State Bank of Lincoln’s “Christening Lincoln” statue now on-spot in the Lincoln Depot

 

[February 16, 2019] 

On Friday morning months of planning and preparing came to an end when State Bank of Lincoln President Steve Aughenbaugh officially presented the bank’s prized Abraham Lincoln statue to Logan County Tourism Bureau Director Morgan Gleason.

The statue dubbed ‘The Christening Lincoln’ was sculpted by Edna Goodenough. It is on long-term loan and now serves as the focal point of the south room of the Lincoln Depot where many tourists and visitors will see it.

L to R:  Tracy Welch, Steve Aughenbaugh, Morgan Gleason, Kathy Horn, Marilyn Wheat

Joining in the event were Tourism Bureau members Kathy Horn, Tracy Welch and Marilyn Wheat.

The bureau moved into the Lincoln Depot mid-2018 and the board established a committee to work on furnishing the then empty building, which began by creating a vision for how the spaces would be used.

The office for tourism staff was established in the original ticket room, leaving the south room with its amazing bay windowed area and the north room, as blank canvases for the committee to work with.

From the beginning the committee determined the window area in the south room would become a focal point for the entire area. They wanted to put something there that would reflect the Lincoln christening site that is marked on the property just a few feet to the south of the building, close to Broadway Street.

Outside there is a marker that features a watermelon and signage explaining that long before Abraham Lincoln made the decision to run for President of the United States, he christened the city named for him with the juice from a watermelon.

As discussions continued it was learned that the State Bank of Lincoln was working to establish their Sangamon Street branch as a drive up window service only. Inside that branch are a number of Abraham Lincoln artworks, including the Goodenough statue of the christening.

The bureau approached Aughenbaugh about borrowing the statue long term for placement in the window. Aughenbaugh was in favor of the idea and took it to his board to get their opinion. The State Bank board was also in favor.

In preparation for the transfer on Friday, Aughenbaugh issued the following written statement for media:

“I was approached a few months ago by the folks at the Logan County Tourism Bureau asking me if the bank would have an interest in loaning our Abraham Lincoln statue to them to be put on display at the newly refurbished Lincoln Depot.

“Our Abe statue was located at our Sangamon Street branch, which is now a drive up only facility, and it didn’t offer much opportunity for people to see the statue.

“By relocating the statue to the Lincoln Depot we feel the new location will provide greater access to the statue for all of Logan County and our visitors to enjoy.”
 

The bureau and the bank worked for several weeks to establish a loan agreement, assuring the ownership and the safe keeping of the statue by the tourism bureau was properly defined. The platform was built by local wood worker Jason Hoffman, and on Thursday, February 14th, Abe was moved from his State Bank perch to the Lincoln Depot by Brad Matthews and members of his crew.

Along with the statue came the watermelon Goodenough designed for it, plus a molding of Abraham Lincoln’s hands, and metal plates outlining the size of Mr. Lincoln’s feet. Currently the hands and feet are on display with the statue, but the bureau plans to secure those items in a location where that visitors can safely touch them and compare themselves to Mr. Lincoln, an easy way to comprehend just how tall and how large the 16th President actually was.

The statue is just one of many things that are in the depot. The depot committee wanted the south building to be a place where visitors to Lincoln and Logan County could come in and get a feel for what can be found throughout the county from a tourism perspective.

The first step was to establish information areas where visitors could collect written guides and information about all that Logan County has to offer. Four information kiosks were purchased from a professional display company.

The kiosks have top portions that can hold large posters. Gleason and Tourism Assistant Kaylee Kirby worked with Lincoln Printers to design posters that would reflect specific attractions within the county.

The committee also commissioned Jason Hoffman to custom build four glass display cases. Each case will eventually hold items that offer examples of what can be seen at various locations throughout the county.

To date, one case is filled with items on the history of trains, on loan from the Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society.

For the month of February the LCG&HS has also set up a display in a second case that shows the beautiful, artistic Valentines of the past. That display will be at the depot through the rest of the month and is well worth stopping in to see.

Also in the south room are two additional special items. Stuart and Linda Churchill donated an antique curio/china cabinet. Inside the cabinet is an item provided by the LCG&HS. As many know, Lincoln gave a very well attended speech in the town of Lincoln when he was running for president. A few years ago, the LCG&HS worked to have a statue created and established on the lawn of the Logan County Courthouse.

As a part of their work, they commissioned sculptor David Seagraves to do the final piece. Part of the fundraising effort included creating 22 miniature sculptures that would be sold. Seagraves presented to the LCGH&S a model of the statue made from clay. The LCG&HS has now brought that statue to the Depot and it is on display in the curio/china cabinet donated by the Churchill’s.

In the north room, the committee is working to establish the room as a location for the community.

Also while working to determine how to address the room, the committee knew that they wanted benches and a large screen television. The television could be used to show slideshows of events that happen on a routine basis in Logan County. It could also be used for special meetings with a wi-fi connection for power-point presentation, and could play movies or other videos.

The group learned that St. John’s United Church of Christ in Lincoln was doing some work in their church sanctuary and as a result would have some church pews that they might not be using. The church was approached to see if they would want to sell some of those benches. In the end the Tourism Bureau collected a number of benches from the church in return for a cash donation. The benches are sound and solid, and plans are underway to have them refinished in a wood stain that will match the woodwork in the building.

The Lincoln Heritage Museum had a collection of prints made from glass negatives of locations and people around the city of Lincoln and beyond. Those prints on loan to the Tourism Bureau now grace the walls of the north room.

While the committee and the tourism board still have a few more projects in mind, purposeful design and use is coming along nicely.

This week the Bureau in partnership with the Lincoln Family Theater, Postville Courthouse, and Lincoln Heritage Museum provided a day in Lincoln with Lincoln Elementary, Olympia South Junior High and New Holland Middletown School students on Friday. The kids were the first official “tourists” to get to see the Lincoln statue.

Today, Saturday, February 16th, there will be adult tours offered. Those in attendance will then be the second group to get to see the statue on display in its new surroundings.

For the students it was a great day, and they all appeared to enjoy being a part of the event, and seeing the Lincoln statue. Look for more details on the students visits in an accompanying story in Lincoln Daily News.

[Nila Smith]