Calendar | Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County


'Attention Citizens of Logan County: Show Your Support for Ole Abe'

Join the rally at the courthouse

Abraham Lincoln will be coming to the city of Lincoln this Oct. 16. Mr. Lincoln is expected to arrive by train at approximately 12:30 p.m. He will go by carriage to the Logan County Courthouse, where he is expected to speak at 1 p.m.

The city of Lincoln is named for him and was also christened by him. As a young lawyer he practiced at both the original county seat, Postville Courthouse, and in the Mount Pulaski Courthouse when the county seat moved there.

Mr. Lincoln has been an Illinois legislator and is now a Republican candidate seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate. His opponent is Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.

Lincoln and Douglas began their campaigns in separate appearances in Chicago and Springfield. They are now in the middle of an eight-week travel schedule, as they determined to debate face to face in the remaining seven districts of the state.

The debates in this year of 1858 have taken place in Ottawa on Aug. 21, Freeport on Aug. 27, Jonesboro on Sept. 15, Charleston on Sept. 18 and Galesburg on Oct. 7. Further debates are scheduled in Quincy on Oct. 13 and finally on Oct. 15 in Alton.

The issue of slavery has dominated at all of the debates.

The rally is to show support for Lincoln as he comes off the eight-week, intense debate trail. He will speak on the courthouse steps at 1 p.m.

The promotional flier reads, "Come and hear Abraham Lincoln skin the Little Giant here in his U.S. Senate race!"

 

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[October 09, 2008]  A full-scale re-enactment of this historic rally has been planned to take place on the same date, same time and same place, but exactly 150 years later, on Oct. 16, 2008. Researchers scoured documents, news reports and other print materials for the actual speech and have re-created dialogues, in accordance to the times, that actually or may have taken place.

The city of Lincoln is named for him and was also christened by him. As a young lawyer he practiced at both the original county seat, Postville Courthouse, and in the Mount Pulaski Courthouse when the county seat moved there.

Mr. Lincoln has been an Illinois legislator and is now a Republican candidate seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate. His opponent is Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.

Chuck Conzo, a member of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission of Lincoln, Illinois, told Lincoln City Council members this week that when researchers began their work about a year ago, it came as a bit of a surprise to learn just how big this rally really was. It was not part of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, yet it drew over 5,000 people.

It is hoped that many people attending this year's event will be dressed in authentic period clothing. Conzo would like to see as many people in this year's crowd as there were in 1858, and he dreams of as many as possible being in period dress. "We certainly want everybody to feel welcome, whether they are in costume or not," he said.

This is a wonderful, historic event that our community has a chance to relive. Schools throughout Logan County have been contacted, with the hope that many students will be able to attend.

The outdoor event would be moved to inside Lincoln Christian Church in case of heavy rain.

The route that Mr. Lincoln will travel will be from the city garage on Third Street, to Chicago Street, to Broadway Street, to Kickapoo Street and the west side of the courthouse.

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This event is one of many activities planned in Lincoln, the state of Illinois and across the nation to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday in 2009.

The Lincoln commission's motto is "The First City to Live the Legacy."

[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]

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