Lincoln, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Lincoln is a city in Logan County
, Illinois
, United States
. It is the only town in the United States
that was named for Abraham Lincoln
before he became president
; he practiced law there from 1847 to 1859. First settled in the 1830s, Lincoln is home to three college
s and two prison
s. The three colleges are Lincoln College
, Lincoln Christian University, and Heartland Community College
. It is also the home of the world's largest covered wagon
.
The population was 14,504 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Logan County
.
(formerly U.S. Route 66
), between Bloomington
and Springfield
. In addition Illinois Route 10
and Illinois Route 121
run into the city and Illinois Route 121 now ends in Lincoln; former Route 121 north of the city is now Interstate 155
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), none of which is covered by water.
Lincoln's Amtrak train station
is on the Amtrak
line between St. Louis
and Chicago
. Lines of the Union Pacific and Canadian National railroads run through the city. Salt Creek (Sangamon River Tributary)
and the Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area
are nearby.
, having assisted with the plat
ting of the town and working as counsel for the newly laid railroad which led to its founding, was asked to participate in a naming ceremony for the town. During the proceedings, Lincoln chose a ripe watermelon
from a nearby wagon, broke it open, and squeezed the juice on the grounds, as an informal rite
of baptism
. The town of Lincoln was the first city named after Abraham Lincoln; while he was a lawyer and before he was President of the United States.
Lincoln College
(chartered Lincoln University), a private four-year liberal arts college, was founded in early 1865 and granted 2 year degrees until 1929. News of the establishment and name of the school was communicated to President Lincoln shortly before his death making Lincoln the only college to be named after Lincoln while he was living. The College has an excellent collection of Abraham Lincoln related documents and artifacts, housed in a museum which is open to the general public.
The City of Lincoln was located directly on U.S. Route 66
from 1926 through 1978. This is its secondary tourist theme after the connection with Abraham Lincoln.
American author Langston Hughes
spent some of his early years in Lincoln. Later on, he was to write to his eighth-grade teacher in Lincoln, telling her his writing career began there in the eighth grade, when he was elected class poet.
The City of Lincoln features the stone, three-story, domed Logan County Courthouse (1905), which is considered the second most architecturally spectacular surviving historic courthouse in Illinois' 102 Counties (after Carlinville
in Macoupin County
). This courthouse building replaced the earlier Logan County Courthouse (built 1853–54) where Lincoln once practiced law; the earlier building had fallen into serious decay and could not be saved. In addition, the Postville Courthouse State Historic Site
contains a 1953 replica of the original 1840 Logan County courthouse; Postville, the original county seat, lost its status in 1848 and was itself annexed into Lincoln in the 1860s.
Lincoln was also the site of the Lincoln Developmental Center (LDC); a state institution for the developmentally disabled. Founded in 1877, the institution was one of Logan County's largest employers until closed in 2002 by former Governor George Ryan
due to concerns about patient maltreatment. Despite efforts by some Illinois state legislators to reopen LDC, the facility remains shuttered.
of 2000, there were 15,369 people, 5,965 households, and 3,692 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,596.6 people per square mile (1,002.4/km²). There were 6,391 housing units at an average density of 1,079.8 per square mile (416.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.79% White, 2.82% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races
, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.
There were 5,965 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.
The town's population is spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,435, and the median income for a family was $45,171. Males had a median income of $33,596 versus $22,500 for females. The per-capita income for the town is $17,207. About 8.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
operates the Lincoln Post Office.
The Illinois Department of Corrections Logan Correctional Center
is located in unincorporated
Logan County
, near Lincoln.
Logan County, Illinois
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 30,305, which is a decrease of 2.8% from 31,183 in 2000...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the only town in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that was named for Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
before he became president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
; he practiced law there from 1847 to 1859. First settled in the 1830s, Lincoln is home to three college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s and two prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s. The three colleges are Lincoln College
Lincoln College, Illinois
- History of the college :Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois was established in 1865 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There were a few sites that were looked at as possibilities, and in December 1864, the site of Lincoln was selected...
, Lincoln Christian University, and Heartland Community College
Heartland Community College
Heartland Community College is a community college located in Illinois. Founded in 1991, Heartland Community College is a fully accredited institution with campuses located in Normal, Lincoln, and Pontiac.-History:...
. It is also the home of the world's largest covered wagon
Covered wagon
The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...
.
The population was 14,504 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Logan County
Logan County, Illinois
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 30,305, which is a decrease of 2.8% from 31,183 in 2000...
.
Geography
Lincoln is located on I-55Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
(formerly U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
), between Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
and Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. In addition Illinois Route 10
Illinois Route 10
Illinois Route 10 is an arterial east–west state road that runs from rural Mason County east to Champaign, a distance of .-Route description:...
and Illinois Route 121
Illinois Route 121
Illinois Route 121 is a major state road in central Illinois. Although it runs from northwest to southeast, it is marked as a north–south road. It runs from Illinois Route 130 in Greenup to Interstate 55 in Lincoln at the intersection of I-55 and Illinois Route 10...
run into the city and Illinois Route 121 now ends in Lincoln; former Route 121 north of the city is now Interstate 155
Interstate 155 (Illinois)
Interstate 155 is a north–south spur of Interstate 55 that provides an interstate connection for the Illinois cities of Peoria and Lincoln. The northern terminus for the interstate is just east of Peoria, at Interstate 74 exit 101 in Morton. The southern terminus, which is northwest of...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), none of which is covered by water.
Lincoln's Amtrak train station
Lincoln, Illinois (Amtrak station)
The Lincoln, Illinois Amtrak station is a brick railroad depot built for the Chicago and Alton Railroad. It also served the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad before becoming part of the Amtrak system in 1971...
is on the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
line between St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Lines of the Union Pacific and Canadian National railroads run through the city. Salt Creek (Sangamon River Tributary)
Salt Creek (Sangamon River Tributary)
Salt Creek is a major tributary to the Sangamon River, which it joins at the boundary between Mason and Menard County, Illinois. There are at least two other Salt Creeks in Illinois, Salt Creek , and in Effingham County, Illinois....
and the Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area
Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area
The Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area is a conservation area located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located south of Lincoln, Illinois. Founded in 1971 as Railsplitter State Park, it was renamed in 1995 in honor of Edward R. Madigan, a former member of the U.S. House of...
are nearby.
History
The town was officially named on August 27, 1853 in an unusual ceremony. Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, having assisted with the plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ting of the town and working as counsel for the newly laid railroad which led to its founding, was asked to participate in a naming ceremony for the town. During the proceedings, Lincoln chose a ripe watermelon
Watermelon
Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
from a nearby wagon, broke it open, and squeezed the juice on the grounds, as an informal rite
Rite
A rite is an established, ceremonious, usually religious act. Rites in this sense fall into three major categories:* rites of passage, generally changing an individual's social status, such as marriage, baptism, or graduation....
of baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. The town of Lincoln was the first city named after Abraham Lincoln; while he was a lawyer and before he was President of the United States.
Lincoln College
Lincoln College, Illinois
- History of the college :Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois was established in 1865 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There were a few sites that were looked at as possibilities, and in December 1864, the site of Lincoln was selected...
(chartered Lincoln University), a private four-year liberal arts college, was founded in early 1865 and granted 2 year degrees until 1929. News of the establishment and name of the school was communicated to President Lincoln shortly before his death making Lincoln the only college to be named after Lincoln while he was living. The College has an excellent collection of Abraham Lincoln related documents and artifacts, housed in a museum which is open to the general public.
The City of Lincoln was located directly on U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
from 1926 through 1978. This is its secondary tourist theme after the connection with Abraham Lincoln.
American author Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
spent some of his early years in Lincoln. Later on, he was to write to his eighth-grade teacher in Lincoln, telling her his writing career began there in the eighth grade, when he was elected class poet.
The City of Lincoln features the stone, three-story, domed Logan County Courthouse (1905), which is considered the second most architecturally spectacular surviving historic courthouse in Illinois' 102 Counties (after Carlinville
Carlinville, Illinois
Carlinville is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 5,685, and 5,912 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Macoupin County, and so it is an outlying part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St...
in Macoupin County
Macoupin County, Illinois
Macoupin County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 47,765, which is a decrease of 2.6% from 49,019 in 2000. The county seat is Carlinville. Macoupin County is an outlying county of the Metro-East region...
). This courthouse building replaced the earlier Logan County Courthouse (built 1853–54) where Lincoln once practiced law; the earlier building had fallen into serious decay and could not be saved. In addition, the Postville Courthouse State Historic Site
Postville Courthouse State Historic Site
The Postville Courthouse State Historic Site is a now-reconstructed county courthouse in Logan County, Illinois in the United States. The original frame courthouse was built in 1840, and the current courthouse, which is a close replica of the first, was built in 1953...
contains a 1953 replica of the original 1840 Logan County courthouse; Postville, the original county seat, lost its status in 1848 and was itself annexed into Lincoln in the 1860s.
Lincoln was also the site of the Lincoln Developmental Center (LDC); a state institution for the developmentally disabled. Founded in 1877, the institution was one of Logan County's largest employers until closed in 2002 by former Governor George Ryan
George Ryan
George Homer Ryan, Sr. was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. Ryan became nationally known when in 2000 he imposed a moratorium on executions and "raised the national debate on capital punishment"...
due to concerns about patient maltreatment. Despite efforts by some Illinois state legislators to reopen LDC, the facility remains shuttered.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 15,369 people, 5,965 households, and 3,692 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,596.6 people per square mile (1,002.4/km²). There were 6,391 housing units at an average density of 1,079.8 per square mile (416.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.79% White, 2.82% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.
There were 5,965 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.
The town's population is spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,435, and the median income for a family was $45,171. Males had a median income of $33,596 versus $22,500 for females. The per-capita income for the town is $17,207. About 8.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Lincoln Post Office.
The Illinois Department of Corrections Logan Correctional Center
Logan Correctional Center
Logan Correctional Center is an Illinois Department of Corrections prison in unincorporated Logan County, Illinois, near Lincoln and north of Springfield. The prison opened in January 1978. A plot of fenced land houses general population prisoners....
is located in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Logan County
Logan County, Illinois
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 30,305, which is a decrease of 2.8% from 31,183 in 2000...
, near Lincoln.
Notable people
- Brian CookBrian CookBrian Joshua Cook is an American professional basketball player. Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers...
, forward for the Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. - Henry DargerHenry DargerHenry Joseph Darger, Jr. was a reclusive American writer and artist who worked as a custodian in Chicago, Illinois...
, reclusive writer and artist, known for The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. - Langston HughesLangston HughesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
, poet, novelist, playwright. - Terry KinneyTerry KinneyTerry Kinney is an American actor and theatre director, and is a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, with Gary Sinise and Jeff Perry.-Early life:...
, actor, cofounder of the Steppenwolf Theatre CompanySteppenwolf Theatre CompanySteppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
. - Edward R. Madigan, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1991–1993), Representative in Congress (1973–1991).
- William Keepers Maxwell, Jr.William Keepers Maxwell, Jr.William Keepers Maxwell, Jr. was an American novelist and editor.-Life:Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois, and as a child, he survived the 1918 Influenza epidemic. He attended the University of Illinois and Harvard University...
, author & novelist; his 1979 novel So Long, See You TomorrowSo Long, See You TomorrowSo Long, See You Tomorrow is a novel by American author William Maxwell. It was first published in The New Yorker magazine in October 1979 in two parts and appeared in book form the following year published by Knopf....
is set in the town. - Alberta NicholsAlberta NicholsAlberta Nichols was a popular songwriter of the 1930s and 40s. Together with her husband, lyricist Mann Holiner, they composed over 100 songs, of which their most famous were "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and "A Love Like Ours".-Biography :Nichols was born in Lincoln, Illinois on December 3,...
, composer for Broadway, radio and films of the 1920s,30s and 40s. - Ken Norton Jr., former NFL linebacker.
- Stella PevsnerStella PevsnerStella Pevsner is an author of children's books and works of young adult literature published since the late 1960s.Pevsner has published 18 books including And You Give Me a Pain, Elaine; Cute is a Four-Letter Word; How Could You Do It, Diane?; and Sing For Your Father, Su Phan...
, children's book author. - Bill SampenBill SampenWilliam Albert Sampen , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1990-1994. In his rookie year he nearly won the Rookie of the Year Award. He now resides in Brownsburg,IN where he helps coach the local baseball team...
, former Major League baseball pitcher. - Kevin SeitzerKevin SeitzerKevin Lee Seitzer is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians.-Career:...
, former Major League Baseball player. - John SchlittJohn SchlittJohn William Schlitt is known for his career as the lead singer of Christian rock band Petra from 1986 until the band's retirement in late 2005. Prior to joining Petra in 1986, Schlitt was the vocalist for Head East....
, lead singer of Christian rock band PetraPetra (band)Petra is a music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock"...
. - Vic WunderleVic WunderleVictor S. Wunderle is an archer from the United States.-Personal:Wunderle was raised in Mason City, Illinois. His passion for archery started at the age five. He competed in many competitions and received many honors throughout his childhood...
, silver medalist in archery in 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. - Tony SempleTony SempleAnthony Lee Semple is a former professional American football player who played guard for eight seasons for the Detroit Lions....
, former National Football League player. - Don May, Jr., Co-Founder and President of film company, Synapse FilmsSynapse FilmsSynapse Films is a DVD/Blu-ray label owned and operated by Don May, Jr. and his business partners Jerry Chandler and Charles Fiedler. The company specializes in cult horror, science fiction, and exploitation films....
External links
- http://web.archive.org/web/20091027001639/http://geocities.com/findinglincolnillinois/
- http://www.cityoflincoln-il.gov
- http://www.lincolnparkdistrict.com/
- http://www.lincolnpubliclibrary.org/
- http://lchs.k12.il.us/