Day 3. Springfield, Thursday 9 Feb. It’s the capital of the State of Illinois. The old and new capitol buildings are impressive. The first three were taken the day before at the end of Day 2; the rest are from my morning walk in some very, very cold weather. At least it wasn’t snowing.
In one of the pictures in this set one sees the building where Lincoln had his law office. There’s a fine Lincoln statue in front of the new capitol building. Just before the Lincoln picture is a detail of the front of the Illinois Supreme Court building.
After the Capitol one sees some nearby houses, the Executive Mansion and the unmistakable Frank Lloyd Wright Dana-Thomas House (1902). Sadly, I did not have time for the tour which would have been the only way to see it. Another time.
The highlight of the walk and worth the freezing temperatures was the Lincoln Home National Historic Site (run by our national treasure – the US National Park Service) which has the Springfield home and also preserves some houses around it in a historic district. Lincoln lived in the house from 1844 to 1861, until he moved to Washington after becoming the 16th President of the United States. It is the only home he ever owned. His son Robert Lincoln deeded it over to the State of Illinois in 1887, and it contains a lot of original furniture.
That is Lincoln’s rocking chair. The writing table was his too and is in the bedroom upstairs. This was an outstanding visit made even better by an incredibly knowledgeable guide. One could feel his enthusiasm. There were only three of us on the tour – I sensed that Springfield in freezing February weather is not a big tourist draw. Immediately following the picture of our guide are two pictures of the house itself, followed by some interior shots and then some neighboring structures at the site.
In this set is also the historic Great Western Depot where Lincoln would arrive in and depart by train from Springfield. On Monday, February 11, 1861, a train left the depot to take Lincoln to Washington to assume office (inaugurations were held later back then) – it was the last day Lincoln spent in Springfield. The quote from his Farewell Address is at an unfinished wall mural nearby.
The Lincoln Tomb is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield; it is the final resting place of President Lincoln, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and three of their four sons. In front is a bronze reproduction of Gutzon Borglum’s head of Lincoln in the US Capitol resting on a pedestal. It seems that the custom is to rub the nose to a glossy shine for good luck. Why not? I did so, too. Berkeleyans, you can see another replica of the very same Borglum sculpture at the Campanile on the Cal campus.
For me, Abraham Lincoln was America’s greatest president. There is so much I admire about him. This was truly memorable to see these sites for the first time.
