Lincoln, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lincoln, Illinois
City
Logan County Courthouse
Location of Lincoln in Logan County, Illinois.
Lincoln, Illinois Location in Illinois Show map of Illinois Lincoln, Illinois Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Logan
Township	East Lincoln, West Lincoln
Area
• Total	6.25 sq mi (16.19 km2)
• Land	6.25 sq mi (16.18 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	589 ft (180 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,288
• Density	2,127.10/sq mi (821.28/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	62656
Area code(s)	217
FIPS code	17-43536
GNIS feature ID	2395710
Wikimedia Commons	Lincoln, Illinois
Website	http://www.lincolnil.gov/

Lincoln is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. It was first settled in the 1830s. Lincoln is special because it's the only town in the U.S. named after Abraham Lincoln before he became president. He worked as a lawyer there from 1847 to 1859.

Today, Lincoln is home to two prisons. You can also find the world's largest covered wagon here. Many other historical spots are located along the famous U.S. Route 66 corridor. In 2020, the city had a population of 13,288 people. It is also the main city, or county seat, of Logan County.

History of Lincoln

The city of Lincoln was officially named on August 27, 1853. This happened during a special ceremony. Abraham Lincoln helped plan the town and worked as a lawyer for the new Chicago & Mississippi Railroad. This railroad helped create the town.

On the naming day, the first land lots were sold. Tradition says Lincoln was there. He bought two watermelons and carried them to the public square. He invited the town's owners to join him. He said, "Now we'll christen the new town," and squeezed watermelon juice onto the ground. Legend says he first advised against naming the town after him. He believed "Nothing bearing the name of Lincoln ever amounted to much." But the town of Lincoln became the first city named after him. This happened when he was still a lawyer, before he became president.

Newspaper reports show the name "Lincoln" was chosen weeks before August 27. The new town site was near a small settlement called Postville. The Illinois State Register newspaper wrote that the location was "fine and commanding." They believed it would soon become a "flourishing and respectable town." The paper also said the town was named by its owners in honor of A. Lincoln, the railroad's attorney.

Lincoln College and Famous People

Lincoln College was a private four-year college. It was founded in early 1865. News of the school's creation and name reached President Lincoln shortly before he died. This makes it the only college named after Lincoln while he was still alive.

The college closed permanently in May 2022 after a cyber attack. Before it closed, Lincoln College had an excellent collection of items related to Abraham Lincoln. These were kept in a museum open to everyone.

The Lincoln City Hall has a phone booth on the roof.

The City of Lincoln was on U.S. Route 66 from 1926 to 1978. This historic road is a big tourist attraction for the city, after its connection to Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln City Hall was built in 1895. A phone booth was placed on its roof in the 1960s. It was used to help spot weather changes.

Famous American author Langston Hughes lived in Lincoln for one year when he was young. He later wrote to his eighth-grade teacher in Lincoln. He told her his writing career began there when he was chosen as the class poet.

American religious thinkers Reinhold Niebuhr and Helmut Richard Niebuhr lived in Lincoln from 1902 through their college years. Reinhold Niebuhr first worked as a church pastor in Lincoln. He filled in for his father at St. John's German Evangelical Synod church after his father passed away. Reinhold Niebuhr is well-known for writing the Serenity Prayer.

Courthouses and Institutions

Lincoln has a stone, three-story, domed building called the Logan County Courthouse. It was built in 1905. This building replaced an older courthouse from 1858. Abraham Lincoln once practiced law in that older building. The old building was in bad shape and could not be saved.

There is also the Postville Courthouse State Historic Site. It has a replica, or copy, of the original 1840 Logan County courthouse. Postville was the first county seat, but it lost that title in 1848. It later became part of Lincoln in the 1860s.

Lincoln was also home to the Lincoln Developmental Center (LDC). This was a state institution for people with developmental disabilities. It started in 1877 and was a major employer in Logan County. The facility closed in 2002 due to concerns about how patients were treated. Even though some state lawmakers tried to reopen it, the center remains closed.

Geography and Climate

Lincoln covers about 6.4 square miles (16.6 square kilometers) of land.

Transportation

I-55 connects Lincoln to nearby cities like Bloomington and Springfield. Illinois Route 10 and Illinois Route 121 also run through the city.

Amtrak trains serve Lincoln Station every day. You can take the Lincoln Service or Texas Eagle routes. The Lincoln Service offers four round-trips daily between Chicago and St. Louis. The Texas Eagle has one round-trip between San Antonio and Chicago. Three days a week, the Eagle train continues to Los Angeles. Lines from the Union Pacific and Canadian National railroads also pass through Lincoln. Nearby natural areas include Salt Creek (Sangamon River Tributary) and the Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area.

Weather and Temperatures

Lincoln has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The average monthly temperatures range from about 26.1°F (-3.3°C) in January to 74.6°F (23.7°C) in July.

On average, there are 126 days a year when the temperature is below freezing. There are also about 24 days when the temperature goes above 90°F (32°C). The coldest recorded temperature was -34°F (-37°C) on January 15, 1927. The hottest was 113°F (45°C) on July 15, 1936.

People of Lincoln

Kickapoo Street in Lincoln

In 2010, Lincoln had 14,504 people. Most residents were White (91.4%). There were also Black (3.6%), Asian (0.8%), and people of two or more races (1.6%). About 2.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

There were 5,877 households in the city. About 29.1% of these households had children under 18 living there. About 41.1% were married couples. Around 8.4% were households led by a female with children, but no husband present.

The population was spread out by age. About 78.5% of people were over 18. About 17.6% were 65 years old or older. The average age in Lincoln was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, there were about 92 males.

Economy and Jobs

The United States Postal Service runs the Lincoln Post Office.

The Illinois Department of Corrections has the Logan Correctional Center nearby. This is a prison located outside the city limits in Logan County.

Cresco Labs opened a cultivation site in Lincoln. This company has created over 250 jobs. These jobs helped replace those lost when a bottle factory in the area closed down. This farm has become an important part of Lincoln's economy.

Education in Lincoln

Most of Lincoln is part of the Lincoln Elementary School District 27. Some parts are in West Lincoln-Broadwell Elementary School District 92 and Chester-East Lincoln Community Consolidated School District 61. All of Lincoln is served by the Lincoln Community High School District 404.

Notable People from Lincoln

See also

In Spanish: Lincoln (Illinois) para niños