|
Part
3
Springfield at holiday time
[DEC.
14, 2000]
Below
is a sampling of attractions and holiday events:
|
[click here
for Part 1]
[click here
for Part 2]
Lincoln’s
Home
Eighth
and Jackson streets
Hours:
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Closed major holidays.
This
is the heart of any historic tour of the city. Don’t expect lots
of glitter and gold to be decorating the home during the holidays.
The simple, fresh evergreens used to welcome visitors are very
appropriate to the home’s history.
Built
in 1839 as a one-story cottage, Lincoln and his wife, Mary, lived
here from 1844 until Lincoln was elected president in 1861. The
home, which has been restored to its 1860s appearance, takes center
stage in the four-block historic neighborhood being restored by the
National Park Service. Nearly 400,000 people visit the home each
year to see how Lincoln and his family lived.
Since
Springfield homes were not numbered until 1873, the Lincolns, like
many of their Springfield neighbors, used a front door nameplate to
identify their home to visitors. Tours of the home include a look
inside the formal parlor where the Lincolns entertained important
guests, a back parlor, dining room, sitting room and kitchen. By
1887, Lincoln’s son Robert was the only living member of the
family and donated his family's home to the state of Illinois on the
condition that the public would always have free access to it. He
died in 1926.
![](../images/ads/BradNeal/BradNeal.gif)
Free
tickets for tours are available at the Visitor Center, 426 S.
Seventh St. Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served
basis and indicate a specific tour time.
Old
State Capitol
Downtown
mall
9
a.m.-4 p.m., November-February. Closed major holidays.
This
historic building was where Lincoln uttered the words "A house
divided against itself cannot stand" and where he tried several
hundred Supreme Court cases. The majestic building is adorned with
evergreens and 14 Christmas trees decorated by area school children
in natural, traditional decorations in honor of Statehood Day. Area
school groups also perform music from noon to 1 p.m. Dec.15.
![](../images/ads/MKS-XMAS-1.jpg)
"Mr.
Lincoln’s World," is presented from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to
4 p.m. each Friday and Saturday. Costumed interpreters portray
historical characters of the 1850s during these special tours.
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
First
Night Springfield
Downtown,
Dec. 31
A
schedule of events is currently being established for this annual
event, sponsored by the Springfield Area Arts Council. Ring in the
new year with a toast to the arts.
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Children’s
afternoon activities, such as dance programs and puppet
performances, entertain the kids. Adults can stroll among a variety
of downtown locations to hear music programs, from jazz and big band
to classical, or local theater performances.
Other
Springfield sites and events include:
*Carillon
concerts in Washington Park — Winter weekly concerts from noon
to 3 p.m. Sundays. Enjoy the majestic sounds of bell concerts
performed on one of the largest carillons in the world as you stroll
through the city’s prettiest park.
*Edwards
Place, 700 N. Fourth St. — This preserved 1833 Italianate
mansion, park and adjacent art gallery is home to the Springfield
Art Association and was the site of a political rally for Stephen A.
Douglas.
*Springfield
Children’s Museum, 619 E. Washington — Bring a younger
member of your family and feel like a kid again as you experience a
wide variety of exhibits, from nature and science to art and
architecture.
*Illinois
State Museum, Spring and Edwards — On display is one of the
world’s largest Ice Age mastodons, a collection of Illinois’
natural and cultural treasures, and examples of Native American
life.
*Lincoln
Memorial Garden, 2301 East Lake Drive — Work off some of those
calorie-laden holiday treats with a winter walk around the five
miles of wooded trails on the shores of Lake Springfield. The park,
designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen, is filled with maple
trees and prairie grasses.
[Penny
Zimmerman-Wills]
|
Robert
Prunty
Local cruise and travel consultant
A
member of the
American Society of Travel Agents
509
Woodlawn Road – Lincoln
217-732-3486
Click
here to e-mail Robert Prunty |
ABE
LINCOLN
PHARMACY
Just
inside the ALMH front door
Jim
White, R.Ph.
"We
Answer Your Medication Questions."
Click
here to visit our website |
Tell
a friend
about
Lincoln Daily
News.com |
|
|
Part
2
Springfield at holiday time
[DEC.
13, 2000]
Below
is a sampling of attractions and holiday events:
|
[click here
for Part 1]
Christmas
floral display, Washington Park Botanical Garden
Dec.
2-31
Monday-Friday,
noon-4 p.m.; weekends, noon-5 p.m. Closed Christmas Day.
For
a real treat to the senses, visit the park’s botanical garden,
where hundreds of red, white, pink and multi-colored poinsettias
will be massed inside the domed conservatory. There will also be 11
Christmas trees decorated according to this year’s theme, "A
Century of Christmas Trees," with each tree representing a
different decade. The themes include a frontier tree decorated in
Victorian and Edwardian splendor, a Depression-era tree, an aluminum
tree with a color wheel from the 1960s, and a modern tree covered in
gold and crystal. More than 3,000 people visited the display last
year.
![](../images/ads/maple/maple092500.jpg)
Christmas
at the Dana-Thomas House Historic Site
301
E. Lawrence St.
Special
evening tours Dec. 15-17, 4-8 p.m.
Luminaria
night is Dec. 17.
Open
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Closed major holidays. Closes at 3
p.m. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
While
a stop at the Dana-Thomas House is a must for any trip to
Springfield, it’s a special treat during the holidays. The home,
one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s finest Prairie-style homes, will be
decked out for the holidays from Nov. 26 to Dec. 31.
Nearly
every room in the house will host a tree adorned with ornaments and
lights, coordinating with the decor of each room. The kitchen
usually has a tree covered with popcorn, berries and gingerbread,
while the Victorian sitting room will be filled with flowers and
ribbons which complement its red and pink furnishings.
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
![](../images/ads/Eckerts.gif)
During
the special luminaria night, lit candles will be placed around the
home’s perimeter and along the sidewalks in the garden area.
Silent, candle-lit tours of the home will be offered on a rotating
30-minute schedule. This is always a perennial favorite for area
residents and tourists and one of the most beautiful ways to see the
home. No matter how many times you’ve visited this elegantly
restored home, it’s always worth a trip back during the holidays.
Holiday
lights at the zoo
1100
East Lake Drive
Dec.
8-23 and 27-30, 5-8 p.m.
A
trip to the zoo may be a fun way to spend a sunny summer afternoon,
but why not twist tradition and visit the cougars, gibbons and
lemurs during the holidays? Thousands of tiny, colored lights
transform the Henson Robinson Zoo into a winter wonderland during
the holiday season. The zoo's walkways, buildings and landscaping
will be illuminated, and animal and holiday season displays will
also be decorated.
![](../images/ads/ThatPlace.jpg)
More
than 300 animals from Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South
America live at the zoo, and the exhibits house more than 90 species
of native and exotic animals. The spider monkeys, river otters,
cheetahs and Asiatic black bear will be glad to see you.
Bring the
grandkids to Santa's Workshop, where the jolly old man in red will
be on hand to meet with visitors of all ages Dec. 15-23. Admission
is free if you bring a new, wrapped toy for the
"Toys-for-Tots" campaign for children. There will be
entertainment, and baked goods and hot drinks will be for sale.
(To
be continued)
[Penny
Zimmerman-Wills]
[click
here for Part 3]
|
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here to visit your local Private Investigator
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|
|
|
Part
1
Springfield at holiday time
[DEC.
12, 2000]
The
holiday season is in full swing, which means a hectic schedule of
shopping, baking, entertaining and decorating. What better way to
take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season than to take
time out to enjoy some holiday activities?
|
Visit
a historic site or two to see how our ancestors decked the halls for
the holidays. Treat your senses to the beauty of the season at a
botanical garden. Sound like good ideas? Well, forget about packing
an overnight bag, filling up your gas tank and finding someone to
watch the dog. You can enjoy all these holiday events by taking a
short drive to the state capital — just 30 minutes from Lincoln.
Central
Illinois residents who live close to Springfield may appreciate its
rich historic charm but often take for granted the city that draws
one million tourists each year. While Chicago, St. Louis and other
nearby larger cities offer a wealth of holiday festivities to enjoy,
try spending the day as a tourist in the Land of Lincoln this
holiday season — what you find may surprise you.
History
When
the bank of the Spring Creek was first seen by Elisha Kelly, a
hunter from North Carolina, 176 years ago, it was lined with oak,
hickory and maple trees and covered with tall prairie grass and
wildflowers. Kelly was so impressed with the rich prairie, abundant
wildlife and natural beauty of the land that he later returned with
his father, Henry Kelly, a Revolutionary War veteran, and four
brothers, John, George, Elijah and William. Other families soon
joined them and Springfield was born. John Kelly built the first log
cabin on the present-day northwest corner of Second and Jefferson
streets — also the site of the first election of county
commissioners, which was in 1821.
![](../images/ads/iga/iga.gif)
By
the mid-1850s, with the introduction of the railroad, medical
societies, agricultural, education and fair associations, and a
university, Springfield's population grew to more than 4,500. By
1890, more than 25,000 people made their home here. Home to the
Sangamon County seat and the State Capitol, the site of the original
public square is now the site of the Old State Capitol.
Springfield’s
claim to fame is, of course, Abraham Lincoln, who lived and
practiced law here from 1837 until he was elected president in 1861.
The city is devoted to maintaining several sites to help visitors
experience the former president’s 19th-century life,
including the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, location of the
only home Lincoln ever owned; the Lincoln Law Offices and Federal
Court; the Lincoln Depot Museum, formerly the Great Western Railroad
Depot and the site of Lincoln's farewell address before he left to
assume his presidency; the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, where
Lincoln, his wife and three of their sons are buried; the Old State
Capitol, where Lincoln delivered his famous "House
Divided" address; and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden, in
Lake Springfield Park. A new presidential library is also in the
planning stages.
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
![](../images/ads/MKS-XMAS-2.jpg)
Facts
about Springfield, Ill.
Founded:
1818
Population:
117,098 (1998)
Location:
on I-55 (Route 66), 200 miles south of Chicago, 100 miles
north of St. Louis
Namesake:
derived from its original location near Spring Creek, a
tributary of the Sangamon River.
Unemployment
rate: 3.7 percent (May 2000)
Largest
employer in Sangamon County: state of Illinois
Largest
private employers: Memorial Medical Center and St. John’s
Hospital
Most
famous former resident: Abraham Lincoln
Number
of Lincoln-related sites: 8 (Lincoln’s Home, Old State
Capitol, Lincoln Depot, Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery,
Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, Lincoln Ledger (Bank One
Building), Lincoln Pew, (First Presbyterian Church) and New
Salem (in nearby Petersburg).
Number
of museums: 6
Number
of parks: 4
Words
spoken by Abraham Lincoln, describing Springfield, when he
left for Washington: "To this place, and the kindness of
these people, I owe everything." |
There’s
no denying that Lincoln’s legacy dominates the city, but
Springfield also offers visitors a variety of other things to see
and do. Located on the Sangamon River, the city is a commercial,
manufacturing and financial center situated in one of the richest
crop and livestock farming areas in the United States. State
government, insurance, tourism and the medical community are also
vital to the city's economic base.
So,
why not resist the temptation to head out of town to get in the
holiday spirit. If you are like me, it’s probably been a while
since you’ve visited some of the unique sites that make
Springfield a special city. The holidays are a perfect time to bring
back those memories, while discovering new ones.
(To
be continued, with a sampling of attractions and holiday events)
[Penny
Zimmerman-Wills]
[click
here for Part 2]
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