The Survey of Petersburg

The Survey of Petersburg. Looking for Lincoln. , Abraham Lincoln laid out the original sixty blocks of Petersburg, Illinois between November 1835 and February 1836. In 1832, Peter Lukins and George Warburton had laid out a few lots for a new town. Lukins and Warburton played a card game, "Old Sledge," to determine whether the town would be named Petersburg or Georgetown. Lukins won. Both partners sold their stakes in Petersburg within a year. The first detailed survey of the town was undertaken by young Sangamon County Deputy Surveyor Abraham Lincoln in 1835. Since Petersburg afforded better access to the Sangamon River than New Salem, cabins and businesses began to appear in Petersburg. new Salem was abandoned. The northwest portion of Sangamon County became Menard County in 1839, with Petersburg as the county seat. Lincoln often stayed in Petersburg while riding circuit during the 1840's and 1850's. In 1858, while speaking in Petersburg, Lincoln stated that his wife "...insists that he will be a Senator and President too. Just think of such a sucker as me as President." Lincoln spoke these words only a few feet away from this familiar spot where he---in debt and without a permanent address---had begun his Petersburg survey.

This Plat of Survey, in Lincoln's own hand, shows the detail of the planned town of Petersburg, Illinois. Lincoln laid a stone at this spot to mark the start of the survey. The bronze medallion on this corner commemorates this Lincoln survey Point. The survey began in November 1835, about two months after the death of Ann Rutledge. The survey was interrupted by Lincoln's attendance at the State Legislative session in Vandalia, Illinois during the months of December 1835 and January 1836. Lincoln completed the survey on February 17, 1836 and also surveyed an additional seven blocks, just north of the public square, for John Bennett. The Petersburg streets were later renamed.

The first known permanent structure in Petersburg was a cabin erected by Peter Lukins in 1832. Lukins used the cabin as a cobbler's shop, his own residence, and an inn. this cabin, which later became known as the "Bennett Inn," was two blocks south of the start of Lincoln's survey. Lincoln stayed at this cabin while surveying in the Petersburg area. The proprietor was John Bennett, who later built the Menard house across from the Public Square. John's brother, Dr. Richard E. Bennett, later built his residence on the same lot. After surveying during the day, Lincoln would retire to his room and draft his plats. Lincoln used a drawing board, a T-square, and triangles to lay out the future town. He carefully inked lines, labeled streets and used a wadded ball of stale bread as an ink blotter.