Pittsfield in Pike County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Charles Lame House

Looking for Lincoln

— Lincoln's Pike County —

Charles Lame House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Emily Pursley, December 16, 2018

1. Charles Lame House Marker

Inscription. Lincoln visited here. Lincoln’s 1858 Senatorial campaign visit to Pittsfield prompted a test firing of the cannon which was a popular campaign practice of the time. Charles Lame was seriously injured during the test firing. Lincoln walked down to the Lame house to check on Mr. Lame but was denied admission by his wife since Dr. J.H. Ledlie had ordered Lame to have no visitors. Lincoln had an ambrotype taken in Pittsfield and had a copy delivered to the Lames.

Erected by The Abe Lincoln Project and Looking for Lincoln in Pike County.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln, and the Looking for Lincoln series lists.

Location. 39° 36.317′ N, 90° 48.083′ W. Marker is in Pittsfield, Illinois, in Pike County. Marker is on Fayette Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pittsfield IL 62363, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Printer's Devil (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of the Daniel H. Gilmer Home and Law Office. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Michael J. Noyes House

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(approx. 0.2 miles away); Site Of The Free Press Newspaper (approx. ¼ mile away); In Memory of John Thomson Hodgen, M.D. and Henry Hodgen Mudd, M.D. (approx. ¼ mile away); Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); In Memoriam (approx. ¼ mile away); Mansion House Hotel (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pittsfield.

Additional commentary.
1. Lincoln's Ambrotype
The place Lincoln went to get the ambrotype photo taken was a gallery on the north side of the Pittsfield public square. The building still stands and is an art gallery today. There is no sign indicating its history, but this information is commonly known to the people of Pittsfield.

— Submitted January 16, 2019, by Emily Pursley of Pittsfield, Illinois.

Charles Lame House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Emily Pursley, December 29, 2018

2. Charles Lame House

<i>Abraham Lincoln, ...</i> image. Click for full size.

Calvin Jackson (image courtesy of the Library of Congress), 1858

3. Abraham Lincoln, ...

"...head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left, taken in Pittsfield, Illinois, two weeks before the final Lincoln-Douglas debate in Lincoln's unsuccessful bid for the Senate, October 1, 1858."

This is a photographic copy of the ambrotype mentioned on the marker, albeit much retouched to remove the imperfections present in the original. The Library of Congress has copies of both the original and copy.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 2, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 14, 2019, by Emily Pursley of Pittsfield, Illinois. This page has been viewed 306 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on January 17, 2019, by Emily Pursley of Pittsfield, Illinois. Photos: 1. submitted on January 15, 2019, by Emily Pursley of Pittsfield, Illinois. 2. submitted on January 14, 2019, by Emily Pursley of Pittsfield, Illinois. 3. submitted on January 15, 2019. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.