Lincoln, Illinois
| Lincoln | |
| City | |
 Logan County Courthouse in Lincoln
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | Logan |
| Elevation | 589 ft (180 m) |
| Coordinates | 40°9′0″N 89°22′3″W / 40.15000°N 89.36750°WCoordinates: 40°9′0″N 89°22′3″W / 40.15000°N 89.36750°W |
| Area | 6.40 sq mi (17 km2) |
| - land | 6.40 sq mi (17 km2) |
| - water | 0.00 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Population | 14,284 (2013) |
| Density | 2,596.6/sq mi (1,003/km2) |
| Mayor | Martha Neitzel |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 62656 |
| Area code | 217 |
   Location of Lincoln within Illinois
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| Website: http://www.lincolnil.gov/ | |
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 colleges and two prisons. 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.
The town was officially named on August 29, 1853, in an unusual ceremony. Abraham Lincoln, having assisted with the platting 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. On this date, the first sale of lots took place in the new town. Ninety were sold at prices ranging from $40 to $150. According to tradition Lincoln was present. At noon he purchased two watermelons and carried one under each arm to public square. There he invited Latham, Hickox, and Gillette, proprietors, to join him, saying, "Now we'll christen the new town.", squeezing watermelon juice out on the ground. Legend has it that when it had been proposed to him that the town be named for him, he had advised against it, saying that in his experience, "Nothing bearing the name of Lincoln ever amounted to much." 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.
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Wikipedia