Lincoln

Lincoln, city and district, England

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.

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Lincoln, cities, United States

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.

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Lincoln, county, England

Lincoln, county: see Lincolnshire.

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Lincoln

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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Lincoln

 ancient Lindum

Lincoln cathedral, Lincolnshire

(credit: Ray Manley-Shostal/EB Inc.)

City and administrative district (pop., 2001: 85,616), administrative and historic county of Lincolnshire, eastern England. Under the name Lindum, it served as a Roman fortress, and by AD 71 it had become a settlement for retired soldiers. It later came under Danish rule, and in the Middle Ages it was one of England's major towns. Henry II gave the city its first charter in 1154. It is a market centre for an agricultural region and also possesses some manufacturing. It has many medieval buildings, including the cathedral (begun c. 1075).