The area that became Lincoln was settled in the mid-1800s by pioneer families drawn to the rich farmland and clean water of central Missouri. Early settlers included Wiley Vincent, August Jaekel, Fred Boehmer, and Martin V. Athey, whose families helped shape the young community.
The Town of Lincoln was formally incorporated in 1869. In 1881 a railroad survey was completed through the area, opening Lincoln up to trade and travel and setting the stage for decades of steady growth. The first public school opened in 1889, and by the 1890s Lincoln had a school building, a hotel, and a growing Main Street.
Through the 1900s Lincoln developed the character residents know today — a working farm town anchored by City Hall, the school, and small family businesses along Main Street and Highway 65. The community's water tower, MFA elevator, and Cardinals athletics have all become landmarks passed from one generation to the next.
Today Lincoln remains a close-knit town of roughly 1,190 residents in Benton County. City Hall, the Lincoln R-II School District, the Lincoln Municipal Airport, and the annual Mozarkite Society Rock Swap continue the same tradition of neighbors taking care of neighbors that began more than 150 years ago.
Historical narrative adapted from the 125th Anniversary of Lincoln History book, 1995, by Florence Ransdell.