Lincoln Train Depot

The introduction of the railroad significantly influenced local commerce. Farmers and nurserymen gained a nearby shipping hub, reducing reliance on fruit peddlers who previously transported goods to neighboring communities for direct sales. The first apple shipment was dispatched on January 22, 1902. Around the turn of the century, the Ozark and Cherokee Central (O&CC) branch of the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway began acquiring rights of way across Washington County. The settlement known as Lincoln was situated north of present-day North Street. Paul Easby, an employee or agent of the railroad company, purchased twenty-two acres south of North Street from former slave Wesley J. Bean to establish a town site. This location was conveniently positioned between North Street and the parallel railroad track. The plat for the town was filed in 1903 and later revised in 1907. Lincoln was officially incorporated in November 1907, with Jim Leach serving as its first mayor.