While
visiting in
Logan County:
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Special
Events
in and around
Logan County
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Upcoming events
Recent events
Events in months past
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
American English band with tribute to the
Beatles, Broadway Street stage, downtown
'50s-'60s community dance
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
Civil War grand ball with music by the 33rd Infantry Band at VFW
Post 1756, Fifth Street
Creagles band with tributes to Credence
Clearwater and the Eagles, Broadway Street stage, downtown
Sunday, Aug. 31
Religious Day
Community church services
Chicken dinner
3 p.m. -- Interdenominational church service
Outdoor concert, courthouse lawn
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Sesquicentennial
parade theme chosen
[FEB.
24, 2003]
In 1953 the slogan
"Pride in Our Past -- Faith in Our Future" set the tone for
Lincoln's centennial celebration; in 2003 the same glowing words
have become the theme for the sesquicentennial parade.
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Meeting on Wednesday night, the
Sesquicentennial Committee, chaired by Mayor Beth Davis, chose this
theme to encourage both historical and futuristic floats and other
entries. Parade co-chair Roger Matson said that Logan Railsplitting
Association, the town of Middletown and Lincoln Community High
School class of 1953 have already shared plans for floats.
Several decisions, including
two made Wednesday night, have knit the overlapping Lincoln
Sesquicentennial and the annual Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival
more tightly together. First, a chance to view the Vietnam Wall
display is the kickoff for both celebrations. The display, sponsored
by the Art and Balloon Festival Committee, will be set up at Lincoln
Christian College during the four days of the festival. Opening
ceremonies are set for 3 p.m. on Aug. 21.
"It is an impressive way to
kick off all 10 days of events," said Bobbi Abbott, executive
director of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce. The
display is a 250-foot-long, 5-foot-tall replica of the Vietnam
Memorial in Washington, D.C. It will be set up on the east side of
the main drive toward the LCC chapel. Local veterans groups will
provide a 24-hour honor guard. A booklet listing locations of names
of POWs and MIAs from Illinois will be available.
Second, this year's art and
balloon fest logo has been designed to complement the
sesquicentennial logo. Local graphic artist Ken Bottrell designed
both.
Third, the Sesquicentennial
Committee voted to print 50,000 copies of a 16-page brochure
promoting both events. The cost will be shared with Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the art and balloon fest.
Abbott said she could not justify the original plan to print two
brochures: "I think it's 10 days of terrific fun. I don't see
separating them out."
The art fair is celebrating its
30th anniversary this year and the balloon fest its15th. Festival
events are concentrated in the four days from Thursday, Aug. 21, to
Sunday, Aug. 24. Sesquicentennial events also begin on the 21st,
with a quilt show in the courthouse rotunda, and continue to the
finale at the courthouse square on Sunday, Aug. 31.
Two sesquicentennial events
seem to be outgrowing their time slots. Half an hour on Aug. 24 is
set aside for the dedication of the newly restored Abraham Lincoln
well. Fifth Street between the Postville Courthouse and VFW Post
1756 will be blocked off for the ceremony, so it needs to be fairly
short. Yet 13 names are on the list of speakers. Shirley Bartelmay,
Postville cluster chair, said the list needs to be pared down to fit
the dedication within its time slot yet preserve the dignity of the
occasion.
The parade has grown so large
that the committee kicked its starting time back one hour. It is now
set to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, and continue to 12:30
p.m. Parade co-chairs Roger Matson and Don Vinson said they expect
50 to 75 antique tractors and engines (some may be displayed but not
in the parade); a spotted horses club and other horses pulling
buggies, carriages, wagons, surreys and a stagecoach; many bands;
floats; and up to 14 Abe Lincolns in individual convertibles.
The city of Lincoln, Mo., plans
to send 55 high-school musicians plus 80 townspeople. "The whole
town's getting excited," Matson reported. The parade route is so
long -- from Postville Park to downtown -- that walking is
discouraged and groups other than bands are urged to ride instead.
Entry forms are available from Matson and Vinson.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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In other reports, ethnic foods
chair Roger Bay said he has signed up three food vendors and hopes
to find eight for the downtown area. Some vendors will also follow
events to other venues.
Music chair Greg Pelc said he
plans seven stages and has asked 17 bands to play during the
three-day finale Aug. 29-31. The largest stage will be set up in the
downtown block of Broadway Street, in front of Kathleen's Hallmark
Shop and Cookie's Bakery. Pelc said the entertainment schedule is 90
percent in place, and he expects to announce the lineup in a month.
Ron Keller, who chairs the
re-enactment committee, has found a site for the Civil War ball on
Saturday, Aug. 30. Dancers will twirl their partners to music
provided by the 33rd Infantry Band at VFW Post 1756. Anyone wanting
to join a class on period dancing should contact Keller at the
Lincoln College Museum or Bonnie Knieriem in Mason City by March 1.
Earlier on Aug. 30 prospective
ball-goers can get in the Civil War mood by attending a battle
re-enactment on the field next to Bonanza. Keller said to expect
cannons and horses as part of the excitement. At Postville Park
other troops will set up an encampment.
As curator of the LC Museum,
Keller is planning a historical exhibit covering the 150-year
history of the city of Lincoln. He is requesting contributions of
artifacts that help tell the story of the community. Possibilities
include high-school diplomas, clothing, photos, newspapers and city
campaign buttons. Donated items will be stored and exhibited safely
and returned promptly after the exhibit ends. They must have the
donor's name attached.
Treasurer Paul Short said the
sesquicentennial checking account now holds approximately $20,000.
He has recently received three gifts of $500 and several smaller
donations. Some of this money was earmarked during the meeting. As
the largest example, Sharon Awe was granted another $2,500 beyond
the $8,000 she received a month ago to purchase souvenirs. This is
seed money, and the committee expects it to be more than repaid as
shirts, candles, plates, throws, Abe Lincoln beanbag dolls,
stovepipe hats and other souvenirs are snapped up by the public.
Queen contest chair Pat Geskey
announced prizes for the sesquicentennial queen and two runners-up.
The coronation ceremony will take place at the ice cream social
following the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln well on Aug. 24. As
at the centennial, the queen will be the contestant who sells the
most ice cream social tickets. Tickets are $1 each and entitle the
purchaser to cake and ice cream.
Prizes for the queen include a tiara, $500 in cash and a $100
savings bond. The first runner-up will be awarded $200 and the
second runner-up $100. Both will take home a $50 savings bond.
Geskey expects that businesses and organizations will also donate
prizes for the queen and her attendants.
[Lynn
Spellman]
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Well restoration
brings back local history
[FEB. 21, 2003]
It won't be long before
thirsty Lincoln residents can pump themselves a drink of water from
the Abraham Lincoln well, Terry "T.W." Werth told the Lincoln City Council
Tuesday evening.
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The check for $10,000 from former state
Sen. Robert Madigan's member initiative funds is in the bank, and
work can begin as soon as the weather permits. Werth said Charles E.
Jolly, owner of Reynolds Well Drilling Group of Springfield, is
ready and waiting to start. The well is located outside the VFW Hall
at 915 Fifth St.
Local historians say Abraham Lincoln
would have used water from this well, the only one in the old town
of Postville, when he was trying law cases at the Postville
Courthouse across the street and staying at the Deskins hotel, on
the present VFW site.
For those who want a memento of the
historic well, there will be about 1,150 bricks available that had
to be removed from the well to meet health department regulations.
The hand-cut bricks will be sealed to prevent deterioration and will
carry a brass plaque saying they are from the well Lincoln often
drank from while on the 8th Judicial Circuit. Each brick will cost
$25. The money will be used for the well's maintenance.
The well will be dedicated on Aug. 24,
2003, the first day of the upcoming Sesquicentennial, when the city
of Lincoln will celebrate its 150th birthday, Mayor Beth Davis said.
Werth, a local businessman and a county
board member, has been dedicated to restoring the well for the past
2½ years, since the day his curiosity got the best of him and he
asked Street Superintendent Donnie Osborne to lift the well's old
wooden cover and see what was under it.
He had been driving by the site for
years, he said, wondering if the old well was still there. The well
was ordered closed back in 1915 because it was a health hazard, as
tests from the University of Illinois showed it contained typhoid
fever germs. Because of that order, Werth thought he might see only
fill when the cover was removed.
However, what he saw was the historic
well much they way it had looked when it was dug about 1843.
"They abandoned it but didn't fill it
in. Lucky for us," he said.
The 34-foot-deep oval-shaped well was
dug in three sections, the first two lined with brick and the last
lined with wood, probably cedar, which is still perfectly preserved,
he said.
"The builders started working at the
top so it wouldn't cave in on them," Werth said. He said they used
half-moon-shaped boards to hold the soil back, then lined a section
with brick before they dug deeper. Each section is narrower than the
one above, the top section being about 7-by-8 feet, the next one
6-by-7 feet and the wooden section 5-by-6 feet.
Werth sent a camera down to take
pictures of each section of the well. These pictures, a valuable
historic record of the way wells were once constructed, will be on
display at the Postville Courthouse when they are suitably framed,
he said.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
Werth said that when debris in the old
well was pumped out, it was hauled out to the sewer plant, where he
went through it carefully. The only thing of value he found was a
gold watch case; the watch it once held had eroded away. He thinks a
wealthy man, such as a judge or perhaps a lawyer or doctor, must
have dropped his watch into the well. An ordinary working man would
not have been able to afford the gold watch, he said. There was no
identification on the case.
He said he had hoped to find a couple
of gold coins in the well debris, but evidently those getting a
drink kept their money firmly in their pockets.
[photos by Jan Youngquist]
Although the well had a hand pump on a
wooden platform when Werth was a boy, he believes that in Lincoln's
time it would have been an open well with a winch and a bucket to
lower into the water. The restoration, however, will have a wooden
platform and a brand-new hand pump, a replica of the kind of pump
that was used for so many years.
Other things about the restoration will
be different, too. Although the well committee tried its hardest,
there was no way they could pump safe drinking water from the well
as it was. All tests showed the water was polluted.
"We tried everything possible," he
said. "We tested and retested, we tried chlorinating it,
everything."
The only way to make drinking from the
well safe today is to use city water, he said. That means filling in
the top of the well and hooking it up to the city water system.
The well will be sealed 8 feet down
with pea gravel and lean concrete, then topped with sand, as
directed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
"The state insisted it be filled in,
one way or another," Werth said. "But it's still a piece of
history."
The work to be done by Charles Jolly is
hooking up the pump to the city water system, inserting a valve that
will prevent any water from going back into the city's system.
After that is done, a new wooden
platform and the replica of the old pump will be installed. Werth
doesn't think the work will take long, once Jolly can get started.
Jolly has been "incredible help" in the
well project and has never lost interest in it, Werth said. He also
praised the VFW for their cooperation, as well as Alderman Bill
Melton, chairman of the sewer committee.
Werth
remembers that he and his brother once drank from the old well,
sometime back in the 1950s.
[Joan Crabb]
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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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Links
to Other Tourism Sites in Illinois
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