The Loop District in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Lincoln's Nomination Site
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, August 28, 2021
1. Lincoln's Nomination Site Marker
the Wigwam in which
Abraham Lincoln
was nominated
for president
• 1860 •
Erected 1909 by Daughters of the American Revolution Chicago Chapter.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 18, 1860.
Location. 41° 53.136′ N, 87° 38.211′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in The Loop District. Marker is at the intersection of North Wacker Drive and West Lake Street, in the median on North Wacker Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60606, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Sauganash Hotel - Chicago - 1831 (here, next to this marker); Site of the Sauganash Hotel/Wigwam (a few steps from this marker); First Post Office (within shouting distance of this marker); Wacker Drive (within shouting distance of this marker); Lake-Franklin Group (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Trustees System Service Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Freeform
this page online
More about this marker. The other side of the monument has a marker for the Sauganash Hotel, which has a separate entry into the database.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . . 1860 Republican National Convention (Wikipedia).
"The 1860 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met from May 16 to May 18 in Chicago, Illinois. It was held to nominate the Republican Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1860 election. The convention selected former Representative Abraham Lincoln of Illinois for president and Senator Hannibal Hamlin of Maine for vice president."(Submitted on August 29, 2021.)
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, August 28, 2021
2. Lincoln's Nomination Site Marker - wide view
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, August 28, 2021
3. Closeup of Lincoln relief
The relief is almost certainly based on one of the photos of Lincoln taken by Alexander Hesler at a sitting in Springfield on June 3, 1860. (A couple of Hesler's photos are similar to this relief, albeit with small differences in the arrangements of Lincoln's hair - see the Library of Congress' collection of Lincoln photographs for the different versions).
Percy H. Sloan (courtesy of the Newberry Library), 1900/1925
4. Plaque commemorating the site of Lincoln's presidential nomination...
The current marker is actually a replacement for this nearly identical earlier version. At some point the marker was mounted to a nearby building rather than its current monument. The Newberry, however, is rather vague as to when this photograph was taken.
courtesy of Keystone-Mast Collection, UCR/California Museum of Photography, University of California
5. Lincoln Wigwam Tablet, Market and Lake Sts., Chicago, Ill.
Another photo of the earlier version, in a different location than in the previous photo. UCR is silent as to when the photo was taken, but it is likely to be fairly close to the 1909 installation date, as this image is the left half of a stereoscopic image. Note also that the photo title's indicated location is likely not to differ materially from the other marker sites, as Market Street became an extension of Wacker Drive in 1949.
Alexander Hesler (courtesy of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library)
6. Wigwam, site of 1860 Republican Convention
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 480 times since then and 114 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 29, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
