Lincoln, NebraskaThe city of Lincoln is the capital of the State of Cornhusker, Nebraska. Lincoln is located in the southeastern part of the state, approximately 60 miles southwest of Omaha. It lies in a shallow basin approximately 1,160 feet (355 meters) above sea level. Salt Creek and its tributaries flow through the basin. Lincoln serves as a center for educational, cultural and religious institutions. The city also developed as a commercial center for a large agricultural area. Within the city are the buildings that house the various departments of the city, county and state governments, the state psychiatric and orthopedic hospitals and the state penitentiary. Also located in Lincoln is a veterans hospital and the regional headquarters of the Veterans Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture. The University of Nebraska was founded in Lincoln in 1869. The city is also home to Nebraska Wesleyan University and Union College. The State Capitol, designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and completed in 1932, has a central tower that rises 400 feet (120 meters) from a massive two-story base and is considered a centerpiece of the architecture of the American government. “The Sower,” a statue symbolizing Nebraska farms, stands atop the tower. Museums include the State Museum of History, the Christlieb Western Art Collection at the University of Nebraska, and the Sheldon Memorial ArtGallery, designed by architect Philip Johnson. Pioneers Park includes a nature center. The Nebraska State Fair is held in Lincoln each summer. Other cultural groups include a symphony orchestra, the Lincoln Community Playhouse and the National Art Association. Lincoln got its first rail connection in 1870, and by the late 1800s it had 19 different rail routes. The railroads gave Lincoln its most important industry: railcar repair. Among the city's manufactured goods are dairy and meat products, telephone equipment, agricultural machinery, cement, bricks, and medicines. There are also printing and publishing houses and the city is the headquarters of more than 30 insurance companies. Lincoln grew out of a colony established in 1856 to exploit salt deposits. In 1859 it was named Lancaster, seat of Lancaster County. When Nebraska became a state in 1867, the city was renamed in honor of President Abraham Lincoln and became a