A special night at Kevin & Becky’s bi-weekly Bible study group… It was Rachel’s birthday, so her husband brought a cake. It turned out it was Cheryl’s (single R) birthday that week too! So we had fabulous cake celebrating both of their birthdays!

Cheryl can’t do gluten, so since she wouldn’t get cake, she got a whole package of Oreos. OK, she shared them…

The next morning, ironically continuing the “Cake” theme, Becky and Kevin hosted the “Breakfast Ministry” at church. They made sheet pancakes, which are very popular! Cherryl (Double R) and I got to help. We made over 300 pancakes that morning, some blueberry and some chocolate chip. Last time we did this the two kinds went equally fast, this time the chocolate disappeared a bit faster. Great fun, and delicious too!

The pictures below were taken before everyone got there… then it was far too crowded for more pictures!

Since our home no longer has wheels beneath it, we are trying to dig a bit into the history and origin of where our home is anchored. I am calling this attempt:

Lincoln Lore

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Salt Creek was the major attribute of this area in the early 1800’s. Native Americans and pioneer settlers both harvested salt here, and some enjoyed swimming in the river. It was not a navigable river. There weren’t many trees in the area. Not much to recommend it, except that it was on the western edge of what was considered land suitable for agriculture. The village that was founded here in 1859 was called Lancaster.

It seems Nebraska has a history of quarreling. In 1854 the area, along with Kansas, petitioned the U.S. to be recognized as official “Territories.” They were organized with “Popular Sovereignty” – the right to decide as a group if they would allow slavery in their territory. This had infuriated the North, who didn’t want to see slavery spreading across the country.

By 1867, the Civil War had decided the slavery issue. Nebraska wanted to be an official State. Now there was a new conflict… Could Blacks vote?

The Nebraska constitution submitted to the U.S. stipulated that only white males could vote. (Women were not considered qualified to vote – that comes later.) Congress was ruled with those favoring African American suffrage, so they required that Nebraska could not be admitted to the Union unless that racial requirement was removed.

U.S. President Andrew Johnson felt the feds had no right to dictate this issue on the new State, so he vetoed the bill. The Nebraska Legislature, (having been formed a year earlier,) met and decided they could live with letting Black men vote, and approved the change. Congress then voted to override the president’s veto. So on the first of March, 1867, President Andrew Johnson reluctantly signed the proclamation granting Nebraska Statehood, making Nebraska the only state admitted over a president’s veto.

The quarreling wasn’t over yet! Now where should they make the State Capital? Omaha and Nebraska City, the two biggest towns in the new state, both wanted the distinction.

To resolve the controversy, the state legislature appointed a three-person commission… and those three men picked Lancaster to be the new capital. It was roughly half-way between Omaha and Nebraska City. Lancaster population at the time was a whopping 34! The name was changed to honor the recently assassinated president, and Lincoln, Nebraska was on its way!