The stories surrounding Abraham Lincoln makes him one of America’s great heroes. However, a trip to Springfield, Illinois, where he spent 25 years as a citizen, lawyer and state representative prior to his presidency (1861-65), gives visitors a look at his humanity.
The first clues about the character of any
man are in the way he lives so you’ll probably want to head straight to
the historic district at Eighth and Jackson Street and check out his
house. Painted in Quaker yellow with brown trim and green shutters, the
stunning Greek Revival contains many pieces of the Lincolns’ mahogany
furniture. Their placement has been carefully studied with the help of
historic photos, 1865 stereocards and 1860 drawings from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.
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| Lincoln living room |
As a circuit rider for the Eight Judicial
Court (1847-57), Lincoln gained reputation and wealth. Because he was
away from home a lot, sometimes three months at a time, he’d buy gifts
for his sons, Willie and Tad, among them a
stereoscope (worth about $8,000 to $10,000 today) that displayed
three-dimensional photographic images like a Viewmaster. The boys’
favorites were Niagara Falls and the Taj Mahal.
Lincoln was a great orator and storyteller
and he probably learned this by reading books out loud to his sons in
the family’s living room. He loved Shakespeare, Robert Burns and
Charles Dickens and his bookcase held both their books and small busts
of each author.
His
shaving stand and mirror are located in his bedroom (couples at that
time had separate bedrooms). He undoubtedly used them to groom himself,
including the time he grew a new beard to make himself look
presidential, as 11-year-old Grace Bedell suggested he do. His desk is
also there.
Lincoln kept paintings and busts of his two
heroes, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, in both his home and law
office. These “geniuses,” as he called them, sought to preserve the
Union from sectionalism and war through compromise.
Lincoln’s house was built in 1839 as a
one-and-a-half story cottage and later expanded to a full two stories.
The family had an African American maid whom they offered free room and
board as well as $1 a day wage (equivalent to $20-27 today). However,
Mary Lincoln insisted on cooking meals, a habit she had to break once
they moved into the White House. In the backyard, the family had a
three-seater outhouse and a garden.
Operated by the National Park Service, the Lincoln Home Center and Neighborhood
highlights Lincoln’s legal career, his time on the Eighth Judicial
Circuit as well as his early political career. Tour guides eagerly
share narratives about his family, the history of the area, the ways of
the times.
The Visitors Center provides a short film
on Lincoln’s life in Springfield. Free tickets are available at the
Information Desk. Parking is $2. The building is fully accessible to
persons with disabilities.
Lincoln-Herndon Law Office
Lincoln wrote his first inaugural address
in this building on the third floor behind the wall of the present
building. He hid there because his office was too noisy with many, many
well-wishers.
Lincoln’s law office grew in size when he
became a senior partner. Visitors will soon realize that Lincoln wasn’t
just some hick from a Kentucky log cabin. He was an astute, savvy and
wealthy man who knew his way around politics, first as a Whig and later
as a leader of the new Republican Party.
The Lincoln-HerndonLaw Offices State Historic Site is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Make reservations by calling the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-545-7300 or check out its website.
A
visit to Springfield allows visitors to get an idea of what it was like
to live in a small, Midwestern town. Lincoln lived in what is now
known as the historic district and visitors can walk the same streets he
walked and catch the obvious spirit of a place that reflects much of
Lincoln himself. In fact, Springfield became the seat of state
government in 1839 thanks to the efforts of Lincoln and his associates,
nicknamed the “Long Nine” for their combined height of 54 feet.
“Looking for Lincoln” signs dot the
historic district with mini-histories of Lincoln and his times. You can
see how Lincoln pursued the American dream, a path people can more
readily identify with here than in Washington where the president is
immortalized in stone.
Banners of Lincoln line the downtown streets signifying a profound pride in Springfield’s favorite son without overdoing it.
Lincoln Museum
Dioramas create a light and sound experience with the following memorable exhibits:
- Lincoln at the War Department reading the casualties of war.
- Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, amid the highly political nature of this law that became the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in December 1865.
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| Diorama of Lincoln and advisers discussing Emancipation Proclamation |
- Young Tad sick in bed with his parents at his side as they take time out from a party in the White House ballroom.
- Lincoln’s last moments at Ford’s Theatre where John Wilkes Booth is just about to enter the door leading to the president’s box.
The most
dramatic diorama is Lincoln’s funeral display with his casket. It is
modeled after the only remaining photo of the event that was discovered
in 1951 by a 14-year-old Ron Rietveld (pronounced “REET-veld”), who later became a famous Lincoln scholar at California State University-Fullerton.
In the Gallery of Treasures, you can see
Lincoln’s blood stains left on his white gloves and Mrs. Lincoln’s fan
that they used on that fatal night. There is also an 1850s silk
stovepipe hat from his circuit rider days. Its brim is worn out by the
young lawyer’s thumb and two fingers due to his habit of tipping his hat
to passersby.
Most interesting are the displays showing
the vicious attacks Lincoln endured from politicians, journalists and
ordinary citizens who hated him because he was perceived as too
supportive of Black slaves. The collection includes negative headlines
and stories, cartoons, editorials, and even Lincoln effigy dolls.
Lincoln
was one of four candidates running for president in 1860 and he
captured only 40 percent of the vote entirely on support in the Northern
states. He won two of 996 counties in the South and was not even on
the ballot in nine Southern states. His victory in the Electoral
College was more decisive, however, with 180 votes while his three
opponents garnered only 123 votes. The War Gallery also hosts letters and photos of Civil War soldiers.
Of particular interest is the “Civil War in Four Minutes,” a film which follows the course of the war. You can see the changing battle lines across a map the eastern United States as explosions denote battles and an “odometer of death” keeps a running total of Union and Confederate casualties.
The museum has done an admirable job of depicting Lincoln’s life in an engaging and digestible way. School children can learn as much as any adult.
Lincoln’s tomb
Another experience of the man necessitates a visit to his tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
I fortunately happened upon it for the Flag-Lowering Ceremony (held on
Tuesdays June through August at 7 p.m.) conducted by the 114th Infantry Regiment Illinois Volunteers Reactivated.
A trumpeter and drummer begin the ceremony
with songs of the era: “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “When Johnny
Comes Marching Home Again.” Union “soldiers” pay their respects to the
fallen president with weapons inspection, the lowering of the state and
U.S. flags, three rifle rounds and a cannon salute.
You can still feel the heavy sadness of the
place nearly 150 years after his death in the quiet and respectful
crowds that gather there. And, you can imagine Mary Todd Lincoln, and
her surviving sons, Robert and Thomas “Tad,” grieving, as a handful of
women and children dress in period costumes.
After the ceremony, visitors are invited into the tomb.
The tomb, designed by sculptor Larkin Mead,
is constructed of brick sheathed with Quincy granite. The base is a
72-foot square with large semi-circular projections on the north and
south sides. Double sets of north and south stairs lead to a terrace
and a 117-foot obelisk rises high above.
Inside, the labyrinthine marble hallways
with bronze trim reflect the solemnity of the tomb and the greatness of
the man. Small bronze sculptures featuring different times in his life
are also on display: circuit rider, new president, agonizing
president. Finally, you reach his tomb, where his body lies 10 feet
below the surface. It is a truly moving and unforgettable experience.
Cemetery hours are 9 to 5 and guides are available to answer questions.
Union Station and Union Square Park
The recently-opened Union Station Visitor Center
marks another important place in Lincoln’s life: he left for
Washington from here and gave a spontaneous farewell speech to his
Springfield neighbors on February 11, 1861.
Union Station Visitor Center, located
across from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, offers
on-site booking of hotel accommodations and special event packages that
are scheduled across the state of Illinois (217)557-4588.
Union Square Park has been the scene of
many free events and performances, including the 33rd Illinois Vol.
Regiment Band and the 10th Illinois Vol. Cavalry Regiment Band (both
Civil War re-enactment groups); Mary Lincoln's Strawberry Party (a
summertime family event); July 4th celebration, New Century Orchestra,
Springfield International Folk Dancers, and many more musical
performances throughout the year.
Springfield
Springfield
was a multicultural town when Lincoln lived in it. There were African
Americans, Poles, Irish, Germans, Swedes, and recently, historians
discovered a site of an Underground Railroad stop. The first white
settlement of Sangamon County was founded in 1817 when Robert Pullman
built a log cabin 10 miles south of what would become Springfield.
The Old State Capitol Square (next to Lincoln’s law office) commemorates other important moments in Springfield’s history with bronze plaques.
- The ill-fated Donner Party left from here in April 15, 1846.
- Eight hundred Potawatomie walked through town on September 29, 1838, during a forced march out of Indiana toward re-settlement in Kansas. They did it with great dignity by dressing up in their best clothes, reported Jared P. Irwin, a stone mason working on the State Capitol building.
- Stephen Douglas gave his famous “Protect the Flag” speech here on April 25, 1861, in an attempt to save the country.
- Nearby, the August 1908 race riots on Adams between Fifth and Sixth Streets eventually led to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.
- In February 2007 then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama officially announced his candidacy for President of the United States, and in August 2008 he formally introduced his vice-presidential candidate, Joe Biden.
The Old State
Capitol Square has become a gathering place, especially at lunchtime.
During the summer there’s a small farmers market and an open-air
barbecue.
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