Pittsfield in Pike County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Reuben Scanland House
Built ca. 1850's
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, October 3, 2014
1. Reuben Scanland House Marker
Inscription.
Reuben Scanland House. Built ca. 1850's. Scanland was mayor of Pittsfield and a prominent attorney and judge. He backed Lincoln in the 1858 Senate race and Lincoln stayed here during his visit in October 1858. One of the stories associated with this home is of Mrs. Scanland's turkey dinner. Mrs. Scanland prepared an elaborate dinner for Lincoln and her husband's political friends, but they did not return home from a local drugstore where Lincoln was telling stories for a crowd of men. The dinner was cold when they finally got there, and Mrs. Scanland called Lincoln "the laziest man there ever was. Good for nothing except to tell stories." The bed he slept in at this house is in the Pike County Historical Society Museum at East School, 400 East Jefferson Street.
Scanland was mayor of Pittsfield and a prominent attorney and judge. He backed Lincoln in the 1858 Senate race and Lincoln stayed here during his visit in October 1858. One of the stories associated with this home is of Mrs. Scanland's turkey dinner. Mrs. Scanland prepared an elaborate dinner for Lincoln and her husband's political friends, but they did not return home from a local drugstore where Lincoln was telling stories for a crowd of men. The dinner was cold when they finally got there, and Mrs. Scanland called Lincoln "the laziest man there ever was. Good for nothing except to tell stories." The bed he slept in at this house is in the Pike County Historical Society Museum at East School, 400 East Jefferson Street.
Erected by The Abe Lincoln Project and Looking for Lincoln in Pike County.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1858.
Location. 39° 36.411′ N, 90° 48.643′ W. Marker is in Pittsfield, Illinois, in Pike County. Marker is on West Washington Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 402 West Washington Street, 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 Pike County Poet (within shouting distance of this marker); John G. Nicolay
Credits. This page was last revised on January 17, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 440 times since then and 11 times this year. Last updated on January 17, 2019, by Emily Pursley of Pittsfield, Illinois. Photos:1. submitted on November 5, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 2. submitted on January 14, 2019, by Emily Pursley of Pittsfield, Illinois. 3, 4. submitted on November 5, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
