[Lincoln from the West.]

Lincoln, the seat of government of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster, is situated near the geographical center of the county, upon a series of elevations that give it a commanding view of some of the most fertile land, and, in certain portions of the year, the most picturesque in the State. In point of utility, convenience and beauty, the situation can scarcely be equaled in Nebraska.

It can properly be said to be situated in a basin, the center of which is elevated nearly to the height of its encompassing circle of hills that form the horizon, from twelve to twenty miles distant. The capitol crowns the highest elevation, around which the hills and valleys of the surrounding country with their gentle swells and depressions are grouped in an artistic and fascinating manner. It is about fifty miles from the Missouri River and thirty miles south of the Platte River, at its nearest point.

Since the first settlement, this county has been celebrated for the adaptation of its deep soil to the raising of wheat, corn and other small grains, the growth of grass making it excellent also for pasturage. To the west and north of its corporate limits lies the vast salt producing region of southern Nebraska, along whose valley, from which it receives its name, runs Salt Creek. There are a vast number of salt basins ranging from a quarter of an acre to 500 acres in superficial area, where veins of salt water, escaping from the saline foundations, well up through the soil to the surface, percolating it with the briny fluid and forming rivulets that discharge themselves into the streams. This is destined to become a source of revenue to the city.

Within a radius of ten miles abundant quantities of dark brown and reddish brown sandstone, fossiliferous and magnesian limestone have been opened, which, together with brick clay, afford ample material for building purposes.

The physical geography of the South Platte country had made it apparent ever since the first settlement of the State that a commercial and railroad center must eventually exist near the middle of Lancaster County, in the vicinity of the "Big Basin," which is about 500 acres in extent. The railroad surveys south of the Platte, prior to 1867, had all passed through this district.

When the state was admitted into the Union on the 1st of March, 1867, the Legislature, which convened in special session soon after, determined to make an early location of the State capital, and a majority of that body were in favor of a site which should become by necessity the railroad centre of the State and thus be easily accessible to the people.

It is true that the location of the capital here has been the most potent cause in the wonderful development of the city and county. Railroads would have been constructed through this locality, and Lancaster, which was the name of the town before the location of the capital, would undoubtedly have grown more rapidly than any other in the State exclusive of the capital city and railroad centers. But it must be admitted that the selection on every other basis than the geographical center of the State, was a wise one.

The first settlement on the site of the present city of Lincoln was made in the summer of 1863, by Elder J. M. Young and others representing a colony, located their claims and selected the present site of Lincoln as a place for their town. The first domicile, a log cabin, was built by Luke Lavender.

[STATE CAPITOL.]

At the time of the location of the capital here the town site had upon it two country stores, one owned by the Pflug Bros., and the other by Max Rich & Co. These were situated upon what is now the west and south sides of Market Square. There were two dwelling houses near these stores, occupied by Capt W. T. Donavan and M. Langdon. Jacob Dawson lived in a log house which stood after the survey on O street between Third and Ninth nearly opposite the Metropolitan Hotel. Dr. J. M. McKesson lived in a frame house, since burned down, north of the B. & M. R. R. track and nearly north of the State University. J. M. Young had a dwelling house just east of the limits of the surveyed city, on O street extended, and Luke Lavender lived in a log cabin which was found to stand on the corner of O and Fourteenth streets. A stone building had been erected for an academy but had burned down. Its walls were afterwards made use of and still stand as a part of the kitchen of the Atwood Hotel. Its bare and gloomy walls stood the monument of a grand enterprise and noble ambition which to-day can be discovered almost in the bloom of its perfection in the public schools and State University. The perishable material returned speedily to dust and ashes or sped away in heat and smoky vapor, but its stone foundation and walls, emblematic of the zeal of spirit that fashioned the crude material into a form of beauty and a thing of use, remained and smiled upon the fruitless efforts of its destroyer. Elder Young was the author of this enterprise.

Robert Monteith and John, his son, were just building a frame shoe shop, standing on the same site on the north side of Market Square, now occupied by John Monteith for the same purpose. There were about 500 inhabitants in the county at this time judging from the election held in 1867 at which a few less than 100 votes were polled.

The Legislature of 1866 and 1867 appointed Governor David Butler, Secretary of State T. P. Kennard, and State Auditor John Gillespie, a commission for selecting a site for the State Capitol. The commissioners commenced their travels of search in July and when they came to visit the quiet little village of Lancaster, then only a germ, but full of life, and began to speak favorably of their quiet retreat as a place for the capital of a great State, grand prospects burst upon the visions of the industrious villagers. The commissioners left and the citizens were in suspense fearing that, after all, the choice might not favor them and their hasty vision grew dim.

The commissioners made a thorough examination of all the territory designated by the act, which embraced the counties of Lancaster and Seward and a part of the counties of Butler, Saunders and Saline. The seventy-two sections of land and twelve salt springs set apart by the General Government for the new State, were located by the Governor within a radius of twenty miles of the Great Salt Basin. They returned to Lancaster the last of July, having examined all the favorable sites, and after once more considering the advantages of the place, proceeded to ballot for the location, in the house of Capt. W. T. Donavan. There in the afternoon of July 29, 1867, the selection was made, Lancaster receiving two votes on the first ballot and Ashland one. On the second ballot it was made unanimous in favor of Lancaster. The understanding was that all the land, excluding the railroad reservations, was to be quit-claimed to the State in consideration of the location of the capital here. The result was received with wild demonstrations of delight by the few citizens of the little town, who had been breathlessly awaiting the decision.

The commissioners experienced no little difficulty in carrying out the desire of a majority of the people. There were some opposed to the location, and to defeat their designs and protect their bondsmen, the commissioners had to disregard the clause in the act, specifying that the proceeds of the sale of lots be deposited with the State Treasurer, by depositing in private banks. This was made necessary by the rumors that the enemies of the enterprise would enjoin the Treasurer against payment of money upon warrants on the building fund, which most likely would have defeated the commissioners, for it would have delayed operations till too late to secure the erection of the State House, even if the courts had not sustained the injunction.

Ground was broken for the foundation, the honor of which was given to Master Frele Morton Donavan, the first child born in, and the youngest child of the oldest settler of Lancaster County, thus making it doubly befitting the grand and interesting occasion.

January 11, 1868, the contract for furnishing the material and labor and erecting the building was awarded to Joseph Ward, of Chicago, for the sum of $49,000. The walls of the building were constructed of magnesian limestone from the Beatrice quarries in Gage County. The building was sufficiently completed by December for occupancy and on the 3rd of that month Governor Butler issued a proclamation announcing the removal of the Seat of Government to Lincoln, and ordered the transfers of the archives of the State to the new Capitol.

In 1877, the Capitol was found to be inadequate for the business of so large and rapidly increasing a population, and a bill was introduced providing for a wing to be added on the west. This was lost, but in 1879 a similar bill was carried. The wing is now completed and presents a much finer appearance than the old building. March 1, 1881, an act was passed providing for an east wing similar to the west. The design is, in a few years, to re-build the old Capitol in a style of architecture to conform to the addition, which will give the State a commodious and imposing Capitol quite commensurate with the size and wealth of the State.

The streets running east and west were named from the letters of the alphabet commencing with " A " on the south and extending to " U " on the north, not including the letter I. The streets running north and south were numbered from First on the west to Seventeenth on the east, making thirty-seven streets, with an average length of one and a quarter miles, or an agregate of about forty-six miles. The site, however, was cut into by a reservation on the northwest corner of about twenty acres and another penetrating from the northeast as far as O street to the south and Fourteenth to the east. The four blocks bounded by H and K and Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets were reserved for the Capitol, another tract of the same size bounded by R and T and Tenth and Twelfth streets was reserved for the State University and the blocks bounded by D and F and Sixth and Eighth streets were reserved for a park. Reservations of one block each were made for a court house, State Historical Society and a market square. All churches applying had a reservation of three lots set apart to them. The blocks were 300 feet square and laid out into twenty-four business, or twelve resident lots, with a frontage of twenty-five and fifty feet. The streets were 100 feet wide with the exception of D, J, O, S, Seventh, Eleventh, and Fifteenth, which were 120 feet wide and called avennes.

In October, 1867, the survey was completed and the even numbered blocks offered for sale to the highest bidder, a minimum price having been set upon each lot.

On the first day of sale, which was held on the site, no offers were made, and the commissioners met in the evening to devise how to escape the failure that seemed to attend the crisis of the enterprise. They had prior to this agreed not to take any part in the speculation by purchasing lots at the sale for themselves. But the first day had proved that there was but little confidence in the plan outside the commissioners, and that unless somebody would show faith by investing in the lots, it would be a failure at once. The commissioners were also financially interested, as they had borne the expenses of locating and surveying, for which there was no provision made except by the sale of lots, and they were personally held for it if no sale took place. So they resolved that it was their personal and public right to adventure in the enterprise. Accordingly, when the sale opened the next morning, they commenced to bid in a lively manner, and in competition with each other, for what seemed to them the most desirable lots on the north side of the square. That their plans were not condemned at the time, but that they were rather induced by others to adopt that method, is evident from the fact that capitalists of Nebraska City would not adventure until they saw the commissioners had faith in their own work, by investing their means in the prospective capital. The plan was successful, the sale went on briskly and amounted to $34,000. For the next two or three years, so long as the State held public sales from time to time, the value of the lots rapidly increased, and the first buyers made money by their venture. But this plan, which saved Lincoln and removed to it the capital of the State, was the ultimate ruin of the commissioners, politically and financially, owing to the attacks they have received, the opposition they have undergone from the press and the Legislature, and the rulings of the courts. They had been bidders for lots at every sale and made by being such bidders, after the first sale for the State, about $150,000.

Immediately after the first sale of lots in October, 1867, the Nebraska Commonwealth, a weekly newspaper, was issued by Gere & Carder, the first paper in the county.

The Capitol was commenced in December, and by the following fall completed for occupancy. In the mean time those who had purchased lots were rapidly constructing buildings and by midsummer, 1868, there was a respectable showing of frame business houses and residences. A stone block and a brick hotel were in course of construction. The Legislature of 1869 took a favorable view of the doings of the commission, ratified all its acts, some of which were extra legal, and farther commissioned them to sell the remaining lots and with the proceeds of the sale, and also the returns from certain saline lands, erect a State University building, an insane asylum, and the dome of the Capitol building. About $300,000 was realized by the State from the sale of its Lincoln real estate. The State University building of brick with stone trimmings, was erected, at a cost of over $50,000, and a brown sandstone insane asylum was built on the reservation, about one and a half miles southwest of the city.

In 1870 these buildings were completed, and by the census taken in June the population of the city was 2,500. In July the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad was constructed to Lincoln and the State Journal commenced issuing its daily edition. About this time the penitentiary was commenced.

In 1871 real estate depreciated greatly in value, owing to the bitter contest growing out of the impeachment trial of Gov. Butler. There was a fear that the location of the capital was illegal, and therefore could easily be removed to some of the other places striving for it. But after the impeachment, and especially after the adoption of the new constitution in 1875, this fear subsided and confidence prevailed.

The city's growth since 1871 has been more gradual than before, and the price of inside real estate has been steadily increasing while outside residence property remained quite stationary up to 1878. But all the improvements have been substantial.

In 1872 the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad was completed to Lincoln and the Burlington & Missouri finished west to Kearney Junction, on the Union Pacific railroad. The Midland Pacific was extended to Seward, giving Lincoln five railroads leading to her markets from as many points of the compass.

In 1874 the population had increased to 7,000, and in 1875 to 7,300. It is now something over 14,000.

[Government Post Office Building.]

On the petition of a majority of the inhabitants the County Commissioners ordered, April 7, 1868, "that the town of Lincoln be declared a body corporate and that the powers and privileges be granted them, as by the statute in such cases made and provided." The following men were appointed trustees of the corporation : L. A. Scoggins, B. F. Cozad, Dr. Potter, W. W. Carder and A. L. Palmer.

The first election was held May 18, 1868, at which time sixty votes were cast. H. S. Jennings, S. B. Linderman, H. D. Gilbert, J. J. Van Dyke, and D. W. Tingley were elected Trustees.

The town organization of 1868 was not maintained and a petition for a new organization signed by 189 citizens was presented to the County Commissioners. The petition was acted upon and the town was re-incorporated the 7th of April, 1869, and made to include Section 26, the west half of Section 25, the Southwest quarter of Section 24, and the south half of Section 23, all in Town 10 north, Range 6 east. H. S. Jennings, S. B. Linderman, H. D. Gilbert, J. L. McConnell and D. W. Tingley were selected as Trustees and Seth Robinson, A. J. Cropsey, and J. N. Townley were appointed Judges of Election. The first election under this new organization was held May 3, 1869. The following Trustees were chosen : H. D. Gilbert, C. H. Gere, Wm. Rowe, Philetus Peck, and J. L. McConnell. the Board organized with H. D. Gilbert, Chairman, J. R. DeLand, Clerk, and N. C. Brock, Treasurer.

The Trustees elected in 1870 were C. N. Baird, D. S. Smith, D. A. Sherwood, C. H. Gere and H. J. Walsh. C. H. Gere was chosen Chairman, R. O. Phillips, Clerk, and N. C. Brock, Treasurer.

In 1871 steps were taken towards an organization under the law for cities of the second class and accordingly on the 18th of March, 1871, the town was so organized. The first election under the new charter was held the 3rd of April following, at which time W. F. Chapin was elected Mayor; C. H. Street, R. E. Moore, Police Judges; A. E. Hastings, Marshal; T. T. Cantlin, Clerk, G. W. Ballantine, Treasurer; A. G. Scoggin and C. C. Burr, Councilmen First Ward; D. A. Sherwood, J. M. Creamer, Second Ward, and J. J. Gosper, J. L. McConnell, Third Ward; T. T. Murphy, Engineer.

1872--Hon. E. E. Brown, Mayor; Hon. J. J. Gosper, President of the Council. Council--First Ward: J. R. Fairbank (two years), L. A. Scoggin (one year). Second Ward: William McLauglin (two years), D. A. Sherwood (one year). Third Ward: S. G. Owen (two years), J. J. Gosper (one year). Thomas L. Cantlin, Clerk; William A. Coleman, Treasurer; John McManigal, Marshal; J. O. Carter, City Physician; R. E. Moore, Police Judge; Tom I. Atwood, Engineer.

1873--Hon. Robert D. Silver, Mayor; Hon. L. A. Scoggin, President of the Council. Councilmen--First Ward: L. A. Scoggin, J. R. Fairbank. Second Ward: T. P. Quick, William McLaughlin. Third Ward: N. S. Scott, S. G. Owen. R. N. Vedder, City Clerk (resigned Sept. 2, E. P. Roggen was appointed to fill the vacancy); William Coleman, Treasurer; Brad Ringer, Marshal; Thomas I. Atwood, Engineer; S. W. Robinson, City Physician; Hon. Lewis A. Groff, Police Judge; Hon. C. Green, Police Judge to fill vacancy; Hon. G. B. Skinner, Street Commissioner and Fire Warden; T. P. Quick, Chief Engineer Fire Department.

1874--Hon. Samuel W. Little, Mayor; Hon. L. A. Scoggin, President of the Council. Councilmen--First Ward : John Eaton, L. A. Scoggin. Second Ward: William McLaughlin, T. P. Quick. Third ward: W. P. Phillips, N. S. Scott. Edward P. Rogen, Clerk ; William A. Sharrar, Treasurer; P. H. Cooper, Marshal; A Roberts, City Engineer; Hon. J. H. Foxworthy, Police Judge; Hon. G. B. Skinner, Street Commissioner and Fire Warden; Hon. T. P. Quick, Chief Engineer Fire Department; Hon. G. Ensign, Assistant Chief Fire Department.

1875--Hon. Amasa Cobb, Mayor; R. W. Charter, City Clerk; B. F. Fisher, Treasurer; R. W. Taylor, Police Judge; P. H. Cooper, Marshal; A. Roberts, City Engineer; Philetus Peck, Cemetery Trustee. Board of Education--L. W. Billingsley, Paren England, P. A. Smith, H. W. Hardy. Councilmen--First Ward: James Ledwith, J. R. Fairbanks (to fill vacancy). Second Ward: Fred W. Krone. Third Ward: O. Kingman. W. P. Phillips, President of the Council; T. P. Quick, Chief of Fire Department.

1876--Hon. R. D. Silver, Mayor; George V. Kent, Clerk; James McConnell, Treasurer; P. H. Cooper, Marshal; John McClean, Police Judge; J. P. Walton, City Engineer. Board of Education: H. W. Hardy, John H. Ames. Cemetery Trustee: Israel Putnam. Councilmen--First Ward: John Monteith. Second Ward; L. W. Billingsley. Third Ward: C. M. Leighton, E. W. Morgan. L. W. Billingsley, President of the Council; T. P. Quick, Chief of Fire Department.

1877--Hon. H. W. Hardy, Mayor; R. C. Manley, Clerk; James McConnell, Treasurer; J. S. Dales, Police Judge; Thomas Carr, Marshal; J. P. Walton, City Engineer. Board of Education--O. W. Webster, Lewis Gregory. Cemetery Trustee: J. J. Turner. Councilmen--First Ward: James Ledwith. Second Ward: Rufus Yard, J. B. Wright (elected September 22, to fill vacancy). Third Ward: J. K. Honeywell. L. W. Billingsley, President of the Council (G. Ensign appointed to fill vacancy); T. P. Quick, Chief of Fire Department.

1878--Hon. H. W. Hardy, Mayor; R. W. Jacobs, Clerk; James McConnell, Treasurer; Thomas Carr, Marshal; J. S. Dales, Police Judge; J. P. Walton, City Engineer. Board of Education--H. D. Hathaway, C. O. Whedon. Cemetery Trustee--A. M. Davis. Councilmen--First Ward: James H. Dailey. Second Ward: R. P. R. Millar. Third Ward: Austin Humphrey. James Ledwith, President of the Council. Isaac N. Raymond, Chief of the Fire Department.

1879--Hon. S. B. Galey, Mayor; M. Nelson, Clerk; D. B. Cropsey, Treasurer; J. S. Dales, Police Judge; I. N. Raymond, Chief of the Fire Department; I. L. Lyman, Marshal. Councilmen--First Ward: W. C. Griffith, James Ledwith. Second Ward: R. P. R. Millar, John B. Wright. Third Ward: A. Humphrey, H. J. Walsh. City Engineer, J. P. Walton. Chief of the Fire Department, T. P. Quick.

1880--Hon. John B. Wright, Mayor; R. C. Manley, Clerk; D. B. Cropsey, Treasurer; J. S. Dales, Police Judge; -------, Marshal; J. L. Lyman, Chief Police. Councilmen--First Ward: R. Grimes, James Ledwith. Second Ward: J. S. Caldwell, Frederick Krone, Third Ward: H. J. Walsh, John Doolittle. City Engineer, J. P. Walton. Chief of the Fire Department, T. P. Quick.

1881--Hon. J. B. Wright, Mayor; R. C. Manley, Clerk; A. C. Cass, Treasurer. J. S. Dales, Police Judge; N. S. Scott, City Engineer; J. L. Lyman, Chief Police. Councilmen--First Ward: R. Grimes, C. C. Munson. Second Ward: Frederick Krone, S. B. Linderman. Third Ward: J. H. Harley, J. Doolittle. Board of Education--Guy A. Brown, J. R. Webster, P. S. Sheldon, J. M. Burks, Jacob North and E. A. Church.

It is interesting to notice the wonderful growth of the Lincoln postal business. The first office established in the county was at Gregory's Basin, then the name of the great salt basin, just west of the present city limits. There was at first only one mail per month, but soon changed to two. J. S. Gregory was the Postmaster, and received $1 per month for his salary. The mail matter seldom amounted to more than two or three pounds per month, while that of to-day amounts to about 40,000 pounds. The yearly expense then was $12, while it costs at present over $11,000, and instead of one mail per month, there are ten per day, or 300 per month. The sale of stamps now amounts to about $100,000 per month, while at first scarcely over $25. The money order department now amounts to about $200,000 per year, against nothing in 1863.

Mr. Gregory carried on his usual occupation, and doubtless had more time than his neighbors, as they were obliged, many of them, to come a great distance for their letters, so that the care of the office was less than theirs, while to-day it requires the undivided attention of thirteen persons to attend to the duties of the office. Mr. J. C. McBride receives $26,000, instead of $12, for his services.

There is perhaps a greater contrast in the office buildings. Instead of the borrowed cabin of the pioneer, we have the most imposing post office west of the Mississippi River, with the exception of St. Louis and San Francisco. The building is four stories above the basement, and is built of a gray limestone of the shell formation, obtained form the Gwyer Quarries on the Platte River. The architecture is the modern Gothic. It was commenced in June, 1874, G. A. C. Smith being the Superintendent, and was completed in 1879, at a total cost, including furniture and improvement on the grounds, of $200,000. The fact that Lincoln and Omaha each has an expensive Federal Government building proves conclusively that Nebraska wields great power in the political affairs of the country. Although young in years, the State claims as residents, men of experience and sagacity in public affairs. The post office building at Lincoln is one of the most stately in the West, and is an eloquent monument to the present and prospective character of the State.