Special Events
in and around Logan County

Upcoming events

Past events

Annual celebrations

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

Lincoln stories lead to
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.

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.

 

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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]
 

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.

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.

 

 

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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]

Atlanta planning celebration
of sesquicentennial

[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." 

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.

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.

 

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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]

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

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Blue Dog Inn
111 S. Sangamon
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735-1743
 Monday 11-2
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