In 1905, a Lincoln native named Bessie Stanley wrote an essay for a contest entitled "What Constitutes Success?" and to her surprise she won the $250 prize. Since then, this piece has been credited to Robert Louis Stevenson and Ralph Waldo Emerson, among others, but the writer was Lincoln's own Bessie Stanley.
This is a photo of her tombstone in Lincoln Cemetery, which is inscribed with her essay. It reads:
"He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction."
Read the 1905 article about Mrs. Stanley's prize-winning poem here, and see which prominent national magazine was among those who erred in crediting the poem to Robert Louis Stevenson.
In 1891, a salesman named J.S. Jacobs died at Lincoln. His friends commissioned a special tombstone from local stone mason Henry Sahlman in the shape of a traveling salesman's case.
A legend grew that Mr. Jacobs was just passing through Lincoln when he died and that the townspeople buried them.
While it is true that his friends paid for the stone, Mr. Jacobs had lived in Lincoln for several years, and his parents and daughter also lived there.
Mr. Jacobs' unique tombstone sits alone on a plot in the south end of the cemetery, but many of his family members are buried in the plot as well. None but him has a tombstone, however.
If you want to read more about Mr. Jacobs and his famous stone, which has been featured several times in "Ripley's Believe It or Not," click here.
In 1939, Charlie Crosson of Minneapolis erected a marker for his friend and Spanish American War comrade George D. Tipton. For more about Crosson and his friendship with Tipton, click here.