When should we wish Lincoln happy birthday? -- 3/11/2008
There is no doubt that Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 and that we will be celebrating the bicentennial of his birth next year.
There is, however, a question of just what anniversary the city of Lincoln might be approaching. Because we celebrated the city's centennial in 1959, is 2009 our sesquicentennial? The answer hinges on when we say Lincoln originated, and to that question there are manifold answers.
Although Natives had visited the salt flats for perhaps centuries, the 1840s brought immigrants heading west who were attracted by the same salt deposits.
One of the first companies established to extract and sell salt here was the Saline Manufacturing Co., which formed March 16, 1853, followed by the Nebraska Salt Co. in 1855, the Salt Springs Co. in 1856 and others.
In 1856, the federal survey reached the area now described as Lancaster County, which allowed legal settlement and specific land descriptions. This survey also publicized the salt flats, bringing more interest to the area.
Spring of that year brought John Dee to land near Waverly and John Prey, who pre-empted a claim on Salt Creek. 1857 brought A.J. and Richard Wallingford to land now in Lincoln, and that October, the surveyor general certified the federal survey for the county.
As far as the original footprint of today's Lincoln, an observer noted that in early 1859 "not one person lived on the site... not even a store... There was no local government."
Capt. Donovan, who would later live permanently in Lincoln's boundaries, had a son, F. Morton Donovan, but the family was living temporarily near Steven's Creek.
In fall 1859, Cass County commissioners called a meeting of local citizens at the great elm on the east side of Salt Creek and what subsequently would become the northwest corner of the Burlington Railroad yards. Commissioners were temporarily appointed, and they decided to locate the county seat of the new Lancaster County at that site.
On Oct. 10, the commissioners and county officers were actually elected, but only the "certificate of election" survived as the record of the meeting.
On Oct. 9, 1860, the first general county election was held at Donovan's cabin at about Ninth and Q streets, with 23 votes cast. The official federal census of 1860, however, showed no population for the just-confirmed city of Lancaster.
W.W. Cox and Darwin Peckham actually started salt production at the flats in 1861. The following year, Joseph Chambers' son was born at the salt flats, but he did not survive.
1863 saw the dissolution of old Clay County, which increased Lancaster County's area by 50 percent, and, on March 3, E.E. Cox was born at the salt flats, becoming the first white baby born in the area to survive.
John Gregory, who would become the area's first postmaster, also built the first frame house at the salt flats that year, which was also the year Elder Young visited and decided to locate his Methodist Protestant Female Seminary on the site.
An election in summer 1864, held at W.W. Cox's house south of the basin, officially put the county seat at the village they named Lancaster, which was then platted by Young. Jacob Dawson and Luke Lavender built cabins on the plat, each of which has been labeled the first cabin.
In fall 1866, a visitor commented, however, that there was only "one house that had both a board floor and a shingle roof" in the community; he did not identify where it was. In 1866, it was also noted that there were 19 taxpayers, including spouses, in the area.
On July 29, 1867, the capital commissioners met at Donovan's cabin and voted to make Lancaster the first capital city of the new state of Nebraska. On Aug. 14, 1867, Lancaster's name was changed and quit claim deeds exchanged lots in Lancaster for lots in Lincoln.
April 17, 1868, on petition to Lancaster County, Lincoln was declared "a body corporate." At a May election, 60 votes were cast toelect trustees, but no minutes were kept and the city's incorporation was subsequently dissolved. A second incorporation stuck on April 7, 1869, and on May 3 a new election was held for trustees and a "mayor/president" elected by them.
On March 18, 1871, Lincoln was incorporated by the state as a city of the second class, and William F. Chapin became the first nominal mayor elected by the voters.
So, was Lincoln born as a city in 1853?1856? 1857? 1859? 1860? 1861? 1863? 1864? 1867? 1868?Or 1871?
A case, albeit weak in some regards, could be made for any of these years. If we are voting, I'll go for 1867, when Lancaster became Lincoln and was named the capital of Nebraska.
That way we'll also have a few years to plan a proper sesquicentennial.
Historian Jim McKee, who still writes with a fountain pen, invites comments or questions. Write to him in care of the Journal Star or at jim@leebooksellers.com.
There is, however, a question of just what anniversary the city of Lincoln might be approaching. Because we celebrated the city's centennial in 1959, is 2009 our sesquicentennial? The answer hinges on when we say Lincoln originated, and to that question there are manifold answers.
Although Natives had visited the salt flats for perhaps centuries, the 1840s brought immigrants heading west who were attracted by the same salt deposits.
One of the first companies established to extract and sell salt here was the Saline Manufacturing Co., which formed March 16, 1853, followed by the Nebraska Salt Co. in 1855, the Salt Springs Co. in 1856 and others.
In 1856, the federal survey reached the area now described as Lancaster County, which allowed legal settlement and specific land descriptions. This survey also publicized the salt flats, bringing more interest to the area.
Spring of that year brought John Dee to land near Waverly and John Prey, who pre-empted a claim on Salt Creek. 1857 brought A.J. and Richard Wallingford to land now in Lincoln, and that October, the surveyor general certified the federal survey for the county.
As far as the original footprint of today's Lincoln, an observer noted that in early 1859 "not one person lived on the site... not even a store... There was no local government."
Capt. Donovan, who would later live permanently in Lincoln's boundaries, had a son, F. Morton Donovan, but the family was living temporarily near Steven's Creek.
In fall 1859, Cass County commissioners called a meeting of local citizens at the great elm on the east side of Salt Creek and what subsequently would become the northwest corner of the Burlington Railroad yards. Commissioners were temporarily appointed, and they decided to locate the county seat of the new Lancaster County at that site.
On Oct. 10, the commissioners and county officers were actually elected, but only the "certificate of election" survived as the record of the meeting.
On Oct. 9, 1860, the first general county election was held at Donovan's cabin at about Ninth and Q streets, with 23 votes cast. The official federal census of 1860, however, showed no population for the just-confirmed city of Lancaster.
W.W. Cox and Darwin Peckham actually started salt production at the flats in 1861. The following year, Joseph Chambers' son was born at the salt flats, but he did not survive.
1863 saw the dissolution of old Clay County, which increased Lancaster County's area by 50 percent, and, on March 3, E.E. Cox was born at the salt flats, becoming the first white baby born in the area to survive.
John Gregory, who would become the area's first postmaster, also built the first frame house at the salt flats that year, which was also the year Elder Young visited and decided to locate his Methodist Protestant Female Seminary on the site.
An election in summer 1864, held at W.W. Cox's house south of the basin, officially put the county seat at the village they named Lancaster, which was then platted by Young. Jacob Dawson and Luke Lavender built cabins on the plat, each of which has been labeled the first cabin.
In fall 1866, a visitor commented, however, that there was only "one house that had both a board floor and a shingle roof" in the community; he did not identify where it was. In 1866, it was also noted that there were 19 taxpayers, including spouses, in the area.
On July 29, 1867, the capital commissioners met at Donovan's cabin and voted to make Lancaster the first capital city of the new state of Nebraska. On Aug. 14, 1867, Lancaster's name was changed and quit claim deeds exchanged lots in Lancaster for lots in Lincoln.
April 17, 1868, on petition to Lancaster County, Lincoln was declared "a body corporate." At a May election, 60 votes were cast toelect trustees, but no minutes were kept and the city's incorporation was subsequently dissolved. A second incorporation stuck on April 7, 1869, and on May 3 a new election was held for trustees and a "mayor/president" elected by them.
On March 18, 1871, Lincoln was incorporated by the state as a city of the second class, and William F. Chapin became the first nominal mayor elected by the voters.
So, was Lincoln born as a city in 1853?1856? 1857? 1859? 1860? 1861? 1863? 1864? 1867? 1868?Or 1871?
A case, albeit weak in some regards, could be made for any of these years. If we are voting, I'll go for 1867, when Lancaster became Lincoln and was named the capital of Nebraska.
That way we'll also have a few years to plan a proper sesquicentennial.
Historian Jim McKee, who still writes with a fountain pen, invites comments or questions. Write to him in care of the Journal Star or at jim@leebooksellers.com.
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