Abraham Lincoln and the Nebraska State Capitol Scavenger Hunt
Built between 1922 and 1932 for $10 million and designed to represent Nebraska and its history,
the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln includes references to the city’s namesake and his legacy.
Start the exterior section of the scavenger hunt by walking around the outside of the Capitol.
Eleven of Nebraska’s counties are named after Presidents of the United States. Including Lincoln
County named for 16th president Abraham Lincoln. Find and list the other 11 counties named for
presidents. (Hint: The number of their presidency. 1st-2nd-3rd-4th-11th-13th-14th-18th-19th-20th-21st)
Nebraska’s county names are carved as a decorative frieze around the Capitol and are
arranged according to the number of letters in their name. Above the county names
are relief sculpture panels of events in the history of government and law leading up to
Nebraska’s statehood.
Nine counties in Nebraska were named after Civil War Generals. Four of them went on to serve in the
west during the Indian Wars. Fill in the blanks to identify them. (Hint: County seat)
George Armstrong ____________ (Broken Bow) Ulysses Simpson Grant
Joseph Hooker Oliver Otis __________________ (Aurora)
John Alexander Logan James Birdseye McPherson
Philip Henry __________________ (Rushville) William Tecumseh_____________ (Loup City)
George Henry Thomas
(North side)
Following the Civil War, on March 1,
1867, Nebraska was admitted as the
37th state in the United States. In the
panel, Nebraska, represented as a pio-
neer woman, goes to Washington D.C.
A Civil War veteran carries a flag with
36 stars beside her. What is Nebraska
handing to Columbia, seated on her
eagle throne? What are the veterans
and immigrants bringing with them to
help settle Nebraska?
Carved on the northeast corner of the Capitol above the cou