Bath in Mason County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
On This Spot Abraham Lincoln Spoke to the Citizens of Bath
Abraham Lincoln spoke to
the Citizens of Bath,
as he campaigned for
the United States Senate.
Taking a Bible
from his pocket, he read:
Mark 3-25
”A house divided against
itself cannot stand…”
and so
began his historic speech.
August 16, 1858
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 16, 1858.
Location. 40° 11.658′ N, 90° 8.415′ W. Marker is in Bath, Illinois, in Mason County. Marker is on North Oak Street (Illinois Route 78) south of West Lincoln Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in a grassy plaza on the west side of the highway, about 10 yards in from the road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bath IL 62617, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Abraham Lincoln - Eighth Judicial District (approx. 8.4 miles away); Mason County's Tribute to the Soldiers 1861 - 1865 (approx. 8.4 miles away); Chandlerville (approx. 9.9 miles away); Lewistown Trail (approx. 14 miles away).
More about this marker. Marker is a large painted metal tablet with a bas-relief image of Abraham Lincoln. It is mounted vertically on a three-foot tall granite monument.
Also see . . .
1. Bath, Illinois. The town of Bath, Illinois was settled in 1828 by John Stewart and John Gillespie, soon to be followed by other Kentuckians. Abraham Lincoln surveyed the town in 1836. (Submitted on January 27, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Lincoln the Surveyor. Sangamon County surveyor John Calhoun came out to New Salem, looked up Lincoln and said, "I want you to be a land surveyor." It was 1833 - a time when many settlers were moving into the area and prospectors were looking for town sites. Calhoun could not handle all of the surveying himself. Lincoln perused two books on the topic with the help of Mentor Graham and then essentially taught himself to survey. He surveyed roads, school sections and pieces of farm land, from four-acre plots to 160-acre farms in such towns as Petersburg, Bath, New Boston, Albany, Huron and others. (Submitted on January 27, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 27, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 404 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 27, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.