Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln. . Lincoln had come to know Lewistown residents quite well before his famous speech on August 17, 1858. Some of them he met before they became residents of Lewistown, others during his circuit riding days practicing law and pursuing a political career. He was their friend, conducted some of their legal business, and stayed in the same houses, sharing and creating stories that have endured to this day. , Lincoln's Lewistown Connections, Harvey Lee Ross was 15 years old and carrying mail for his father Ossian M. Ross when he first met Abraham Lincoln in 1832. New Salem was one of the stops on the mail route between Lewistown and Springfield, and Ross often stayed at the Rutledge's where Lincoln boarded. Lincoln was the postmaster and Harvey Lee sometimes helped him sort mail., During his time in New Salem, Ross became close friends with Lincoln, Ann Rutledge, and Anne's brother David. David later became a lawyer, moved to Lewistown, and practiced law in the office of John P. Boice and Lewis W. Ross, Harvey Lee's brother. While in Lewistown, David Rutledge married a sister of the wives of Major Newton Walker and Lewis W. Ross. , Some of the best accounts of Lincoln's interaction with local people, as well as Ross's recollections, are in Ross's book Early Pioneers and Pioneer Events of the State of Illinois, published in 1899., Lincoln often visited Major Walker at his home. The home still stands along North Main Street in Lewistown near Oak Hill Cemetery., In 1838 Major Newton Walker, of Lewistown, was elected to the state legislature where he became an intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln. The two served together for two sessions of the legislature, the first at Vandalia, and later at Springfield when the state capitol had been moved. Lincoln often visited Walker while in Lewistown conducting legal business. , Early Illinois settler and Lewistown resident William Proctor also was acquainted with Lincoln, who called on the family of William's wife, the Phelps, while in Lewistown. The Phelps and Proctor families were prominent merchants, businessmen and traders. , The 1858 Campaign, In 1858, John W. Proctor of Lewistown, son of William Proctor, was chairman of the Fulton County Republican Committee. He and several other Fulton County representatives attended the State Republican Convention at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. On June 16, 1858, Lincoln was unanimously nominated as the Republican candidate for United States Senator. In accepting the convention's nomination, Lincoln delivered the famous "House Divided" speech. Many members of the Fulton County delegation had never heard Lincoln speak and were so impressed that Mr. Proctor and several others invited him to speak in Fulton County., When local Republicans learned that Stephen A. Douglas was to speak in Lewistown on August 16, 1858, they invited Lincoln to speak on the same day. The invitation, dated July 29, 1858, was signed by C.W. Michael and W. Proctor. , In a reply dated August 2 Lincoln wrote "Judge Douglas considers my presence at his appointments as an intrusion," and declined to accept the invitation for the same day. However, Lincoln indicated that he could be present the following day. There was tension between Douglas and Lincoln as the time for the planned debates approached. Lincoln had closely followed Douglas with speeches at several places, and just a few days prior to the Lewistown event had arrived in Havana while Douglas was speaking, considerably disrupting the crowd., On August 6, William Proctor replied to Lincoln stating that "we can turn out a large crowd of wide awake Republicans." He also mentioned receiving confirmation from Judge William Kellogg, who was sending a "large package of handbills" announcing the Lewistown event. Judge Kellogg, of Canton, was a circuit court Judge between 1850 and 1855, and was a well known local lawyer and politician. In 1858 he was the incumbent Republican candidate for U.S. Representative and had spoken with Lincoln on several occasions., The Lewistown Speech, On the morning of August 17, Major Newton Walker hitched his team of horses to his carriage and set out for Havana to meet Abraham Lincoln, who was traveling from Bath where he has spoken the previous day. Along with John W. Proctor, they met Lincoln and escorted him to a place about a mile or two from Lewistown, where they were met by a band of music, a number of other carriages, and procession of horsemen. Each horse's head was ornamented with a flag bearing the letters A.L. , When the procession arrived at Proctor's Grove on the south edge of Lewistown, George Phelps, a Republican hopeful for representative to the state legislature, delivered a reception speech. To this, Lincoln briefly responded, promising to elaborate more fully that afternoon. Cannons and guns were heard firing throughout the morning., At 2:00 p.m., between the pillars on the east side of the Fulton County Courthouse, Judge William Kellogg introduced Lincoln to a crowd of several thousand people. Lincoln reportedly spoke that day with more vehemence and force that ever before. He delivered a stirring eulogy on the Declaration of Independence, which is now referred to as the "Return to the Fountain" speech, one of the nation's classics. , Unfortunately, all we know about the speech comes from reporters' accounts; no complete text exists today., (photo caption:), ·Lewistown, the oldest surviving town in Fulton County, was settled by Ossian M. Ross in 1821. By 1822 the town was laid out and named after Ossian's son Lewis W. Ross. In February 1823, it was selected as the county seat of the newly formed Fulton County, which at that time included territory between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, to the northern boundary of the state. Lewistown quickly became a center for settlement, commerce, and politics. To this day it remains the political and judicial hub of Fulton County.