While
visiting in
Logan County:
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Special
Events
in and around
Logan County
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Upcoming events
Past events
Annual celebrations
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Sesquicentennial events |
Kickoffs
Aug. 21-23 for
Lincoln Sesquicentennial
30th annual Lincoln Art Fair
15th annual Lincoln Balloon Festival
Thursday, Aug. 21
Civil War and Underground Railroad quilt show
opens in the Logan
County Courthouse rotunda
3 p.m. -- Opening ceremonies
for Vietnam Wall display at Lincoln Christian College
6 p.m. --
Music, food and
activities at Maple Ridge Care Centre, 2202 N. Kickapoo St.
Friday, Aug. 22
Civil War and Underground Railroad quilt show
in the Logan
County Courthouse rotunda
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Flea market in Scully Park,
downtown
Lunch -- Oasis senior citizen center, 501 Pulaski
St.
4-10 p.m. -- Balloon fest activities at the Logan
County Fairgrounds
Saturday, Aug. 23
8 a.m. -- Sky's the Limit 3-mile run, beginning at the Lincoln Park
District facilities, 1400 Primm Road
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Lincoln Woman's Club
"Hospitality Sweet," 230 N. McLean St. (across from the art fair in
Latham Park)
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. -- Used book sale at Lincoln
Public Library, 725 Pekin St.
Civil War and Underground Railroad quilt show
in the Logan
County Courthouse rotunda
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Flea market in Scully Park,
downtown
10 a.m. - 10 p.m. -- Balloon fest activities at
the Logan County Fairgrounds
Lunch -- Oasis senior citizen center, 501 Pulaski
St.
Noon - 5 p.m. -- 1860s craft show, Postville
Courthouse lawn, Fifth Street
Sunday, Aug. 24
Postville – “Where
It All Began” Day
Civil War and Underground Railroad quilt show
in the Logan
County Courthouse rotunda
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Lincoln Woman's Club
"Hospitality Sweet," 230 N. McLean St. (across from the art fair
in Latham Park)
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Used book sale at Lincoln
Public Library, 725 Pekin St.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Flea market in Scully Park,
downtown
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Balloon fest activities at
the Logan County Fairgrounds
Lunch -- Oasis senior citizen center, 501
Pulaski St.
5 p.m. -- Dedication of the Abraham Lincoln
well near VFW Post 1756 on Fifth Street
Ice cream social and crowning of
sesquicentennial queen at Postville Park, Fifth Street
Monday, Aug. 25
Lincoln Heritage Day
"The Story of Abraham Lincoln in
Lincoln and Logan County" presentation
Panel of historians at Lincoln College
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Business
and Industry Day
Business open house
1860s baseball game -- Ground Squirrels versus local sports
standouts
Underground Railroad display
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Lincoln Founders Day
Town christening re-enactment, near train depot, downtown
Watermelon feed in Latham Park, downtown
1850s-1860s music
Special postal pictorial cancellation
Thursday, Aug. 28
Agriculture Day
Community dinner and corn feed
1850s farming demonstration
Abraham Lincoln play
Friday, Aug. 29
Education Day
Homecoming for local celebrities
Ethnic festival in Scully Park
5 p.m. -- King Karaoke, Karaoke Stage on Kickapoo south of the square
5-7:45 p.m. -- Stone County Ramblers playing
bluegrass, Hometown Stage, McLean and Clinton
5:30-7:30 p.m. -- Don Smith Orchestra playing
swing and big band music, Dance and Swing Stage, McLean and
Broadway
7:30-8:30 p.m. -- American English in a
Beatles tribute, Main Stage, Broadway and Kickapoo
8:30-9:30 p.m. -- Don Smith Orchestra playing
swing and big band music, Dance and Swing Stage, McLean and
Broadway
8:30-9:45 p.m. -- Poprocks playing '70s-'90s
pop rock, Rock Till Ya Drop Stage, Chicago and Pulaski
8:45-9:45 p.m. -- Hairbanger's Ball in an '80s Hairbands tribute, Partytown Stage, Sangamon and Broadway
9 p.m.-midnight -- Rockus with classic rock,
Hometown Stage, McLean and Clinton
9:45-11 p.m. -- American English in a
Beatles tribute, Main Stage, Broadway and Kickapoo
11 p.m.-1 a.m. -- Poprocks playing '70s-'90s
pop rock, Rock Till Ya Drop Stage, Chicago and Pulaski
11:15 p.m.-12:45 a.m. -- Hairbanger's Ball in
an '80s Hairbands tribute, Partytown Stage, Sangamon and Broadway
Saturday, Aug. 30
Homecoming Day
9
a.m.-12:30 p.m. -- Parade: “Pride in Our Past -- Faith in Our
Future”; route from Postville Park on Fifth Street to downtown Lincoln
2
p.m. -- Brothers of the Brush and Abraham Lincoln look-alike
contests in Latham Park, downtown
33rd
Regimental Infantry Union demonstration -- battle re-enactment on
field next to Bonanza
Encampment at Postville Park on Fifth Street
5 p.m. -- King Karaoke, Karaoke Stage on Kickapoo
south of the square
5-7 p.m. -- Bobby Remack Band with swing and big
bands, Dance and Swing Stage, McLean and Broadway
5-7:45 p.m. -- Rockus doing '50s and '60s songs,
Hometown Stage, McLean and Clinton
7-8:15 p.m. -- Creagles with Credence
Clearwater and Eagles tributes, Main Stage, Broadway and Kickapoo
8 p.m. --
Civil War grand ball with music by the 33rd Infantry Band, Elk's
Lodge
8:15-9:30 p.m. -- Bobby Remack Band with swing
and big bands, Dance and Swing Stage, McLean and Broadway
8:15-9:30 p.m. -- Debbie Ross Band playing blues, Partytown Stage, Sangamon and Broadway
8:15-9:30 p.m. -- Imagine That with '60s-'90s Top
40 music, Rock Till Ya Drop Stage, Chicago and Pulaski
9 p.m.-midnight -- Greg Glick Band with blues
rock, Hometown Stage, McLean and Clinton
9:30-11 p.m. -- Creagles with Credence
Clearwater and Eagles tributes, Main Stage, Broadway and Kickapoo
11 p.m.-1 a.m. -- Debbie Ross Band playing blues, Partytown Stage, Sangamon and Broadway
11 p.m.-1 a.m. -- Imagine That with '60s-'90s Top
40 music, Rock Till Ya Drop Stage, Chicago and Pulaski
Sunday, Aug. 31
Religious Day
Community church services
Chicken dinner
2-4 p.m. -- Illinois Brass Works, a variety brass
band, Hometown Stage, McLean and Clinton
3 p.m. -- Interdenominational church service
4:15-5:45 p.m. -- Slingshot 57 doing Christian
rock at Dance and Swing Stage, McLean and Broadway
6-7:30 p.m. -- Petra performing Christian rock at
Main Stage, Broadway and Kickapoo
6-9 p.m. -- Country Thunder performing country at
Hometown Stage, McLean and Clinton
7:45-9 p.m. -- Illinois Symphony Orchestra,
McLean Street north of the square
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Looking for Lincoln to use grant
for three historic signs
[APRIL
18, 2003]
Looking
for Lincoln has decided to use grant money to erect or replace signs
at three historic sites in downtown Lincoln.
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The local group plans to replace the
sign on the Sherwin-Williams store stating that Abraham Lincoln
owned the lot from 1858 to his death in 1865. Beaver said he thinks
the lot and the home in Springfield were the only city property
Lincoln ever owned.
Judge Lawrence Stringer's "History of
Logan County, Illinois," published in 1911, quotes the following
story about the lot told to him by Lincoln Police Magistrate Lewis
Rosenthal:
"In 1858, I was deputy sheriff of Logan
County and the sheriff was then the collector of taxes. Mr. Lincoln
came to the court house in Lincoln that year to pay his taxes. Prior
to this visit, I had been living near Mr. Lincoln's lot and the lot
being unused and vacant, and knowing that Mr. Lincoln would not
care, I put up a small temporary shed on his lot and stabled a few
extra horses there for a short time. I had never had an opportunity
to tell Mr. Lincoln what I had done, not having met him.
"When he came to the sheriff's office
to pay his taxes on the lot, he greeted me cordially, as was his
usual custom, and stated the object of his visit. While I was
preparing the receipt, he happened to look out of the window and
discovered the shed on his lot. ‘Say, Rosenthal,' said he, ‘isn't
that my lot over there?' I told him that ‘I guessed it was.'
"‘Well who put that shed up there?'
inquired Mr. Lincoln. ‘Well,' I replied, ‘a fellow in town here, who
had some extra horses, and wanted some temporary stable room, put up
that shed, but the fellow is a good friend of yours.'
"‘That's all right,' said Mr. Lincoln,
‘but that fellow, whoever he is, ought to pay my taxes. He is
getting all the benefit out of the lot and I get none.' ‘Well,' I
replied, ‘I know that fellow, Mr. Lincoln, and he won't pay a cent.'
"‘Well, who is he, anyway,' said Mr.
Lincoln. ‘If you must know, Mr. Lincoln,' I replied, ‘I'm the
fellow.' Lincoln looked at me a second or two, and with a twinkle in
his eye, said, ‘Hand over the receipt. I guess I'm in for it.'"
The committee also plans two new signs.
One will be placed near the base of the Civil War monument on the
northwest corner of the courthouse square. The sign will explain
when the statue was erected -- 1869, with dedication on June 10 of
that year -- and that it commemorates Logan County soldiers who died
fighting for the Union.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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The 23-foot marble monument depicts a
life-size Union soldier atop a column. On the column are engraved
the names of 326 Logan County soldiers who died during the "War
Between the States," but these names are timeworn to the point that
many are no longer legible. On the base are bronze plaques added
later with quite legible names plus the battles the soldiers fought
in.
Local historian Paul Gleason said Logan
County sent a disproportionately high number of soldiers to the
Civil War -- 65 percent of the voting population -- and lost
approximately one-third of them. No one was drafted from the county;
all were volunteers.
Many died from disease rather than
battle wounds. Those who served are listed on pages 171-205 of
Stringer's "History of Logan County, Illinois." The names are
grouped by regiment, along with a brief history of each unit. After
some names are annotations about promotions received. More frequent
are notes like "died at Shiloh," "died at Andersonville," and again
and again "died in service."
Looking for Lincoln's second new sign
will go across Kickapoo Street from the Civil War monument, near the
middle of the block. It will mark the office of Abraham Lincoln's
occasional law partner Samuel Parks. Paul Beaver, retired Lincoln
College professor of history, said that besides trying some cases
with Lincoln, Parks would pass others to him if they needed
Lincoln's expertise.
Stringer describes Parks as "probably
the leading attorney at the early Logan County bar." Further, he
says that Parks "was frequently associated with Lincoln in the trial
of cases, and a close, particular friend of Mr. Lincoln." The two
became acquainted in Springfield in the 1840s. Parks later helped
secure Lincoln's nomination for president, and Lincoln appointed him
associate justice of the Supreme Court of Idaho, the first of three
positions on supreme courts in Western territories.
Cindy
McLaughlin, executive director of Main Street Lincoln, said the
$2,000 Illinois FIRST grant stipulates that it must be used by June
30 for signage. It is part of a larger grant that also funded
playground equipment for Scully Park and the Indian Mother plaza
under construction on the south side of the courthouse. Main Street
Lincoln is the parent organization for Looking for Lincoln.
[Lynn
Spellman]
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Route 66 icon
The Pig Hip becomes a museum
[APRIL
15, 2003]
At
least 30 members of the Route 66 Association of Illinois descended
on Broadwell in mid-March to help charter member and Hall of Famer
Ernie Edwards turn his Pig Hip restaurant into a museum.
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Edwards joked that the museum will
contain "everything on me," meaning his 54 years of operating the
restaurant and service station on Frontage Road in Broadwell. In
addition to newspaper articles chronicling the Pig Hip's fame,
Edwards has paper goods, china and flatware, restaurant equipment,
and gas station memorabilia.
Among items for display are an original
table from 1937, an electric hot dog machine, square ice cream
dippers ("I was noted for my square dips"), menus and placemats, a
sign advertising seven gallons of gas for a dollar, and another
pricing gas by the half gallon. (The gallon price had gone over a
dollar and the sign couldn't accommodate it.) All the planned
exhibits belong to Edwards except two 1900 books on loan from a
friend. They depict former Lincoln landmarks such as Gullett's
Greenhouse, the casket factory and the mines.
Last fall Edwards began creating the
museum out of a 25- by 30-foot corner of the Pig Hip, approximately
the size of the original restaurant, which contained only three
tables with chairs, a small counter, a Coca-Cola cooler and three
slot machines from Coon Hound Johnny's. On March 15 the group of 30
workers scraped off old paint and applied new to the front, boxed in
the corner for the museum, and built an 8-foot picket fence. Many
drove from Chicago, Joliet, Iowa and elsewhere for the workday.
Thressia Usherwood, executive director
of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County, described
association members as a happy, teasing group who organize a similar
project "darn near every weekend." The tourism bureau supplied pizza
for the occasion.
Another of Edwards' projects is to tear
down his service station and build a replica of its predecessor.
When he opened the restaurant in 1936 there was no station, so he
constructed a 6- by 14-foot building to serve the purpose. The
original had no indoor restroom, so for authenticity he says he'll
put in a three-holer out back. He also hopes to find some vintage
pumps. Edwards started with Mobil Oil for two or three years, then
pumped City Service for 25 years, Gulf for six and Phillips 66 the
last 19 years.
While some in Lincoln talk of a very
large statue -- the Giant Abe -- the Pig Hip museum is supported by
a very small statue, about 3 inches wide and not quite that tall. In
early 2002 Edwards was asked to sign a release allowing reproduction
in miniature of the Pig Hip restaurant for a Route 66 set. The
manufacturer likened the set to a miniature village that people
display at Christmas except this grouping is made of tiny landmarks
from U.S. Route 66.
Edwards ordered 100 statues to sell as
souvenirs. They arrived in time for the June 2002 road tour of the
Route 66 Association and sold out within three days. Naturally, he
reordered. Edwards said he is financing the museum largely from the
replicas, which sell for $15 apiece.
Other promised sources of funding are a
$5,000 grant from the National Park and Conservation Association and
$1,000 from the Route 66 Association of Illinois for a new roof.
Edwards is somewhat skeptical about the grant: "I haven't seen the
check yet." The Hampton Inn corporation furnished paint for the
museum.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Edwards hopes to be ready to offer a
Pig Hip Museum tour on June 9 when the Route 66 Association of
Illinois road tour stops in Broadwell. The preceding night members
will have their awards dinner in Bloomington. Each year they induct
four or five people into the Illinois 66 Hall of Fame. Edwards
himself was one of the first two inductees, along with John Geske of
the Dixie Truck Stop in McLean, back in 1990.
[photos by Jan Youngquist]
The organization was formed in 1989.
Tom Teague, now executive director of the Illinois State Historical
Society, was its first president. Edwards recalled how he used to
help Teague sell his two books to tours. He would hold up a book and
say the only thing wrong with it was it started on page 12. Then
Edwards would show his own picture on page 12. The other book
started on page 13 because that was where Teague began to discuss
Edwards.
Edwards has been Logan County
representative to the Route 66 Association every year of its
existence. The group's annual road tour along the Illinois section
of U.S. 66 begins alternately in Chicago and the southern part of
the state. Some members drive vintage vehicles. Edwards expects them
at the Pig Hip between 9:30 and 10 a.m. June 9.
Usherwood explained, "Route 66 is
coming into its own as far as being a great tourism attraction" with
efforts being made to "revive 66 back to the time it was the Mother
Road" and "everybody used it." A committee including Usherwood and
Edwards has selected 25 locations in Lincoln for signs marking the
old Route 66. She hopes they will bring people into town instead of
around the town.
Usherwood said there are two good spots
for Route 66 tourists in Logan County -- the Pig Hip and Atlanta,
where citizens have created several attractions, including the J.H.
Hawes Elevator Museum and where they serve pie to the road tour. The
Pig Hip has become a big icon for Route 66, she noted, "because of
Ernie. He's got a tale for everything."
The Pig Hip has received a number of
foreign visitors, including groups driving vintage cars,
two-cylinder cars and motorcycles from Chicago to California
following Route 66. A German photographer sent a print of his shot
of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The photo arrived on
Sept. 12, 2001.
Edwards says he is constructing the
museum for Route 66 visitors and for the association. "I got into it
by opening my big mouth," he laughs. He told the company making the
miniatures that he would use his profit to open a museum. They gave
him the first 50 free, and he was committed.
He plans to open daily during summer
and less frequently in winter. Edwards himself will be there to
welcome visitors. "If I live long enough," he qualifies. "I'm 86
years old and wiry."
The Pig Hip is the first and last of
four restaurants Edwards has operated in the area. The other three
were in Lincoln: on Washington Street in 1938, at the intersection
of Fifth and the beltline in 1941, and at 110 Chicago after he
returned from the war in 1947. All were called the Tizit.
Meanwhile
his mother, Naomi Edwards, was operating the Pig Hip. When she
became ill in 1949 Edwards left Lincoln and returned to his home
base, where he continued open until 1991. Several expansions enabled
him eventually to seat 75 for his much advertised pig-hip sandwich.
Edwards recalls that he was also "noted for pecan pie and a lot of
bull."
[Lynn
Spellman]
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Atlanta
planning celebration
of sesquicentennial
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[MARCH
28, 2003]
Atlanta, Ill., will
celebrate their sesquicentennial on May 23, 24, 25 and 26. These
four days highlight such events as a community play with over 80
cast members, a cemetery walk, a Civil War re-enactment (living on
Atlanta soil all weekend), a Memorial Day observance, historical
tours, bed turning, baseball games, a community church service,
street dance, vendors, carnival and more! Period attire is
encouraged.
Folks looking for old-fashioned,
down-home fun are encouraged to come early and stay late.
For
details go to http://www.atlantaillinois.org/ and
check the daily calendar under "Sesquicentennial Celebration." |
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Lincoln birthday party will be jamming with 44 hours of music
[MARCH
21, 2003]
The schedule is set. Sixteen
bands on six stages in and near downtown Lincoln providing -- if one
person could take them all in -- 44 hours of music and fun for the
city's 150th birthday party.
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Music chair Greg Pelc told the
Sesquicentennial Committee Wednesday evening that overlapping time
slots make it difficult to count the hours of music lined up for the
weekend of Aug. 29-31. As far as what any one person can hear, it's
22½ hours, 5 p.m.-1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2-9 p.m. on
Sunday minus a couple of 15-minute breaks. However, if you total all
the hours of each band, the result is just over 44 hours. Any way
you count it, it adds up to a fun-filled weekend for Lincoln.
Here is the schedule by stage:
On McLean Street north of the square
the Illinois Symphony Orchestra will perform from 7:45 to 9 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31, in the grand finale of the sesquicentennial
celebration.
On the Main Stage at Broadway and
Kickapoo, you'll hear American English in a Beatles tribute at
7:30-8:30 p.m. and 9:45-11 p.m. Friday, the Creagles in Credence
Clearwater and Eagles tributes at 7-8:15 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m.
Saturday, and Petra performing Christian rock at 6-7:30 p.m. Sunday.
On the Partytown Stage at Sangamon and
Broadway, get ready for Hairbanger's Ball in an '80s Hairbands
tribute at 8:45-9:45 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.-12:45 a.m. Friday and the
Debbie Ross Band playing blues at 8:15-9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.-1 a.m.
Saturday.
The Rock Till Ya Drop Stage at Chicago
and Pulaski is the venue for Poprocks playing '70s-'90s pop rock at
8:30-9:45 p.m. and 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Imagine That with
'60s-'90s Top 40 music at 8:15-9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.-1 a.m.
Saturday.
On the Dance and Swing Stage at McLean
and Broadway you'll be entertained by the Don Smith Orchestra
playing swing and big bands at 5:30-7:30 p.m. and 8:30-9:30 p.m.
Friday, the Bobby Remack Band also with swing and big bands at 5-7
p.m. and 8:15-9:30 p.m. Saturday, and Slingshot 57 doing Christian
rock at 4:15-5:45 p.m. Sunday.
The Hometown Stage at McLean and
Clinton will feature the Stone County Ramblers playing bluegrass at
5-7:45 p.m. and Rockus with classic rock at 9 p.m.-midnight Friday,
Rockus doing '50s and '60s songs at 5-7:45 p.m. and the Greg Glick
Band with blues rock at 9 p.m.-midnight Saturday, and Illinois Brass
Works, a variety brass band, at 2-4 p.m. and Country Thunder
performing country at 6-9 p.m. Sunday.
The Karaoke Stage on Kickapoo south of
the square will feature King Karaoke starting at 5 p.m. on Friday
and Saturday.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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In other announcements at Wednesday's
sesquicentennial meeting, re-enactment chair Ron Keller said the
deadline for signing up for Civil War-era dance lessons has been
extended to April 1. Those interested can contact Keller at the
Lincoln College Museum, 732-3155, Ext. 295. Lesson times will be
arranged after sign-up is complete. The opportunity to show off
steps learned comes at the Civil War ball, recently scheduled for
the Elk's Lodge. The ball will be simultaneous with downtown
entertainment in the 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, time slot.
Souvenir chair Sharon Awe said 16 items
are already received or in the ordering process. Souvenirs currently
on hand include polo shirts at $27 and $29 each, wooden watermelon
cutouts, T-shirts and sweatshirts for varying prices, candles with
logo on the jar for $14 and stovepipe hats for $6.50.
Sesquicentennial ribbons still must be sewn on the hats.
Items on order include throws with a
selling price of $50, tote bags at $10, lapel pins for $5, baseball
caps for $15 and Abraham Lincoln beanbag dolls. Being researched or
in the ordering process are 8-inch ceramic plates, ceramic
ornaments, notecards, mugs, clings for windows or bumpers, and
license plate holders.
As souvenir items are received and
processed they will be available for sale at area businesses, the
chamber of commerce office and City Hall. State Bank of Lincoln and
Illini Bank currently offer some sesquicentennial items.
Treasurer Paul Short reported that the
sesquicentennial fund has grown to $16,866.
Bobbi
Abbott, executive director of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of
Commerce, announced an April 8 meeting to plan Business and Industry
Day, scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26. The meeting will get under way
at 8 a.m. at Cookie's Bakery, 604 Broadway. Industry tours, business
open houses, and special sales and promotions are on the agenda, but
Abbott said other ideas are welcome as well.
[Lynn
Spellman]
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Sites
to See
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"Three
projects, a dinner
and a birthday party planned
for J. H. Hawes Grain Elevator," posted April 6, 2001, in LDN
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"Elkhart
prepares for Chautauqua guests," posted May 2, 2001, in
LDN
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"Lincoln
Public Library keeps its history alive," posted May 26,
2000, in LDN
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"‘Crown jewel' found in Lincoln — Lincoln's well at Postville,"
posted May 19, 2001, in LDN
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"Middletown
Stagecoach Inn dedicated," posted July 5, 2001, in LDN
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‘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.
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[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.
[to top of second column in
this section]
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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]
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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]
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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.
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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.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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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]
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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
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Entertainment
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Recreation
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Parks
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Dining
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Blue Dog Inn
111 S. Sangamon
Lincoln
735-1743
Monday 11-2
Tuesday-Thursday 11-10
Friday & Saturday 11-11
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Wendy's
2815 Woodlawn Road
Lincoln
735-1011
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Transportation
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Maps
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Community
Information
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Links
to Other Tourism Sites in Illinois
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