Nebraska gets its name from an Indian word meaning "flat water"
after the Platte River that flows through the state. The
Nebraska Territory was formed in 1854 at the same time as the
Kansas Territory. Nebraska was admitted into the Union in 1867 as
the 37th state. Its nickname, "Cornhusker State," refers to the
way that corn (a leading product of the state) was commonly
harvested, "husking" it by hand, before the invention of husking
machinery.
Another nickname, the "Beef
State," refers to one of Nebraska's main industries, cattle. Omaha
has been a major meatpacking center since the 1880s. Although
Omaha was the territorial capital, Lincoln, named in honor of the
16th president, is the state capital. The flower is the goldenrod.
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