Special Events
in and around Logan County

Upcoming

 

Recent events

 

Annual celebrations

Fun on the square

Annual Christmas parade and
other activities coming Thursday

[DEC. 4, 2002] 

You'd better watch out.

You'd better not cry

You'd better not pout…

And you know why. That’s right, all together now…

Santa Claus is coming to town!

To be more accurate, Santa and Mrs. Claus are coming to downtown -- downtown Lincoln.

Tomorrow the city of Lincoln and the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the annual Lincoln Christmas parade. This year's theme: "Let Your Spirits Soar."

This year's parade will include 100 contest entries, three marching bands (LJH, Delavan and LCHS), color guards, commercial vehicles, horses, candy, the works! And, of course, it will end with the entrance of Santa and Mrs. Claus on a beautiful sleigh, sponsored and created by the Logan County ESDA Horse Search and Rescue. Word is that this year's sleigh is extraordinary and should not be missed!

 

Perry Grieme of Parker-Grieme Insurance, the chamber's Member of the Year for 2002, is this year's grand marshal. He and his wife, Sally, and son Jacob will lead the parade on its route around the square.

The parade will start out at 7 p.m. on Kickapoo, heading southeast to Pulaski. It will go right on Pulaski, left on McLean, left on Broadway and right back on Kickapoo. It will end at the Moose Lodge.

 

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The chamber warns that it will be cold Thursday, so everyone should bundle up, but no precipitation is expected.

The parade is the central activity for the evening, but it's not the only thing going on downtown on Thursday.

The Festival of Trees begins in the courthouse at 9 a.m. Thursday and runs until Sunday. Hours are 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Sunday.

Come early to the parade and hear the Lincoln Community High School Madrigal Singers. They will be wandering the square singing Christmas music from 6:15 until 6:45 p.m.

The Salvation Army will be at the corner of McLean and Pulaski to give out free hot cocoa during the parade.

After the parade, Santa will be at The Oasis senior center to talk to children and have his picture taken with them. The Oasis will also be hosting their annual chili supper from 3 until 7 p.m.

So come out to the square on Thursday and enjoy Lincoln's kickoff of the Christmas season!

[Gina Sennett]

A delightful holiday tradition,
Festival of Trees opens Thursday

[DEC. 4, 2002]  The seventh annual Festival of Trees opens Thursday at the Logan County Courthouse with some new additions. Festive holiday centerpieces will be displayed along with a variety of large and small trees and wreaths sponsored and decorated by local businesses and organizations.

Music from local choirs and ensembles will enhance the festive spirit. The following groups will perform:

  • Thursday, 6 p.m. -- St. John United Church of Christ Adult Chime Choir
  • Saturday, 4 p.m. -- Faith Lutheran Church Choir
  • Sunday, 1 p.m. -- Zion Lutheran Church Chime Choir

  • Sunday, 2 p.m. -- Zion Lutheran Church Raizin’ Praiz Children’s Choir

There is no admission fee for the festival, but those attending are urged to bring nonperishable food items for the Logan County Food Pantry.

A 7½-foot tree and a wreath will be raffled off at the festival. Christmas cards with a photo of the 18-foot Christmas tree in the courthouse rotunda will be available to purchase. One of the Jaycees’ Angel Trees, with names of underprivileged children who need gifts, will again be located at the festival.

The festival runs through Sunday. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

 

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Trees, wreaths and centerpieces will be available by silent auction throughout the festival.

A new event will conclude this year’s Festival of Trees. The Christmas Twilight Auction, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, will feature a variety of scrumptious desserts, flavored coffee and punch, along with live music. Tickets are available at the Main Street office, 303 S. Kickapoo, or by calling Cindy McLaughlin at 732-2929. Price is $15 per person in advance, $20 at the door.

Proceeds from the auction will be used by the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation in improving the quality of health care in Logan County and by Main Street Lincoln in revitalizing downtown Lincoln.

The Festival of Trees is presented by Main Street Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation. Premier sponsor is Lincoln Land Communications, an authorized Cingular wireless agent.

[News release]

Looking for Lincoln

Lincoln video premiere set for Jan. 11

[NOV. 22, 2002]  Looking for Lincoln members are planning for the premiere showing of the video "From Surveyor to President; A. Lincoln in Logan County" on Jan. 11 at Lincoln College.

The screening is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Johnston Center for the Performing Arts on the LC campus. Several hundred invitations are being sent to those who helped film the video this fall as well as local officials and others. However, organizers emphasize that everyone is invited to the free screening.

Seating is limited, so those planning to attend are asked to reserve a spot by calling Main Street Lincoln at 732-2929. Reservations must be made by Jan. 3. If more than the theatre’s capacity of 300 make reservations, additional screenings will be added on the same night. The video will run 18-24 minutes plus credits.

Prior to the screening, director Dean Williams will describe the process of making the video. Refreshments will be served following the screening. Those in attendance will also have an opportunity to purchase the video. The Lincoln College museum, decorated around the theme "An American Christmas," will be open that evening as well.

Paul Beaver, chair of the local Looking for Lincoln committee, said the video is in a process of fine-tuning. "The footage is absolutely beautiful!" he exclaimed. However it is taking several sessions with the production staff to assure historical accuracy in coordinating filmed footage with the script. Music will then be added. Because adjustments are still being made, the exact length of the fast-paced video is not yet known.

Beaver promised that the credits will be entertaining. They will be run over some of the filmed footage, including outtakes. Shots during the credits include Lincoln riding over Edward’s Trace (on Elkhart Hill) in a light fog and an unplanned runaway scene, in which members of the Illinois 7th Cavalry stop a runaway wagon pulled by two spooked mules and rescue the passenger.

The video is dedicated to historian Lawrence Stringer, painter Lloyd Ostendorf and local history promoter Les Sheridan.

Though area citizens can purchase copies of the video, the target audience is tourists. It will be given to tour bus operators and others who can reach that audience.

 

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In other tourism news, Shirley Bartelmay announced that the Postville Courthouse is now on winter hours, noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. On Dec. 1 from 1 to 4 p.m. it will be on the Tour of Homes, but unlike other sites on the tour, visiting the courthouse does not require tickets.

Period Christmas decorations, authenticated by the site superintendent, Richard Schachtsiek, will include wreaths, dried plants in stoneware crocks, candles in all the windows and a tree decorated with homemade wooden items, rag dolls, strung popcorn and paper chains made by children from Chester-East Lincoln and Carroll Catholic schools. Volunteer Grace Wibben of Atlanta made the rag dolls, and Marjorie Ott of Lincoln grew the period plants.

Costumed guides will welcome visitors. Decorations will remain up from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

Bartelmay reported that tourism at Postville Courthouse is up. October visitors to the site came from 12 states, and 1,182 attended the recent Korean War exhibit.

LC museum director Ron Keller said October was also a good month for his site, with over 500 visitors logged. The museum will also be decorated throughout December.

Jan Schumacher, president of Main Street Lincoln, said $2,000 in grant money has been received for signage for the Abraham Lincoln walking tour.

Schumacher and Beaver attended a regional Looking for Lincoln meeting in Springfield Nov. 16-17. The meeting, planned to coordinate with the dedication of the Lincoln presidential library on Nov. 18, included presentations and entertainment related to the Lincoln era.

Beaver said others at the meeting reported difficulties with developing interest in their Lincoln sites and saving deteriorating historical treasures, problems also encountered by the local group.  There are 10-12 other Looking for Lincoln cities in the region.

The local Looking for Lincoln is a committee under the direction of Main Street Lincoln.

[Lynn Spellman]

Sesquicentennial group funds band, souvenirs and battle re-enactment

[NOV. 22, 2002]  Plans for Lincoln’s 150th birthday party, to be celebrated Aug. 21-31, 2003, are firming up, and on Wednesday evening committee members were authorized to spend over $14,000 to make them happen.

The Sesquicentennial Committee previewed a band that plays ’60s music to perform Friday, Aug. 29, on the downtown main stage. Response was enthusiastic, and music chair Greg Pelc was authorized to spend $10,000 to engage the band. In this and other cases, names cannot be released until contracts are signed. But the committee sees the group as a potential big draw.

Second, Ron Keller, Lincoln College cluster and re-enactment chair, proposed an ambitious "living history" component to take place Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Logan County Fairgrounds. His plan includes a Civil War encampment with tents and horses, plus a battle re-enactment with troops and cannons. The committee authorized him to spend up to $3,000 to bring it to life.

Keller has already received $600 to hire the 33rd Infantry Civil War band to march in full uniform in the parade, play at an afternoon performance and provide music for a Civil War ball on Aug. 30. The band has committed to do all three.

A famous scene to be replayed is the christening of the city of Lincoln. It will be enacted twice on Wednesday, Aug 27, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., both near the Depot. Keller hopes he can secure the same actors who played the roles in the Looking for Lincoln video now being edited. A watermelon feed will follow the evening presentation.

Third, souvenir chair Sharon Awe was allotted $1,000 for purchasing sesquicentennial-related items, which will be sold in local stores as well as at committee functions. Some stores already stock bottled water with the sesquicentennial label. T-shirts, caps and red polo shirts are also available.

Awe was authorized to buy mugs, notecards with several Lincoln scenes painted by Lloyd Ostendorf, lapel pins, bow ties with sesquicentennial streamers, sweatshirts and long-sleeve T-shirts. Many of the items sport the sesquicentennial logo. The Sesquicentennial Committee has applied for a trademark for its logo and for IRS and state sales tax exemptions.

Throws with the Ostendorf painting of Lincoln christening the city site take three months lead time to manufacture. Awe was authorized to order them so they will be ready while the weather is still cold. When funds are available from sales, she is directed to order ceramic plates with the christening scene, her committee’s No. 1 choice for souvenirs.

 

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Fourth, Wallace Reifsteck, co-chair for the interdenominational church service on the concluding Sunday, was granted $100 to hire a speaker. The minister is expected to arrive on horseback like an old-time itinerant preacher.

Roger Matson, parade co-chair, reported getting some responses to invitations to participate. All high school bands with Lincoln in their names have been invited, and the band from Lincoln, Mo., has expressed interest in attending, pending settling an insurance concern. Matson is preparing an application form for parade entrants. The parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sat., Aug. 30, and is expected to last at least 2½ hours. "They’re going to be lined up all the way from here to Elkhart," predicted Charlie Ott.

Ott, the specialty contests chair, said he has received five replies from five different states to his call for Lincoln look-alikes. One even corrected his choice of words, saying no one can impersonate Lincoln, but what he wants are Lincoln presenters. Several presenters asked for the opportunity to deliver a Lincoln excerpt from the stage.

Ott is also coordinating a beard contest. He said it is not too soon to start growing that beard. There will be judging and prizes in various categories, such as longest and fullest.

Committee members also learned that:

•  Three-color fund-raising brochures announcing the sesquicentennial are off the presses. The brochures, prepared by publicity chair Thressia Usherwood, list tentative activities for the 11 days of the celebration. They also specify five levels of sponsorship.

•  History co-chair Paul Beaver is checking on cost of reprinting the centennial book from 1953. He and co-chair Paul Gleason plan to write a supplement to cover the last 50 years.

•  Kevin Franz is working on developing the sesquicentennial Web page at lincolnillinois.org.

[Lynn Spellman]

Sites to See

‘Walking on the Path of Abraham Lincoln’

A walking tour of historic Lincoln, Ill.

Note: The following material is from a brochure produced as a high school project by J.R. Glenn and Angie Couch for Main Street Lincoln. The Main Street Lincoln office and local tourist information center is on the second floor of Union Planter’s Bank at 303 S. Kickapoo.


[Click here for larger map]

1. Town christening site

Broadway and Chicago streets

In August 1853 the first sale of lots in the new town of Lincoln took place near this spot. Abraham Lincoln, in whose honor the town was named, was in attendance. When asked on the day of the land sale to officially "christen the town," Lincoln obliged. Lifting the cover off a pile of watermelons stacked on the ground by a local farmer, Lincoln picked up a melon and conducted a brief ceremony using its juice. Lincoln, Ill., is the only town named for Lincoln before he became president.

2. Lincoln railroad depot

101 N. Chicago St.

Abraham Lincoln frequented this city by train after its founding. As president-elect, Lincoln came hereon Nov. 21, 1860. He stopped near this spot to make a few remarks from the rear of his train. This was his last speech in Logan County and the last time Lincoln would visit his namesake city. His funeral train stopped here on May 3, 1865. The current depot was built several decades later, in 1911.

3. State Bank of Lincoln

111 N. Sangamon St.

Abraham Lincoln met sculptor Leonard Volk for the first time on the boardwalk in front of the Lincoln House Hotel. Volk asked Lincoln to pose for a bust and life mask of his face and hands. Signed copies of the life masks by Volk, as well as original artwork by Lloyd Ostendorf of Lincoln in Logan County, are on display in this bank building’s lobby.

4. Site of the Lincoln House Hotel

501 Broadway St.

The Lincoln House, one of the grandest hotels between St. Louis and Chicago, stood on this spot from 1854 to 1870. All the political luminaries of the day, including Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, David Davis and Richard Oglesby, crossed its threshold at one time or another The Lincoln House was a two-story frame structure that fronted the railroad tracks and featured a large veranda.

5. Robert Latham home site

400 N. Kickapoo St.

Robert B. Latham joined John D. Gillett and Virgil Hickox in founding the town of Lincoln in 1853. Abraham Lincoln, other lawyers and judges were often guests at his house.

6. Logan County Courthouse

When Lincoln became the county seat in 1853, a courthouse was built on this spot. A second courthouse was built in 1858 and remained in use until the early 20th century, when it was replaced with the current building. Abraham Lincoln practiced law and attended political functions in the first two courthouses built on the square. A statue of Lincoln stands in this courthouse. A Civil War monument and cannon sit on the north side of the courthouse grounds.

7. Lincoln lot site

523 Pulaski St.

A plaque located on the right-hand side of this store identifies the location as a lot Lincoln once owned. James Primm, in need of money, approached former Illinois Gov. Joel Matteson for a $400 advance. Matteson directed him to have Lincoln sign a note as Primm's guarantor. Lincoln co-signed the note. Later Primm defaulted and Lincoln had to pay the note. Eventually Primm deeded Lincoln this property in recompense.

 

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8. Rustic Inn

412 Pulaski St.

In 1876 members of a counterfeiting gang met here to hatch a plot to steal Lincoln's corpse from its burial vault in Springfield. The gang had planned to hide Lincoln's body in the Indiana sand dunes on the shore of Lake Michigan and negotiate with the governor of Illinois for $200,000 in cash and the release of Ben Boyd. The bartender at the Rustic Inn overheard the plot and reported it to the authorities. The Secret Service later apprehended the gang members. Robert Todd Lincoln had his father's coffin encased in several tons of cement to prevent future attempts to steal the body.

Other Lincoln sites in Lincoln

9. Stephen A. Douglas speech site

Comer of Fourth and Logan streets

Stephen Douglas visited this city during the famous 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign. Douglas paraded with all his supporters through the decorated streets to the tent that was pitched on this site. Lincoln, who was also in town, listened to his opponent from the back of the crowd. In the end, a majority of Logan County voters favored Lincoln, but Douglas won the 1858 election.

10. Postville Courthouse

914 Fifth St.

This state historic site is a replica of an 1840 courthouse where Lincoln argued, won and lost cases while he traveled the 8th Judicial Circuit.

11. Site of Deskins Tavern

915 Fifth St.

Lincoln often stayed at Deskins Tavern when he traveled to Postville. A well where he quenched his thirst is also at this site.

12. Postville Park

1300 Fifth St.

Abraham Lincoln was well-known for his athletic abilities, and he frequently joined in games of "town ball" at this village park.

13. Lincoln College and Museum

300 Keokuk St.

A nationally registered landmark, Lincoln College was founded and named for President Lincoln on Feb. 12, 1865. The museum houses an extensive collection of memorabilia on the life of Abraham Lincoln.

[See "LC Museum named one of 10 best Lincoln-related sites in Illinois"]

 

Other sites of interest in downtown Lincoln 

Lincoln Public Library (a Carnegie building)

725 Pekin St.

Logan County Genealogical
& Historical Society

114 N. Chicago St.

Lincoln City Hall

700 Broadway St.

U.S. Post Office

102 S. McLean St.

Courthouse Square Historic District

including historic sites, restaurants and shops


[Click here for larger map]

Logan County historical landmarks

Atlanta

J. H. Hawes wooden country elevator. Open Sunday afternoons June through August. Free.

Atlanta Public Library and Museum. On National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1908. Comer of Race and Arch. Phone (217) 648-2112. Free.

Chestnut

Monument proclaims the geographic center of the state of Illinois. Town was laid out in 1872.

Elkhart

Elkhart Cemetery. Richard J. Oglesby, who was elected governor of Illinois in 1864, 1872 and 1884, is buried here; also John Dean Gillett, known as the "Cattle King of the World," and Capt. Adam Bogardus, wing shot champion of the world. For tours of the cemetery and John Dean Gillett Chapel, please phone (217) 947-2238.

Emden

Bethel Church. Built in 1854. Three miles from Route 136 between Emden and Atlanta on County Road 20.

Lincoln

Site of Deskins Tavern. Across the street from Postville Courthouse, 915 Fifth St. Signage. Free.

Site of well Abraham Lincoln drank from. Across the street from Postville Courthouse, 915 Fifth St. Free.

Site of town christening by Abraham Lincoln on Aug. 27, 1853. Lincoln was the first community in the United States to be named for Abraham Lincoln before he became famous. Also, Lincoln's funeral train stopped here on May 3,1865. Located at the south side of the Lincoln Depot, Broadway and Chicago streets. Official Looking for Lincoln signage. Free.

Logan County Courthouse. Contains second-largest courtroom in Illinois. Built in 1905. Located on the courthouse square, downtown Lincoln. Open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; Saturday until noon. Phone (217) 732-6400. Free.

Lincoln College Museum. Over 3,000 historic items. Lincoln College was founded and named for President Lincoln on Feb. 12, 1865. Keokuk and Ottawa streets. Summer hours: 9 to 4 Monday through Friday; 1 to 4 Saturday and Sunday; closed May 28 and July 4. Free.

Heritage In Flight Museum. Museum is filled with memorabilia from all U.S. military conflicts back to World War I. Located at the Logan County Airport. Phone ahead (217) 732-3333 to confirm hours. Free but donations accepted.

Lincoln Public Library. Original Carnegie library built in 1902. Tiffany-style glass inner dome. 725 Pekin St. Open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 9 to 6; Saturday, 9 to 3. Phone (217) 732-8878. Free.

Postville Courthouse State Historic Site. Guided tours. 914 Fifth St. Noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Ph. (217) 732-8930 for additional information. Free but donations accepted.

Middletown

Stagecoach Inn. The inn was on the old stage route from Springfield to Peoria. Built mid-1800s. Village is also famous for its aeronautical history. Free.

Mount Pulaski

Mount Pulaski Courthouse. This building is one of only two original 8th Judicial Circuit courthouses in Illinois. On National Register of Historic Places. Was Logan County Courthouse from 1847 to 1855. Guided tours. Open 12 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday. Phone (217) 732-8930. Free.

[Link to historical information on communities in Logan County]

Heritage In Flight Museum open Wednesday-Sunday

A little-known historical site full of large and small treasures sits on the outskirts of town on the Logan County Airport property. The Heritage In Flight Museum building itself is a part of history. It is a remnant of Camp Ellis, located west of Havana, which was the largest military training and prisoner-of-war camp in the United States during World War II. After the war the camp was closed and the buildings were sold. Logan County Airport is fortunate to have one of the few remaining structures from Camp Ellis.

A little-known historical site full of large and small treasures sits on the outskirts of town on the Logan County Airport property. The Heritage In Flight Museum building itself is a part of history. It is a remnant of Camp Ellis, located west of Havana, which was the largest military training and prisoner-of-war camp in the United States during World War II. After the war the camp was closed and the buildings were sold. Logan County Airport is fortunate to have one of the few remaining structures from Camp Ellis.

Several historic items are found outside at the airport, including the rotating beacon, the green-and-white light that identifies the airport location to pilots flying at night. Before being moved to Logan County Airport, it was part of the lighted airway system that the airmail pilots in the 1920s used to navigate at night. The one that now resides here was originally located between Lincoln and Atlanta and provided a bright signal for Charles Lindbergh when he flew the airmail route between St. Louis and Chicago.

While outside you can also view a number of aircraft that are on display from various time periods.

Moving to the inside, you find that the Heritage in Flight Museum is filled with items of aviation history from the military and civilian branches of flying and from the earliest days of open-cockpit biplanes to the latest jets. Veterans who reside in Logan County have donated much of what the museum has. Families from the community have donated items that belonged to our war heroes, revealing special sentiments, symbolism and forgotten practices that held a community together in war times. Other items offer a look at early technology such as the airplane and ship radios. Of the thousands of items in the museum, each can be said to teach us something about our past. Visitors can relive history through the numerous displays, mostly grouped in wartime periods, and gain a strong sense of patriotism while studying military displays throughout the building.

 

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A guided tour is recommended to get the most from these displays. The volunteers are both knowledgeable and passionate about their subject matter and will bring to light little-known nuances that make the displays fascinating.

The museum is always interested in adding items of aviation history. Its greatest need, however, is for more volunteers to help in the guardianship of this important gateway to Lincoln and Logan County.

The museum requires lots of care and maintenance. Members are always looking for interested people of all ages to help care for it, share their interests and preserve a bit of aviation history.

Heritage In Flight Museum is operated by an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization: Heritage-In-Flight, Inc. You are invited to come meet the members and sit in on their meetings anytime. Meetings take place at 1 p.m. the first Saturday of each month in the terminal meeting room.

The museum is a great resource to educate our youth about our aeronautical and military past and shares the wealth of military traditions from a community and national perspective. Schools, youth groups and families are welcome.

Heritage In Flight Museum

1351 Airport Road, Lincoln

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone: (217) 732-3333

Call the airport and leave a message to request a guided tour, schedule a time during the week or ask for more information.

Also visit www.heritageinflight.org.

[LDN]

You can read more about HIF from the archives of LDN. Go to http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2001/Feb/15/comunity/business.shtml#Logan County is host to a unique museum rich in special military stories and treasures

Entertainment

Recreation

  • Lincoln Park District, 732-8770

Parks

Dining

Blue Dog Inn
111 S. Sangamon
Lincoln
735-1743
 Monday 11-2
Tuesday-Thursday 11-10
Friday & Saturday 11-11

Wendy’s
2815 Woodlawn Road
Lincoln
735-1011

 

Transportation

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Community Information

Links to Other Tourism Sites in Illinois

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