Justus Casner Lincoln, 1828-1893 [RG3725.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG3725.AM:  Justus Casner Lincoln, 1828-1893



Diary, etc.:  1849-1886

Salem, Richardson County, Neb.:  Pioneer, merchant, traveler

Size:  0.1 cu.ft.



BACKGROUND NOTE



Born in 1828 near Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, Justus Casner Lincoln (“Cass”) was the only child of John and Nancy (Holtsclaw) Lincoln. John Lincoln (1798-1882) had come from Fayette County, Kentucky, where his father, Thomas, and uncle, Abraham (grandfather of the president), had settled in the 1790s. When Nancy died in 1836, John moved with his son to Andrew County, Missouri, where he farmed and built a gristmill and sawmill on what is now known as Lincoln Creek. In 1848 Cass was employed by some merchants to operate a store for them at Mormon Winter Quarters at Omaha (Florence), Nebraska. On May 1, 1849, he left for California with a company of some 60 men and about 23 wagons, reaching Sacramento on October 3 of that year. He sold merchandise in California from 1849-1853, but returned to Missouri to marry Eliza Jane Roberts on July 7, 1853.



Along with Thomas R. Hare and J.W. Roberts, Lincoln staked a claim in the Nebraska Territory in 1854. In January of 1855 they laid out the town of Salem in what is now Richardson County, and the following July, Lincoln brought his wife and four-week-old daughter, Alice, to Salem. There he once again went into business as a merchant, operating a general store and the post office as Salem’s first postmaster. Eventually he added a grain elevator to his commercial interests. Lincoln was elected to the Territorial Board of Agriculture in 1858, and served in the Territorial Legislature for 1862-1863. He was an early member of the Nebraska State Historical Society (1878), and co-founder of the First National Bank of Falls City.



An avid traveler, Lincoln visited New Orleans, St. Louis, the gold fields of Colorado, and rode the rails to purchase goods for his store. In 1886 he spent three months traveling through Europe, a journey he recorded for the Salem Index newspaper. Following an illness of nearly two months, J.C. Lincoln died on May 4, 1893. His wife had unexpectedly preceded him in death three days earlier.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of items relating to the life and travels of J.C. Lincoln. The collection includes a diary containing Lincoln’s narrative of his overland journey to California in 1849, as well as a few reminiscences of the years 1850-1852. It is accompanied by a transcript. Researchers must use a preservation photocopy of the diary or the transcript, as the original is extremely fragile. Also present is a photocopy of Lincoln’s European travel account, 1886, as published in the Salem Index. The NSHS has made a transcript of the account, as the quality of the copy is uneven, and no copies of the Salem Index are still extant for that year. Two biographical clippings are also included. The photograph in folder one is a wedding photo of J.C. Lincoln and his wife, Eliza Ann Roberts Lincoln.



Note: Related materials may be found in RG3706: Spurlock-Shrimpton Family.



DESCRIPTION


Volume


    1. Diary (Restricted): Includes information on miles traveled, weather, prices, and descriptions of the landscape along the trail. 103 handwritten pages: p. 86 blank, pp. 87-90 missing [blank?], pp. 91-93 blank.


Folder


    1. Diary transcript and photocopy; Biographical clippings; Photograph

    1. “Across the Waters…” Photocopy of Lincoln’s account of his European travels, as it appeared in the Salem Index in 1886.

    1. “Across the Waters…” transcript



 


ADDED ENTRIES:

Diaries

Europe — Description and travel

Lincoln, J.C. (Justus Casner), 1828-1893

Overland journeys to the Pacific

Pioneers — Nebraska

Salem (Neb.) — History

Travelers — Europe

Voyages and travels



 



KFK   06-29-1995; 08-15-1996

11-18-2009   Revised TMM

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

Siouan Archeology

Siouan Archeology

Nebraska Election Trivia

Nebraska Election Trivia

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.