To say that all my expectations of Springfield were swept away… is a gross understatement.
This may very well have been one of, if not the highlight(s) of our trip… what else would you think of when it comes to Abraham Lincoln?
Yesterday, we visited The Lincoln Home National Historic Site, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, and the Old Illinois State Capitol… quite a handful… but where to start…
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Let me start off by saying that Springfield is a different kind of Capital than you’d think… Rather than being a big city kind of like Austin or Dallas is, there are less skyscrapers, and feels more like a town such as San Marcos. Bigger of course, but not buried in skyscrapers.
Eventually, after several minutes of trying to find the parking place for the historic site, we finally found it, and the visitor center!
Heading inside, we not only discovered that tours were free, but also that the entire neighborhood around the Lincoln Home made up the site!
Maybe a better map is needed…
Ah, thats better! The Lincoln home is on the right side of the map, on the north edge of Jackson street.
Wow… this place is pristine! And by pristine, I mean very close to what Mr. Lincoln would have experienced.
This wagon is similar to the kind many traders would have used going throughout the area, including a freedman who maintained a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Freedman’s House, located in the plot behind the wagon, is long gone, but archaeological digs have revealed a lot of interesting stuff, from house foundations, to artifacts.
This replica of a Lincoln campaign wagon was also on the premises! Lincoln is perhaps the most famous of the Log Cabin Presidents. Hundreds would show up in the neighborhood for a rally or two right on the Lincolns’ doorstep.
And then, we came to the Lincoln House itself… in 1844, the Lincoln’s, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, moved in, back hen this was only a three story house. All four of their sons, Robert Todd, Eddie, Willie, and Tad, were born here. Sadly, Eddie also died here at just 3 years old. With the additions of Willie and Tad to the family, the Lincolns added a second story to the house.
Interestingly, this was the only house that Lincoln ever owned, as he either rented a place in a town, or was on the road. After marrying Marry Ann Todd, and adopting the Law practice, he settled here for nearly 17 years.
Our crusty tour guide (who claimed to have known the Lincoln Family because of his age), immediately took us into the home, along with a decent sized group.
Its often times hard to tell if some of these props were actually original. As the Lincolns made ready to head to Washington, they sold nearly all their furniture to neighbors and friends, while others were stored in a safe location. The house was rented to a resident of Springfield who lived there for a while before gifting it to the town of Springfield. Unfortunately, many of the original furniture pieces that he retained were destroyed in an 1874 fire. The Lincolns originally planned to come back to their home after they left The White House. It didn’t turn out that way.
This room was considered the “Parlor Room”, and was exclusively used when guests were over, or when parties were in full swing. Other than that, it was not in normal use by the family. It was in this room though, that Lincoln received notice that he had been nominated by the newly emerging Republican Party for president.
Here’s the kitchen! Those people through there are later in the tour, and in the kitchen. They come down from a second flight of stairs, and out that door in the way back.
This room was the living room, where Lincoln would play with his different sons running around… Imagine, our tallest president, 6″, 4, running about with little children a third of his height. Must’ve been quite the spectacle. It seems that the Lincoln Boys weren’t taught the word “NO”, so much, that they got on the neighbor’s nerves, to point that when the Lincolns left, some went, WOHOO! (as quoted by our tour-guide).
Another hilarious story was when Mary Lincoln was going to visit her sister nearby for a couple of hours, so she left Abe to watch over Willie, who was holding the handle to a wagon that his son was in, while he himself was sitting in a comfortable chair. Getting so deep into the book he was reading, he didn’t notice that Willie got up and left the house, and was then found by his mother playing in the street. Let’s just say that the discovery didn’t end pleasantly for Willie, or for his father.
We headed upstairs, and found this. From this desk, Lincoln wrote many famous speeches, including his “House Divided” speech. I wonder how his tallness could have fit in the tiny space here…
And here is the master bedroom. Mary Lincoln absolutely adored the “fleur-de-lis” style of the wallpaper.
These rooms were very advanced for their time, as there was not only an air conditioning system (AKA opening a window), but also a plumbing system (AKA chamberpots and outhouses).
This is inside one of the boy’s bedrooms, which had numerous toys, such as…
Marbles! Wooden ones too.
Back downstairs, we found both the kitchen and the stove… sigh… if only that food was real…
Back outside, we found the outhouse for three…. “The family that goes together” I suppose (I apologize, that joke was beneath me).
These ladies actually provide tours here, which we of course, participated in. They were very nice people, but I still have no idea how they managed to survive in those clothes, with it being 90 degrees.
In the visitor center was also this actual casting of Lincoln’s hand! Only a few castings were made of Lincoln’s hand and Head, and this was one of them. That bar he is holding is actually a broomstick handle, as Lincoln needed something to steady his swollen hand after shaking the hands of hundreds of people. We’ve seen a similar casting a few months earlier at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
We had spent quite a while at the Home, in fact, the whole morning, so we rushed over to the Library and Museum to explore.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
While not one of the Main 13 Libraries of the Presidential Library System (Libraries sponsored by the National Archives), this is regardless one of the most fantastic and state-of-the art museums that I have ever visited (Coming from someone who loves to visit museums, thats saying a lot).
It was pretty large too, with the Museum portion on this side of the street…
And the Library on the other! Naturally of course, the Library part is the actual archives and records. Our focus is in the Museum.
After eating Subway in the restaurant for lunch (Yes, there is one here), We entered the main hall. This hall… THIS HALL! Sigh… sorry, this museum overwhelmed me from the start, and I’m still trying to get over it. The log cabin on the left leads into Abe’s early years, and the White House leads into the presidency, and Abe’s struggle against the greatest national crisis we have ever known. Before we get too far…
The Lincoln family themselves. One of the things that I was really impressed with was the quality of the figures throughout the Museum. This included the Lincolns, Generals George B. McClellan and Ulysses S. Grant, to Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, and even John Wilkes Booth, who hid nearby (which I did not take pictures of…).
Honest Abe as everyone knows, Was born in a Log Cabin. Growing up in Kentucky and Indiana, the young Abraham was a hard worker, and chopped his own wood among other rigorous chores. But what stuck out the most was Abe’s profound thirst for reading, and learning. Whatever book came his way, he soaked it in “Like a dry sponge to water”. It was in this way that Abe sharpened his mind and broadened his interests and knowledge.
This actual cabin that Lincoln used was decorated much in the way as it would have been when Lincoln lived in it with his four brothers and parents. In the distance, you swear that you could hear the Thwack, Thwack of Abe’s axe as he chopped his own wood.
This display was one of the most vivid images in the Museum, a family of slaves being torn apart by Southern Slaveowners. The models were lifelike to perfection, the lighting was absolutely symbolic, and little, subtle features were truly emotion-setting, including the tears in the Mother’s eyes.
And in a shop like this, Mary Ann Todd and Abraham Lincoln would often confer about numerous topics of the day, and soon enough, they would be wed.
Sorry that I’m being so heavy on the models at the moment, but they are really a key feature of the Museum. Lincoln would often confer to his wife on topics of the day, including the outrage of the Compromise of 1850, extending slavery’s power. A member of the Whig Party during it’s waning days, Lincoln would be one of the frontrunners of the newly emerging Republican Party. Lincoln was not a success at everything either… he’s lost many elections, including those to the Illinois Legislature, and the U.S. Senate.
Where his opponent, Stephen A. Douglas promoted Slavery with fiery bursts of outrage, Lincoln’s personable and righteous ideals won the people over, but by very slim margins. Soon enough, to protect their way of life, the southern states began succeeding, and the fiery embers of war burst at Fort Sumter in 1861, just months after Lincoln was elected. Our nation was embittered in a great Civil War.
Sounds of cannon fire, screaming, and death around us in the exhibits certainly added a very surreal tone…
Mary Lincoln was a stunning hostess, but many criticized her with the “uncouthness” of the West. She had many icy relationships with other women of the time, including Julia Grant (wife of Ulysses S. Grant), Harriet Lane (Niece of outgoing president James Buchanan), and others. She was fighting her own battle, as was her husband.
Things worsened for both of them when poor Willie died of Typhoid fever in the White house.
The Lincolns often found themselves in a state of Depression… Mary often wore black to mourn her losses, and the signs of stress and depression were etched on the president’s face as the war dragged on…
One thing that the Library did a very great job on, was emphasizing that Lincoln was not considered a hero or a savior by many people at the time. Many criticized him for his decisions and stances on slavery and war strategies, and many lambasted him with different political cartoons.
Such as these (sorry for the poor quality).
Here’s another Life mask that was made during his Republican Nomination, without the beard. Notice how young he looks… compared with the other.
Stop for a minute and compare the two. The changes are very evident. The gaunt face, the wrinkles, the lines of sorrow on Lincoln’s face… the war had given him tremendous scars, both physically, and emotionally. The person who sculpted the second piece had sweared that it was a death mask.
This room made me tear up the most. It was dedicated to his Gettysburg Address. Looking at the memorial while the voice of Lincoln spoke those famous words was enough to make anyone cry a little inside. Words can’t express the emotions that poured from the exhibits.
And finally, when at last he prevailed over the hardships of the war, it was at Ford’s Theatre that he went for one last night of pleasure. I’m sure that I needn’t tell you of what happened that night in great detail, but I will only say this. Lincoln’s death at the height of his popularity had only made him into a martyr, and one of our greatest standards of freedom for our country.
Looking into Lincoln’s eyes, you can tell many things… there was sorrow, sadness, anguish, joy, laughter, and determination all throughout his life. Monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Penny have certainly enshrined him into something of a legend, of that there is little doubt. But looking deeper, beyond the visage of that beard and hat, you can see that he was a human, just like any of us. You’ve heard me already talk of the virtues and morals of the last three presidents in this blog, but this time, I’ll go further. Lincoln was not an expert in everything… and he was certainly not invincible, as he lost many elections, and his second son before he persevered and succeeded. And isn’t that what every person’s journey is? You go on, make mistakes, learn from them, and if you truly care, you become a better person, and you can succeed in life. Legends are fine, but I’d say that the real Lincoln is just as worthy of praise and recognition as his tale and visage is to this day.
And so we shall.
We then came across the gift shop. I’m not sure if it was the euphoria after everything I had seen, or if it was just a clever idea… but…
I… love this! I mean look at it, it looks like Lincoln’s Hat, but its a coffee cup and it’s saucer! My compliments to whoever came up with this (I didn’t get this of course).
Anyways, after getting a number of gifts from the Gift Shop [Including a book, keychain, large version of a Wheat Penny, and a set collection of different Lincoln Coins (In that including a Wheat Penny, Steel Penny, Memorial and Shield Obverses of pennies, the four 2009 commemorative designs, and the Lincoln Coin of the Presidential $1 Coin Series)], we departed the library to head to Oak Ridge Cemetery… and the final resting place of one of our most beloved Presidents.
Lincoln’s Tomb (Oak Ridge Cemetery)
Oak Ridge Cemetery wasn’t hard to find at all, and after a drive of a few minutes, we came to the gates.
Taking a wrong turn inside the cemetery, we went around the back of the hill that the tomb was situated on…
Still, a very unique cemetery.
And what should we come across, but this receiving vault. After the weeks long funeral procession of President Lincoln, he and his second son “Eddie” were interred in this crypt for 5 years, before a second tomb was constructed.
Heck, why am I typing all that? It says it right there.
Anyways, we went back up the hill on the other side, and found the parking place. It was sweltering hot, but we began our approach.
Let me say, that it was a lot bigger than I expected it to be.
This famous Lincoln Bust has a tradition, that people would touch the large nose for good luck. You can see where the surface of the nose has tarnished a bit to the millions of hands that have touched it. Seriously, that nose was huge. Even Jimmy Durante would be impressed by that “Shnozzola”.
This Small model in the entrance hall of the tomb was actually the original for the Lincoln Memorial. Kind of a fitting place, if you think about it.
The Tomb is laid out in a square like structure, this been on the southern side. The West and East sides were hallways to the crypt room, which was the north side.
And finally, we came to it.
Abraham Lincoln is buried under 10 Ft of Concrete, and this special memorial.
Behind us, were also the crypts of Mrs. Lincoln, and three of his four sons (Robert Todd Lincoln, the only son to grow to adulthood, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia (which we have visited).
After several minutes of quiet reflection, we paid our respects, left a penny on the floor, and exited the tomb.
This is the back of the tomb, which we walked around (walking on the upper level was prohibited).
Down the hill, between the current tomb and the Receiving vault, was this stone marker, signifying the spot of the second tomb. After a band of counterfeiters failed in their plot to kidnap the president’s body to hold ransom in exchange for one of their captured associates, Robert Todd Lincoln (Lincoln’s eldest and last remaining son) had the new tomb constructed, and the second one demolished.
Old Illinois State Capitol
Our last thing to do was actually a surprise. However, we passed by the Current State Capitol of Illinois.
I’ll provide a better picture not from our trip.
This statue was at the base of the Capitol. It seems that they love their native son.
But then we came to the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln served in the Legislature, as well as a lawyer.
With only a few minutes left to look around, we went inside, and found someone we didn’t expect…
Mr. Lincoln!
My dad and I were absolutely astounded to see someone who looked so much like Mr. Lincoln! He nearly had every detail down to a point, from the beard, to the hair, the height, even the characteristic mole that he had on his face! Needless to say, he made a very good comeback from the grave. When my dad told this to him, he seemed confused. 😉
As dad continued to converse with him, we saw the room where the State House of Representatives met, which was where Lincoln gave his famous “House divided against itself” Speech. I didn’t take a picture sadly.. but i’ll provide one.
In further discussion with Mr. Lincoln’s impersonator, we found out that he was the same actor who played Lincoln in the Fox News mini-series, “Legends and Lies”, based on the Civil War. Dad was especially thrilled, as he is a regular watcher of Fox News. We chatted for a while!
Finally ushered out by the staff, we bade farewell to Mr. Lincoln with some final pictures, and returned with ecstasy to the car, and away from Springfield.
Now, we come to this morning, where we are currently staying in Danville, an Illinois town barely a mile from the border to Indiana. At the Sleep In we are currently staying at, our generous manager liked us so much, that she upgraded us to a premium room! Either this has been the greatest day of the trip, or we both have been spoiled…
Today will thankfully be a lot less busy than yesterday. We plan to cross into Indiana, and come way to Indianapolis, where we will see a couple of sites that pertain to Benjamin Harrison, our 23rd President, before heading further north.
As there might not be as much to post about today, I think i will provide a recap of all the Presidential Libraries and grave-sites we have visited, including those outside of the trip!
Hoping that you all had a great Father’s day! This is Mark Altenhoff, signing out!
Mark's Historical Roadtrips! 