Railroad management selected a site along the tracks for development, and named the new town after the train line's lawyer, Abraham Lincoln.

[4] On August 27, 1853, Mr. Lincoln arrived from Springfield and led a ceremony by the railroad tracks to mark the founding of the new town.

The successful lawyer paid a farmer to bring a wagonload of watermelons, which were handed out to the celebrants.

[4] The 2017 depot primarily serves passengers for Chicago, St. Louis, and points in between, as its predecessor did when the railroad was built in 1853.

The $4.1 million renovation project came from funds through United States Department of Transportation High Speed Rail Initiative money.