Long before Abraham Lincoln's birth, this town was named in 1764 for Henry Clinton, ninth Earl of Lincoln, a cousin to the Wentworths. He held the position of Comptroller of Customs for the port of London under George II and George III, which was important to trade between America and England. In 1772, on claim of forfeiture by Sir Francis Bernard and others, a regrant was issued. However, a court decision in the case of Landaff and Dartmouth College that such forfeiture was illegal returned ownership to the original grant recipients. A portion of Lincoln, known as Pullman, was one of the earliest lumber towns. Lincoln is second-largest town in land area; only Pittsburg is larger.