World United States Illinois Springfield

Mike and Roxanne travel east

Springfield, IL Oct 28, 2007

Oct 28 51791 8:40

It has been a short stay in Indiana but a pleasant one. The sky is clear and blue this morning. We did have temperatures around freezing last night, but I guess we should expect that from now on unless we make a drastic turn to the south, which we have no plans on doing.

We are headed to Illinois and another chapter in the life of Abraham Lincoln.

We are traveling through the countryside just outside of Terre Haute. The properties are large with mowed lawns that extend alongside the highway in front of cornfields. There are many streams and bogs in this area, tributaries of the Wabash River. It was through country like this that Clark led his men during that cold February 1779.

This are is flat, the only high spots are the trees and an occasional overpass over the railroad tracks. Small towns dot the landscape every 10 miles are so and this is Amish country. Lots and lots of cornfield in all directions as far as you can see.

We just saw our first Amish buggy on the highway. All enclosed, black being pulled at a fair pace by a horse.

Well, we just ran into an interesting problem, the bridge over the lake just west of Decatur, Illinois is under construction and you have to be less than 8'7" wide, we are 120" wide. So now we find another rout. Luckily there are three bridges across the lake so we opt for the one to the north.

Lincoln in Illinois

When Lincoln entered Illinois at 21 he hardly seemed destined for greatness. He was walking beside his family's wagon and had only 1 year of formal education.

Here in Illinois Lincoln held a variety of jobs, flatboat pilot, surveyor, militia captain, storeowner, state representative, congressman and itinerant attorney.

Lincoln and his family first settled in a cabin above the Sangamon River, west of Decatur. Here he worked splitting rails for fences, and firewood. He also worked as a flatboat captain on the Mississippi River. In 1832 he moved to New Salem. He arrived here in rough clothes with only a meager education mostly home taught. In New Salem Lincoln held jobs as the postmaster, storeowner and a surveyor.

Even though New Salem was unprofitable in a financial since here he realized that his lack of education was a detriment and took lessons from a local schoolmaster.

Lincoln was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1834 and for the next three years Lincoln and 8 ether legislators fought to have the state capital moved to Springfield. They were successful and were honored with a banquet in New Salem in 1837.

On April 15, 1837 Lincoln moved to Springfield where he spent much his time as an attorney in the 8th Judicial Circuit. Lincoln would handle state and local cases during the 40's and 50's everything from divorces to railroad lawsuits to murder trials.

Besides becoming proficient as a lawyer and orator during this time Lincoln met Mary Todd and after a storm courtship, they were married in November 1842. In 1844 they bought the house they would live in for the next 17 years and here three of their four sons would be born. Of these only Robert Todd would grow to adulthood.

Mary came from a much different background than Lincoln and from her he learned social graces. There home was the scene of many parties and get togethers over the years. The front parlors were used for these occasions and the rambunctious boys were not allowed in here.

Lincoln proved to be a good father even though he may have been a little too lenient at times, such as laughing off the time the boys bought the family goats into the White House while he was President and Mary was having a reception. His statement was "boys will be boys."

Lincoln was well respected in Springfield and often dawdled on the way home at night to talk to neighbors, or play with the neighborhood children. Many times Mary had to send the boys after him.

Mary had come from a wealthy family and had to learn many new things also once she married Lincoln. Cooking, cleaning and raising children had previously been left to hired help but until Lincoln became prosperous as a lawyer she took these duties upon her self and became in Lincoln's words, "an excellent cook."

In was in this house that Lincoln learned of his nomination as President of the U.S. and it was to be here that he planned on retiring. That of course was not to happen as the 16th President of the United States was shot at Ford's Theater on April 1865.

The body was brought back to Springfield for burial and laid in state at the Springfield State House for two days before internment. Thousands turned out to morn the man was had a humble birth in a small cabin in Kentucky, lived a simple boyhood and grew to manhood in Indiana, learned life skills and a career in Illinois and during his time in the white House came to be considered as one of the greatest President's of all times.

As we leave Lincoln's home we find a map of Route 66 in Illinois and decide to follow it to St. Louis our next stop.

Our home for the night is to be the Safari RV in East St. Louis. We get there and try to find the manager, no luck. No one answers the door so we go find a spot a set up. I go back and try again, no answer, this time I leave a note as to what slot we are in and ask then to come see us.

We go to bed at 10:00 and no one has come by, will try again in the morning.