Lincoln is the only U.S. state capital named after a U.S. president who was assassinated.
Lincoln, Nebraska, was named in 1867 for Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865, and died the next morning. The Nebraska legislature selected the name soon after Nebraska became a state.
The settlement had previously been called Lancaster. It was chosen as Nebraska’s capital in 1867, replacing Omaha, and was renamed Lincoln at the same time. The capital’s location near the state’s geographic center helped support its role as a governmental and transportation hub.
Other state capitals honor presidents, including Jefferson City, Missouri, and Madison, Wisconsin. However, Lincoln is distinctive because Abraham Lincoln was killed while serving as president. The city is also home to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Nebraska’s State Capitol, a prominent tower-style building completed in 1932.