Lincoln

Lincoln, city, seat (1853) of Logan county, central Illinois, U.S. It lies about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Springfield. Founded in 1853, the city was named for Abraham Lincoln, then a Springfield attorney, who handled the legalities of its founding and christened it with the juice of a watermelon. It was the only U.S. community named for Lincoln before his presidency and with his knowledge and cooperation. Lincoln also tried cases in Postville, a settlement founded in 1835 and chosen as county seat in 1839, which became a part of Lincoln in the 1860s. A replica of the Postville Courthouse is maintained as a state historic site; another site preserves the Mount Pulaski Courthouse (1848).

Lincoln is a trading centre for a rich agricultural area (corn [maize], soybeans, and livestock) and has some manufacturing, chiefly glassware, store fixtures, electrical controls, lawn and garden equipment, and corrugated boxes. The city is the seat of Lincoln (junior) College (1865) and Lincoln Christian College and Seminary (1944); the Lincoln College Museum contains thousands of items pertaining to the former president. Annual local events include an art and balloon festival (August) and the Abraham Lincoln National Railsplitting Festival (September). Just southwest of the city is Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area, a popular recreational site. Inc. 1857. Pop. (2000) 15,369; (2010) 14,504.