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1897 Map of Lincoln

Name: 1897 Topographic Map of Lincoln
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1897
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1897

About this map

Lincoln serves as the focal point of a massive nineteenth-century rail network, with lines like the Union Pacific R. R. (Main Line) and the Burlington and Missouri River R. R. converging on the city. The capital is surrounded by emerging suburban settlements including University Place, Bethany, and College View, while the Asylum stands as a prominent landmark on the city's southwestern edge. This landscape is defined by the transition from the high bluffs to the bottomlands of Salt Creek, where the distinct Lincoln Salt Lake sits just west of the main town site.

To the southwest, the town of Crete occupies a bend in the Big Blue River, while smaller outlying villages like Raymond and Waverly anchor the rural townships. Genealogists can trace early post offices and rail stops such as Prairie Home, Rokeby, and Sprague, which were essential nodes in the agrarian economy before the turn of the century. The map also delineates township boundaries from West Oak to Panama, reflecting the organized settlement patterns of the late 1800s.