Ice Skating North Platee 1893
My name is Bob Jenkins and I am the Lincoln County Coordinator.
We have many genealogical resources available here.
We would appreciate any contributions you would like to make to
this site.
Types of materials we are looking to include on this website are:
family histories, biographies, photos, obituaries, tombstone photos &
inscriptions, cemetery lists, etc.
Brief History of Lincoln County, Nebraska
- Founded in 1866, Lincoln County was named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, though the city of Lincoln is not located within its borders.
- The region was first explored by U.S. government expeditions in the early 1800s. Major Stephen Long’s 1819 expedition passed through the area near present-day North Platte.
- In 1835, Colonel Henry Dodge led a diplomatic mission to engage the Arickaree Indians, camping at Cottonwood Springs—later known as Fort McPherson, a key military outpost and now a national cemetery.
- John C. Fremont traversed the county in 1843 during his famed western expeditions, camping near what is now Keith’s Ranch.
- The first known building in the county was a cedar-log trading post built around 1844 near Fort McPherson, abandoned by 1848.
- The Union Pacific Railroad reached the area in the late 1860s, catalyzing settlement and the founding of North Platte, which became the county seat and remains its largest city.
- Lincoln County played a strategic role in westward expansion, serving as a crossroads for pioneers, railroads, and military operations.