Lancaster County was established in 1855 and organized in 1859. The first election of county officers was held on October 10, 1959.
In 1867 the state of Nebraska was brought into the union and the town of Lancaster was selected for the state capital and renamed Lincoln. Lincoln was founded July 29, 1867 and incorporated April 7, 1869.
Population
Lancaster
Lincoln County
1990 Census 191,972 213,641
1980 171,932 192,884
1970 149,518 167,972
1960 128,521 155,272
1950 98,884 119,742
1940 81,984 100,585
1930 75,933 100,324
1920 54,948 85,902
1910 43,973 73,793
1900 40,169 64,835
1890 55,154 76,395
1880 13,003 28,090
1870 2,441 7,074
1860 --- 153
Land Area
Lincoln Lancaster Co.
Square Miles 75.8 846
Miles North and South 12 36
Miles East and West 11 24
City Finances
As of August 31, 1998
Total general obligation bonds & notes $66,377,000
Bond Rating (General Obligation Bonds)
Moody's Aa1
Standard & Poor's AAA
Property tax collections 96.07%
Number of parking meters 2,180
Lincoln Utilities
Active gas meters 81,673
Active electric meters 108,530
Telephone access lines 166,269
Active water meters 70,000
Gallons of water pumped for year ending 12/31/98 12 billion, 632.4 million
City and County Government Personnel
Full and Part-time Permanent Employees
City of Lincoln 1,962
Lancaster County 1,047
Public Library
Number of volumes 675,489 (doesn't include verticle files)
Number of service units 7 building + 1 mobile
Number of card holders 152,869
Public Roads/By-Ways
Miles of paved Lincoln streets 2,609.34
Miles of unpaved Lincoln streets 48.32
Total miles of streets in Lincoln 2,657.66
Miles of sanitary sewers in Lincoln 885.75
Miles of storm sewers in Lincoln 843.85
Miles of water mains in Lincoln 1,064.68
Miles of sidewalks in Lincoln 1,643.10
Temperature/Precipitation
Average degrees over 70-year period 52.8°
Highest: July, 1935 115.0°
Lowest: January, 1974 -33.9°
Normal annual including snowfall 26.92 inches
Topography
Elevation ranging to 1,350 feet above sea level.
Transportation
Estimated vehicle registration 196,667
Average bus ridership from Feb '98- Feb '99 137,034
InterLinc
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