; indeed, he attempted to rebut Douglas's charge that he was a dangerous radical, by reassuring audiences that he did not favour political equality for blacks. Despite his loss in the election, the debates brought him national attention. In the 1860 presidential election, he ran against Douglas again and won by a large margin in the electoral college, though he received only two-fifths of the popular vote. The South opposed his position on slavery in the territories, and before his inauguration seven Southern states had seceeded from the Union. The ensuing American Civil War completely consumed Lincoln's administration. He excelled as a wartime leader, creating a high command for directing all the country's energies and resources toward the war effort and combining statecraft and overall command of the armies with what some have called military genius. However, his abrogation of some civil liberties, especially the writ of habeas corpus, and the closing of several newspapers by his generals disturbed both Democrats and Republicans, including some members of his own cabinet. To unite the North and influence foreign opinion, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation (1863); his Gettysburg Address (1863) further ennobled the war's purpose. The continuing war affected some Northerners' resolve and his reelection was not assured, but strategic battle victories turned the tide, and he easily defeated George B. McClellan in 1864. His platform included passage of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery (ratified 1865). At his second inaugural, with victory in sight, he spoke of moderation in reconstructing the South and building a harmonious Union. On April 14, five days after the war ended, he was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth.

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(born May 4, 1907, Rochester, N.Y., U.S.—died Jan. 5, 1996, New York, N.Y.) U.S. dance authority, impresario, and writer. He graduated from Harvard, where he founded the literary magazine Hound & Horn. Financially independent, he focused his artistic interests on ballet and in 1933 persuaded the choreographer George Balanchine to move to the U.S. to found a ballet school and company. The School of American Ballet opened in 1934; Kirstein was its director from 1940 to 1989. He and Balanchine jointly established a series of ballet companies, culminating in the New York City Ballet (1948), of which he served as general director until 1989. He wrote seven books on ballet, including the classic history Dance (1935).

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(born May 4, 1907, Rochester, N.Y., U.S.—died Jan. 5, 1996, New York, N.Y.) U.S. dance authority, impresario, and writer. He graduated from Harvard, where he founded the literary magazine Hound & Horn. Financially independent, he focused his artistic interests on ballet and in 1933 persuaded the choreographer George Balanchine to move to the U.S. to found a ballet school and company. The School of American Ballet opened in 1934; Kirstein was its director from 1940 to 1989. He and Balanchine jointly established a series of ballet companies, culminating in the New York City Ballet (1948), of which he served as general director until 1989. He wrote seven books on ballet, including the classic history Dance (1935).

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City (pop., 2000: 225,581), capital of Nebraska, U.S. Laid out in 1859 and called Lancaster, it was renamed for Abraham Lincoln when it was chosen as the capital in 1867. The town was incorporated in 1869 and was the home of the politician William Jennings Bryan from 1887 to 1921. It is a railroad junction and commercial centre serving the surrounding agricultural region. Its institutions of higher education include the University of Nebraska, Union College, and Nebraska Wesleyan University.

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(born Jan. 24, 1733, Hingham, Mass.—died May 9, 1810, Boston) American Revolutionary officer. After serving in the Massachusetts militia (1755–76), he was appointed major general in the Continental Army. As commander of forces in the South in 1780, he was forced to surrender with 7,000 troops after the British victory at Charleston, S.C. Released in a prisoner exchange, he served in the Yorktown campaign in 1781. From 1781 to 1783 he served as secretary of war, and in 1787 he commanded the militia forces that suppressed Shays' Rebellion. From 1789 to 1809 he was collector for the port of Boston.

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(born Feb. 12, 1809, near Hodgenville, Ky., U.S.—died April 15, 1865, Washington, D.C.) 16th president of the U.S. (1861–65). Born in a Kentucky log cabin, he moved to Indiana in 1816 and to Illinois in 1830. After working as a storekeeper, a rail-splitter, a postmaster, and a surveyor, he enlisted as a volunteer in the Black Hawk War (1832) and was elected captain of his company. He taught himself law and, having passed the bar examination, began practicing in Springfield, Ill., in 1836. As a successful circuit-riding lawyer from 1837, he was noted for his shrewdness, common sense, and honesty (earning the nickname “Honest Abe”). From 1834 to 1840 he served in the Illinois state legislature, and in 1847 he was elected as a Whig to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1856 he joined the Republican Party, which nominated him as its candidate in the 1858 Senate election. In a series of seven debates with Stephen A. Douglas (the Lincoln-Douglas Debates), he argued against the extension of slavery into the territories. Though morally opposed to slavery, he was not an abolitionist; indeed, he attempted to rebut Douglas's charge that he was a dangerous radical, by reassuring audiences that he did not favour political equality for blacks. Despite his loss in the election, the debates brought him national attention. In the 1860 presidential election, he ran against Douglas again and won by a large margin in the electoral college, though he received only two-fifths of the popular vote. The South opposed his position on slavery in the territories, and before his inauguration seven Southern states had seceeded from the Union. The ensuing American Civil War completely consumed Lincoln's administration. He excelled as a wartime leader, creating a high command for directing all the country's energies and resources toward the war effort and combining statecraft and overall command of the armies with what some have called military genius. However, his abrogation of some civil liberties, especially the writ of habeas corpus, and the closing of several newspapers by his generals disturbed both Democrats and Republicans, including some members of his own cabinet. To unite the North and influence foreign opinion, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation (1863); his Gettysburg Address (1863) further ennobled the war's purpose. The continuing war affected some Northerners' resolve and his reelection was not assured, but strategic battle victories turned the tide, and he easily defeated George B. McClellan in 1864. His platform included passage of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery (ratified 1865). At his second inaugural, with victory in sight, he spoke of moderation in reconstructing the South and building a harmonious Union. On April 14, five days after the war ended, he was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth.

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The City of Lincoln (Umóⁿhoⁿ: Nískithe Tʰóⁿwoⁿgthoⁿ , meaning "Salt Village", for Salt Creek, which was the historical center of the city) is the capital and the second most populous city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. The population was 225,581 at the 2000 census.

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 capital of Nebraska Territory had been Omaha since the creation of the territory in 1854; however, most of the territory's population lived south of the Platte River. After much of the territory south of the Platte considered annexation to Kansas, 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. 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 Lincoln. The ploy did not work, as Lancaster was renamed Lincoln and became the state capital upon Nebraska's admission to the Union on March 1, 1867.

Law and government

Lincoln has a mayor-council government. The mayor and a seven-member city council are selected in nonpartisan elections. Four members are elected from city council districts; the remaining three members are elected at-large. Lincoln's health, personnel, and planning departments are joint city/county agencies; most city and Lancaster County offices are located in the County/City Building.

Since Lincoln is the state capital, many Nebraska state agencies and offices are located in Lincoln, as are several United States Government agencies and offices. The city lies within the Lincoln Public Schools school district; the primary law enforcement agency for the city is the Lincoln Police Department. The Lincoln Fire and Rescue Department shoulders the cities fire fighting and ambulatory services while outlying areas of the city are supported by volunteer fire fighting units.

The city's public library system is Lincoln City Libraries, which has eight branches. Lincoln City Libraries circulates more than three million items per year to the residents of Lincoln and Lancaster County. Lincoln City Libraries is also home to Polley Music Library and the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska authors.

Geography

Lincoln is located at (40.809868, -96.675345). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 195.2 km² (75.4 sq mi). 193.3 km² (74.6 sq mi) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.7 sq mi) of it (0.98%) is water.

Lincoln is one of the few large cities of Nebraska not located along either the Platte River or the Missouri River. The city was originally laid out near Salt Creek and among the nearly flat saline wetlands of northern Lancaster County. The city's growth over the years has led to development of the surrounding land, much of which is composed of gently rolling hills. In recent years, Lincoln's northward growth has encroached on the habitat of the endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle.

Metropolitan area

The Lincoln metropolitan area consists of Lancaster County and Seward County, which was added to the metropolitan area in 2003. Lincoln has very little development outside its city limits and has no contiguous suburbs (the largest city that can be considered a suburb of Lincoln is Waverly.) This is due primarily to the fact that most land that would have developed as a suburban city has been annexed to the city of Lincoln itself.

Neighborhoods

• Arnold Heights: Located in far northwest Lincoln, this neighborhood also known as Airpark began as base housing for the adjacent Lincoln Air Force Base during the Cold War. The area originally consisted of 1,000 housing units and was annexed by Lincoln in 1966, after the base closed. All 1,000 units were originally managed by the Lincoln Housing Authority, today about half of the homes in the neighborhood have been sold to private owners. The area was also formerly known as both Capehart Housing when completed in 1960 (north housing) and the "Military Construction Area" when built during 1956 (South housing).
• Belmont:The Belmont neighborhood lies just north of Cornhusker Highway and south of Superior street between Interstate-180 and 27th street.
• Bethany: Bethany is located along Cotner Blvd. and Holdrege St. Originally laid out as a separate village by the Disciples of Christ, it was annexed by Lincoln in the late 1920s.
• Clinton: Located north of 27th and O Streets, Clinton is the target of ongoing revitalization efforts by the City of Lincoln.
• College View: College View is located along 48th St. and near Calvert St., adjacent to and surrounding the Union College campus; originally a separate village.
• Downtown: Lincoln's business district has a mix of offices, bars, restaurants and some retail. Events, housing, and other information about Downtown Lincoln can be found on the Downtown Lincoln Association's website at www.downtownlincoln.org.
• Gaslight Village.
• Havelock: Havelock is located along Havelock Ave. east of 56th St. in northeast Lincoln; originally a separate village.
• Hartley: One of Lincoln's earliest suburbs, Hartley is located east of Downtown proper, east of 27th St and north of O St. It is a mainly residential neighborhood of houses built 1890-1940.
• Hawley: Located directly east of UNL's downtown campus, the Hawley Historic District is home to a diverse population living in houses built in the early 20th century.
• Haymarket: One of Lincoln's oldest neighborhoods, the Haymarket is a historic warehouse and industrial district. In recent decades, it has become a dining, specialty shopping, and urban living district, with a variety of visual and performing arts and nightlife. The Haymarket has a weekly farmers' market from May to October. The area's website can be found at www.historichaymarket.info
• Highlands: The Highlands is a newer residential neighborhood in northwest Lincoln, located north of I-80 and near Lincoln Airport.
• Huskerville: A now non-existent neighborhood built north of Arnold Heights. Constructed during World War II, Huskerville was once the Lincoln Army Air Field hospital area from 1942 until 1945. After the war the area was converted into college housing and was most noted for a polio outbreak in 1952. The area was either removed or demolished in the late 1960s. The chapel, now protected by the National Register of Historic Places, is all that remains of Huskerville. A new development is underway here however including the construction of a new elementary school as of 2008.
• Indian Village: The Indian Village neighborhood is located from Van Dorn on the north to Highway 2 on the south, from 9th St on the west to 20th St on the east.
• Irvingdale: The Irvingdale neighborhood is located from South Street on the North, and Van Dorn on the South, from 9th St from the west to 22nd St on the east. The neighborhood has a mix of homes built in the early 1900's to more modern homes built in the 1950's, and is home to Irving Middle School, and the Stransky Park Concert Series.
• Near South The Near South neighborhood is located from G Street on the north to South Street on the south, and from 13th Street from the west to 27th on the east. The neighborhood is home to many of Lincoln's grand historic homes and is currently experiencing a strong revitalization effort by the Neighborhood Assn and City Officials. Many home-owners are deconverting properties that were once divided into apartments back into single-family homes. The Near South has coffee shops, restaurants, banks, and many other businesses. It is also home to Lincoln's beautiful Sunken Gardens.
• North Bottoms: Directly north of UNL's downtown campus, the North Bottoms is an area in the floodplain of Salt Creek that holds many low income houses. It is now home to many college students.
• South Bottoms: South of the Haymarket district, the South Bottoms, like the North Bottoms, was a neighborhood founded by Germans from Russia. Today, the neighborhood is noted for its architecture.
• University Place: University Place is located along 48th St. between Leighton Ave. and Adams St., near Nebraska Wesleyan University and UNL East Campus. It was an incorporated community before its annexation by Lincoln in 1926.
• West Lincoln: Located along West Cornhusker Hwy., West Lincoln was founded in 1887 and was an incorporated community before its annexation by Lincoln in 1966.
• Fox Hollow Located in southeast Lincoln, from 70th Streets to 84th Street, between Van Dorn and Pioneers. Middle to upper class neighborhoods near Holmes Lake. Fox Hollow is a planned subdivision and was constructed during the 1990s to present.

Parks

Lincoln has an extensive park system, with over 100 individual parks. The largest parks in Lincoln's park system are: Antelope Park (which contains the Lincoln Children's Zoo and the Sunken Gardens), Woods Park, Holmes Park, Oak Lake Park, Pioneers Park, Tierra Park, and Wilderness Park. The parks are connected by a 159 km (99 mi.) system of recreational trails. The MoPac Trail extends through Lincoln.

Climate

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F (°C)	73 (22.7)	84 (28.8)	89 (31.6)	97 (36.1)	99 (37.2)	107 (41.6)	108 (42.2)	107 (41.6)	106 (41.1)	94 (34.4)	85 (29.4)	70 (21.1)
Norm High °F (°C)	33.2 (0.6)	39.3 (4.0)	51.2 (10.6)	63.5 (17.5)	73.8 (23.2)	84.9 (29.4)	89.6 (32)	87.1 (30.6)	78.8 (26)	66.5 (19.2)	49.1 (9.5)	36.8 (2.6)
Norm Avg °F (°C)	22.4 (-5.3)	28.3 (-2.0)	39.4 (4.1)	51.2 (10.6)	62.0 (16.6)	72.7 (22.6)	77.8 (25.4)	75.4 (24.1)	66.0 (18.8)	53.5 (11.9)	38.1 (3.4)	26.5 (-3.0)
Norm Low °F (°C)	11.5 (-11.4)	17.2 (-8.2)	27.5 (-2.5)	38.8 (3.7)	50.1 (10.0)	60.4 (15.7)	65.9 (18.8)	63.7 (17.6)	53.2 (11.7)	40.4 (4.6)	27 (-2.7)	16.2 (-8.7)
Rec Low °F (°C)	-33 (-36.1)	-24 (-31.1)	-19 (-28.3)	3 (-16.1)	24 (-4.4)	39 (3.8)	42 (5.5)	41 (5)	26 (-3.3)	8 (-13.3)	-5 (-20.5)	-27 (-32.7)
Precip in. (mm)	0.67 (17.0)	0.66 (16.8)	2.21 (56.1)	2.9 (73.6)	4.23 (107.4)	3.51 (89.1)	3.54 (89.9)	3.35 (85.1)	2.92 (74.2)	1.94 (49.3)	1.58 (40.1)	0.86 (21.8)
Source: USTravelWeather.com

Economy

Lincoln's economy is fairly typical of a mid-sized American city; most economic activity is derived from service industries. The state government and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are both large contributors to the local economy. Other prominent industries in Lincoln include banking, information technology, insurance, and rail and truck transport.

Three regional fast-food restaurant chains began in Lincoln: Amigos/Kings Classic, Runza Restaurants and Valentino's.

Transportation

Rail

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Lincoln, operating its California Zephyr daily in each direction between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.

Bus

A public bus transit system, StarTran, operates in Lincoln. StarTran's fleet consists of 60 full-sized buses and 9 Handi-Vans

Air

The Lincoln Airport provides passengers with daily non-stop service to United Airlines hubs O'Hare International Airport and Denver International Airport as well as Northwest Airlines hubs Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, via United Express and Northwest Airlink regional jet aircraft. In the past Allegiant Air departed Wednesdays and Saturdays to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas aboard their fleet of MD-80s however this service has ended in Lincoln and has been transferred to Grand Island Regional Airport. The Lincoln Airport is also among the emergency landing sites for the NASA Space Shuttle, and the top location located within the non-coastal United States.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 225,581 people, 90,485 households, and 53,567 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,166.9/km² (3,022.2/sq mi). There were 95,199 housing units at an average density of 492.5/km² (1,275.4/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 89.25% White, 3.12% Asian, 3.09% African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population.

There were 90,485 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 16.4% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,605, and the median income for a family was $52,558. Males had a median income of $33,899 versus $25,402 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,984. About 5.8% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

• Nebraska State Capitol: designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and constructed between 1922 and 1932. The capitol building is a skyscraper topped by a golden dome. The tower is crowned by a 6-meter (20 ft) statue of a farmer sowing grain on a pedestal of wheat and corn (sculptor: Lee Lawrie), to represent the state's agricultural heritage. City zoning rules prevent any other building from rivaling it in height, making it a landmark not only within the city but for the surrounding area. Inside, there are many paintings and iridescent murals depicting the Native American heritage and the history and culture of the early pioneers who settled Nebraska. It is the second tallest U.S. State Capitol building behind the Louisiana State Capitol building in Baton Rouge
• Alice Abel Arboretum
• American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Museum
• Lincoln Children's Museum
• Lincoln Children's Zoo
• Fairview Home (was the home of William Jennings Bryan)
• Frank H. Woods Pioneer Telephone Museum
• Haymarket Park
• Historic Haymarket
• Hyde Observatory
• Ice Box
• Iron Horse Park in the Haymarket
• Joshua C. Turner Arboretum
• Maxwell Arboretum
• Museum of American Speed
• National Museum of Roller Skating and the offices of USA Roller Sports
• Museum of Nebraska History
• Thomas P. Kennard House
• Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
• Pioneer Park Nature Center
• Schleich Red Wing Pottery Museum
• State Fair Park Arboretum
• Sunken Gardens (Nebraska)
• Downtown Lincoln (Nebraska)
• Wyuka Cemetery

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

• Bob Devaney Sports Center
• Great Plains Art Museum
• The Kruger Collection in the College of Architecture
• Lentz Center for Asian Culture
• Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test & Power Museum
• Lied Center for Performing Arts
• Memorial Stadium: Home of the Cornhuskers football team, the stadium was built in 1923.
• Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery: built in the early 1960s; architect Philip Johnson.
• University of Nebraska State Museum: home to an extensive collection of Nebraska fossils
• International Quilt Study Center

Education

Primary and secondary education

Lincoln Public Schools is the sole public school district in the city. There are six high schools in the district: Lincoln High, East, Northeast, North Star, Southeast, and Southwest.

Private high schools located in Lincoln are College View Academy, Lincoln Christian, Lincoln Lutheran, Parkview Christian, and Pius X.

Colleges and universities

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the flagship campus of the University of Nebraska system, is the largest university in Lincoln. Other colleges and universities based in Lincoln are BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Union College.

Colleges and universities with satellite locations in Lincoln are Bellevue University, Doane College, Kaplan University, Peru State College, and Southeast Community College.

Sports teams

Lincoln is best known for the University's football team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In total, the University of Nebraska fields 21 men's and women's teams in 14 NCAA Division I sports. Other sports teams are the Lincoln Saltdogs, an American Association independent minor league baseball team; the Lincoln Stars, a USHL junior ice hockey team.

Arts, entertainment and culture

Lincoln's primary venues for live music include: Pershing Auditorium (large tours and national acts), Knickerbockers, Box Awesome, Duffy's Tavern, Duggan's Pub (local/regional acts; smaller venues), and the Zoo Bar (blues). The Pla-Mor Ballroom is a staple of Lincoln's music and dance scene, featuring its house band, the award-winning Sandy Creek Band.

The Lied Center is a venue for national tours of Broadway productions, concert music, and guest lectures. Lincoln has several performing arts venues. Plays are staged by UNL students in the Temple Building; community theater productions are held at the Lincoln Community Playhouse, the Loft at The Mill, and the Haymarket Theater.

For movie viewing, the local Douglas Theatre Company (Now owned by Marcus Theatres) owns 32 screens at four locations, and the University of Nebraska's Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center shows independent and foreign films. Standalone cinemas in Lincoln include the Joyo Theater and Rococo Theater. The State Theater re-opened as a second-run cinema that serves food and alcohol.

The downtown section of O Street is Lincoln's primary bar and nightclub district.

Lincoln, Nebraska, is the hometown of Zager and Evans, known for their international #1 hit record, 'In the Year 2525'. In addition, Lincoln is the hometown of the 1970s Horn Rock Band, STRAIGHT, known for the hit singles 'Save Your Breath' and 'Half Heaven, Half Heartache'.

Annual events

• March: Nebraska high school state boys' and girls' basketball tournaments
• First Sunday in May: Lincoln Marathon
• Early June: Cornhusker Boys' State and Cornhusker Girls' State
• Tuesday evenings in June: Jazz in June, an outdoor summer concert series
• Third Friday in June, July, and August: Dock Stock
• Late June: International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska
• Thursday evenings in July: Movies on the Green, movies shown on the green space near Kimball Hall
• Early August: Lancaster County Fair
• Second weekend in August: Capitol City Rib Fest
• Late August/early September: Nebraska State Fair
• Late August to late November: Nebraska Cornhuskers football
• Early November: Nebraska high school state football championships at Memorial Stadium
• Early to mid-November: Anime NebrasKon
• First Saturday in December: Star City Parade

Local media

Television

Lincoln has three broadcast television stations with original programming:

• KLKN (Channel 8; 31 DT) – ABC affiliate
• KOLN (Channel 10; 25 DT) – CBS affiliate
• KUON (Channel 12; 40 DT) – PBS affiliate, NET Television flagship station
• KCWL (Channel 15) – CW, no original programming

The headquarters of Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET), which is affiliated with the Public Broadcasting System, National Public Radio and Public Radio International, are in Lincoln.

Lincoln is one of the few cities without its own NBC affiliate; Omaha's WOWT-TV serves as the city's default NBC affiliate, while Hastings' KHAS-TV is available in satellite locals packages. Most of Omaha's other television stations can also be picked up in Lincoln with an antenna, and all are available on cable.

Radio

There are 22 radio stations in Lincoln.

FM stations include:

• KLCV (88.5) – Religious
• KNBE (88.9) – Religious
• KZUM (89.3) – Variety
• KFLV (89.9) – Contemporary Christian
• KRNU (90.3) – Alternative / College radio
• KUCV (91.1) – National Public Radio
• K220GT (91.9) – Contemporary Christian
• KTGL (92.9) – Classic Rock
• KJFT-LP (93.7) – Chinese-language Religious
• K233AN (94.5) – Contemporary Christian
• KRKR (95.1) – Talk
• KZKX (96.9) – Country
• KFGE (98.1) – Country
• KLTQ (101.9) – Light Rock
• KBZR (102.7) – Variety
• KIBZ (104.1) – Active Rock
• KLNC (105.3) – Adult Hits
• KFRX (106.3) – Top-40
• KBBK (107.3) – Hot AC

AM stations include:

• KFOR(1240) – News/Talk
• KLIN (1400) -News/Talk
• KLMS (1480) – Sports

Lincoln can also receive radio signals from Omaha.

Print

The Lincoln Journal Star is the city's major daily newspaper. The Daily Nebraskan is the official campus paper of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Clocktower is the official campus paper of Union College.

See also

• Buildings and structures in Lincoln, Nebraska
• List of people from Lincoln, Nebraska

References

External links

• City of Lincoln, Nebraska
• Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Explore Lincoln
• UNL Extension in Lancaster County