Downtown in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Lincoln Takes a Stand

Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, October 31, 2017

1. Lincoln Takes a Stand Marker

Inscription.
Abraham Lincoln spoke at this court house on September 17, 1859. He stopped here between speeches in Columbus and Cincinnati at the invitation of his friend, Dayton lawyer Robert C. Schenck. They had met while both were members of Congress.

These Ohio speeches introduced Lincoln as a serious political figure outside of Illinois. This led to an invitation to speak at the Cooper Union in New York City, which made him known to the rest of the Republican Party and transformed him from a regional politician to a national leader. At the Republican Convention in May 1860, with Ohio’s help Lincoln was nominated, and that Fall he won the election.

His presidency preserved the Union and ended slavery.

This statue is a gift from the Lincoln Society of Dayton – September 17, 2016

Erected 2016 by Lincoln Society of Dayton.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Government & Politics • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 17, 1859.

Location. 39° 45.598′ N,

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84° 11.537′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of North Main (Ohio Route 48) and West Third Street, on the right when traveling south on North Main. Marker/statue is part of the Courthouse Square complex. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 23 N Main St, Dayton OH 45402, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Miami Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: "Justitiae Dedicata" (here, next to this marker); Dayton’s First Church Bell (a few steps from this marker); “Remember the Promises You Made in the Attic” (a few steps from this marker); Abraham Lincoln (within shouting distance of this marker); Montgomery County Civil War Cannon

Photographed by Craig Doda, June 2, 2022

2. Lincoln Takes a Stand Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); The Fountain Of Presidents (within shouting distance of this marker); Harry S. Truman (within shouting distance of this marker); Roman Column (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.

Also see . . . Lincoln sculpture unveiled at Dayton’s Courthouse Square (Dayton Daily News, 9/17/2016). WIHO TV7 website entry:
"An 11-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a beardless Abraham Lincoln was unveiled on Saturday on Dayton’s Courthouse Square in front of Montgomery County’s historic Old Court House....The statue depicts Lincoln before he became president and commemorates his speech in Dayton on the steps of the Old Court House on Sept. 17, 1859. " (Submitted on November 2, 2017.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2017, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 588 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 1, 2017, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 2. submitted on June 5, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.