Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska. Originally named Lancaster, the city was later renamed to honor President Abraham Lincoln. It is a major grain market and a center of cultural, industrial, and educational activities. Lincoln is situated in the southeastern part of Nebraska, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southwest of Omaha.

Places of interest

American architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue designed the state capitol, which was completed in 1932. Its central tower, rising 400 feet (120 meters) from a massive three-story base, is a highly visible landmark. The Sower, a bronze statue symbolizing the farms of Nebraska, stands on top of the tower.

Other places of interest are the Folsom Children's Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Lincoln Children's Museum, the National Museum of Roller Skating, and Pioneers Park.

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln, which was founded in 1869, is a center of educational and cultural activity in the city. The Lied Center for Performing Arts, located on the university campus, has staged performances by international, Broadway, and native Nebraskan artists since 1990. There are also several notable museums and art galleries within the university. Among them are the University of Nebraska State Museum and the Great Plains Art Collection. The Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, designed by architect Philip Johnson, specializes in 20th-century American art. The gallery houses the collections of the Nebraska Art Association and the University of Nebraska.

Other Lincoln cultural institutions are the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and the Lincoln Community Playhouse. In addition to the University of Nebraska, the city's other educational institutions include Union College and Nebraska Wesleyan University. The Museum of Nebraska History focuses on the cultural heritage of the state.

Economy

Railroads gave Lincoln its early important industry—railroad car repair. Major repair and locomotive shops were found in the suburban area of Havelock. Now the city manufactures processed food (especially meat), motorcycles, wireless communication equipment, software, scientific instruments, watercraft, pharmaceuticals, electronic and electrical equipment, rubber goods, and bricks. There are also printing and publishing houses. More than 20 insurance firms have home offices in Lincoln. Government-operated institutions, including several correctional facilities, also strengthen the city's economy.

History

Several Native American Indian groups, including the Pawnee, Omaha, and Oto, lived in the area that is now Lincoln before Europeans arrived in the 1850s. The city was established as a settlement in 1856 and was given the name Lancaster in 1859, when it also became the seat of Lancaster County. The town was renamed when Nebraska became a state in 1867. There had been conflict over whether the state capital would be in Omaha or in a place south of the Platte River. Finally, Lincoln was chosen as the site.

Lincoln got its first railway connection in 1870 when the Burlington and Missouri River line from Plattsmouth was built. The site soon became a major railroad junction.

One of the city's most famous residents was the political figure William Jennings Bryan. He lived in the city from 1887 to 1921 and ran for president three times during that time. After his defeat in the presidential election of 1900, he published a weekly journal, the Commoner, from the city. The city expanded in the late 1920s by absorbing several surrounding communities. Population (2000 census), 225,581.