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"A Capital Idea" Story
Thomas Cuming clearly wanted Omaha City, if it
could be called a "city", as Nebraska's capital.
This wasn't accidental, nor was his appointment as
Burt's secretary. Cuming was a political appointment by his fellow
friends in Iowa, who too wanted to see Omaha City, across the river,
named Nebraska's territorial capital.
They would benefit greatly.
But there was a fight brewing.
The Missouri River may have formed the eastern
boundary of the Nebraska Territory, but it was another river, the Platte
River, crossing the territory horizontally, that divided the
people - both geographically, as well as philosophically.
The population south of the Platte River was twice
that north of the Platte. As we said, Bellevue was established.
Plattsmouth. Brownville. That's merely
the geographical description. North of the
Platte River was anti-slavery sentiment, while those south of the Platt
River were pro-slavery sympathists.
There was a philosophical rift as well.
We'll see how that played out, in a bit.
Cuming nonetheless changed the venue where voting
would take place, from Bellevue to Omaha City.
He stacked the legislature with a north-Platte
majority. Omaha City - obviously - won out,
and was named the first Territorial Capital - Omaha.
Let's remember Cuming was a temporary replacement for
President Pierce's choice, Burt. Pierce's replacement was Thomas
Gizard.
He arrived in Omaha in 1855 as the
new Territorial Governor, and immediately set upon building a new
capital.
The Second Territorial Capital, Omaha, Nebraska.
This was completed in 1857.
But the folks from South Platte were still not happy.
Numerous attempts to have the capital moved to the more populous
south-Platte region were brought up, and failed.
The South, in 1859, threatened to secede from the
Nebraska Territory, and be annexed by the Kansas Territory. This
did not happen.
And then the Civil War came.
And the move to achieve statehood took center-stage.
The anti-slavery faction, Pro-President Lincoln,
favored granting Nebraska statehood, to help Lincoln gain re-election in
1864.
The motion eventually passed in 1867. Nebraska
was now a state. Omaha was still the capital.
And the people from south-Platte were still not
happy.
In the meantime, the capitol building, erected in
1857, was crumbling rapidly.
And the south-Platters, relentless, got a motion
passed to move the capital south of the river. The region?
640 acres somewhere in four counties, one of the Lancaster County.
The state senate still had to vote on the bill.
A word should be said here about a further difference
between those north of the Platte River and those south of the Platte
River.
Those north of the river were generally anti-slavery.
Those south - pro-slavery. Whether Nebraska would become a slave
state or free state, as we've already seen, would eventually be up to
the people. Popular Sovereignty.
There was a geographical rift, for sure. But as
important was a philosophical division.
And now a vote had passed to move the capital south
of the river. The vote was coming to the senate. Given the
make-up of the Senate, likely it would pass.
Unless, thought one north-Platte legislature, I can
get them to vote against this bill. How might that happen?
There's got to be something snuck into the bill abhorrent to the people
from south Platte. What could it be?
Anti-Slavery.
That's it! I'll write into the bill any new
capital has to be named after the recently assassinated, and
anti-slavery President: Abraham Lincoln:
That is:
The plan failed. The motion passed. The
land for the new capital was selected: Lancaster, Nebraska, now
named Lincoln, Nebraska.
And a new capital built: the first state
capital of Nebraska:
And like it's predecessors, it too was built poorly.
By 1875, it was in danger of "falling down".
So a new capital was built, the second state capital
and the fourth capital the area had seen - in 40 years:
This building lasted until the 1920s, when it was
decided yet another new state capital was necessary: the present capitol
building:
So, when someone says, "The capital of Nebraska is
Lincoln, named after President Lincoln", smile, and say, "You're right -
but do you want to know the rest of the story behind ...
"The Capital Idea?"
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