The Columbus journal., 1911-07-19
An Interesting Letter.

The following letter. which appears
in the Lincoln State Journal of today,
is of especial interest. because IL de-
scribes something Of the manner in
which the capital was first located.
and also because of the defeated move
ment 20 change the site OF the capital
10 some other city in the state. Mr..
kennard. the writer OF the letter. was
secretary of state at the time the
capital location was fixed:
Lincoln. Nebraska. July 1S.-TO
the Editor OF the State Journal:
could not resist the impulse 10 say 1
few words OF historic nature. On
the nineteenth day OF July, forty four
years ago. the commission. consisting
Of Governor Butler. Auditor Gillespie
and myself. met in little stone build
ing located where the Journa! now
stands and in little room upstairs.
with two beds in IL. We made our Off
cial office.
We mad agreed when We started
out that over the territory within
which the Legislature prescribed that
We should locate the capital. consist
ing OF Saunders. Butler. Seward. Sa-
line and Lancaster counties. that no
difference what sites We visited nor
what Inducements We're offered We
would keep the matter wholly 10 our
selves. anu give no opinion either
public or between ourselves.
When We Net this morning We
Of course. entered into full Discus
sion of the different sites the aGvan-
-ages and disadvantages, and this
discussion lasted for about an hour
and | moved that We locate Lincoln
here in Lancaster county and Of
course. the capital in Lincoln.
The question was put by Cover
nor Butler Gillespie voted for ASH
land and voted for Lincoln and But
Ter. after talking a little Swhile. SAID
he would go with the secretary Of
state. T. P. kennarti. and that MADE
the location here.
1t is frequently asked OF Me what
iniucemenr was there 20 MAKE this
location. | will as briefly as posi-
Die. give three reasons. One was the
location OF the county in a basin
about fifteen miles across anu center
III IN that baisn Is what l. known a.
the salt ba!sn. In that basin was
Salt creek. Rock Creek. Oak Creek.
Stevens Creek and Middle creek.
stated in that tax that | expected. Il
It was located h-re 10 live % see q
railroad along every one OF these
srraems. Ny prediction mas been
verified.
The second reason was the salt
basin itself was covered with sa!c.
frequently One-siyte-nth Of an men
deep. anu many many teams would De
IN the basin raking up the salt anu
taxing IL home % salt down nay for
the stock We looked forwarr: % the
time when il would De ! source OF en-
pioymenr for Very many workmen.
The third reason was when the
general government passed the enaDi-
ing act allowing Us 10 become a state.
in that act they gave Us 3 half mil
lion acres OF public land in this county
anu We thought il il We're located
here We would sci. 4 .arge amount Of
public and IN this county. which W.
cid and the location OF the capital
would double and triple the value OF
the and. This. too. was true.
These Were three of the elements
that entered into the Question. For
ne 90 look back over this tine Of
torry-f four Years and see what Lincoln
vas then and what il Is now ton I
think il would De wondered Al that |
am proud Of this city that i now the
railroad center OF the state. anu
the educational center OF the north
Vest 7. p. hennarli.