GREETINGS FROM SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (IL) USA
Another new state today – Illinois. Although we had been in the state on our drive between Hannibal and St Louis in Missouri, we are now physically staying in the state.
And today it was really all about the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
The drive along I 55 was fairly quick and our first destination was New Salem, just slightly north of Springfield, where Lincoln “found his beginnings” after leaving his family in his early 20’s. The town of New Salem had a fairly short existence from about 1828 when it was formed until 1840 by which time it had been abandoned. Lincoln lived there as a young man between 1831 and 1837 during which time he was a boatman, a soldier, a (failed) store owner, a surveyor, a postmaster, a rail splitter and had his first taste of politics in the Illinois General Assembly. The town today is a recreation of the old buildings on their original foundations.
The buildings are manned by volunteers and in today’s heat and humidity all credit to them ! During the summer season there are significantly more so those there now would seem to be mainly local people. They were all very knowledgeable and friendly and the fellow with the Mountain Dulcimer was playing a few tunes and was very good.
After spending some time here, we headed back into Springfield for a number of other “Lincoln Sites”. First was his family tomb – where he, his wife and 3 of his 4 boys are buried.
Lincoln’s Tomb
From here we drove into the downtown of Springfield to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum & Library. The museum is quite sophisticated and exhibits take you from his very early life – as a largely poor and uneducated child in a one room cabin – through his time in New Salem, his self education and beginnings as a lawyer and politician, his election as president, the Civil War and right up to his assassination just as the war was finishing. Particularly good was the “Civil War in Four Minutes” which was a graphical map of the USA showing the states, their split into the Union and Confederate states and how their fortunes fluctuated and the battle lines changed as the battles and events unfolded. Have a look –
After the museum we went to the library however the man at the front desk explained that it was really just a research library and anything of “general” interest was in the museum we had already visited.
So we then moved on to Lincoln’s home in downtown Springfield. After leaving New Salem he moved to Springfield to start his law career. In 1842 he was married to Mary Todd and having by this stage become a successful lawyer, the home was quite grand – they did extend it from its original size – and the family lived here between 1844 and 1861 when he was elected President. With Lincoln himself being assassinated, and 2 of his 3 remaining boys dying whilst he was in office (the first died in the home during the time they lived there), the family never lived there again and in the late 1800’s the surviving son donated the home to the city (it is now under the National Parks control).
By the time we had finished the tour at the home, it was late in the afternoon so we headed for our hotel. We had quite a selection of restaurants for dinner and settled on Red Lobster – a chain we had found on a previous trip which does a good seafood selection.
We have decided we have done Springfield, Illinois pretty well as we covered 6 of the 9 “Points of Interest” in the hotel guide during our stay ! Tomorrow its onward east !
Today’s Trivia – The Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop in Springfield still operates what it claims as the first U.S. drive-thru window – so there to Maccas & KFC !