Mary Ann Todd was born on December 13, 1818 to a large and wealthy family from Lexington, Kentucky. Mary was six years old when her mother died. Her grandmother helped raise her and made sure she received several years of schooling, which she . . . — — Map (db m190016) HM
The Sangamon County Old Settlers Society dedicated this tablet to commemorate the first white settlement in Sangamon County when in the fall of 1817 Robert Pulliam built a log cabin about ten and one half miles south on S.W. Ό Sec. 21, T. 14, N.R. . . . — — Map (db m54167) HM
On August 14, 1908, Harry Loper assisted Sheriff Werner in removing George Richardson and Joe James from the County Jail. The mob overturned and burned Harry Loper's car, which had been used to move the prisoners, and destroyed his restaurant. The . . . — — Map (db m199936) HM
In the empty lot before you once stood two small houses. The 1850 census tells us two families lived here. The Jenkins and the Blanks shared walls and a common goal: to improve the lives of African Americans. Both families became advocates for . . . — — Map (db m190190) HM
The Lincolns were a family with the same hopes and challenges as many others in the neighborhood.
The Lincolns lived a middle-class family lifestyle in nineteenth century Springfield. Abraham Lincoln spent long periods away from home on the . . . — — Map (db m190003) HM
You are standing in front of the house Abraham Lincoln and his family called home from 1844 to 1861. Take a closer look and you will find a plaque in the front door with Lincoln's name on it. Seven years after he rode into Springfield on a borrowed . . . — — Map (db m190052) HM
Today people refer to gardening as a hobby. But in the mid-19th Century many families depended on a kitchen garden to enrich their diets with seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs. This recreated garden features a variety of plants that were . . . — — Map (db m190067) HM
At this site, countless mourners stood in solemn witness as the Chicago & Alton Railroad Engine No. 58 arrived pulling the funeral train carrying the remains of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. — — Map (db m162162) HM
Two charred chimneys rising from the smoldering rubble of burned-out buildings---these stark images from an old photograph were the inspiration for this unique sculpture by acclaimed artist Preston Jackson. The sculpture commemorates the centennial . . . — — Map (db m48871) HM
After the August 1908 Race Riot, the following events occurred at this site:
Joe James, a black man, was tried and convicted for the murder of Clergy Ballard. Although Mr. James was eighteen-years-old and, as a minor, not subject to the death . . . — — Map (db m200009) HM
Allen and Clarissa Miller had their house built shortly after purchasing this double lot in 1855 for $650. They and their three young children shared the house with Clarissa's brother, James Keys, and his wife. At the time, Miller was a prosperous . . . — — Map (db m48368) HM
Cultural differences made it hard for citizens to agree on animal control policies. Well into the 1850's hogs freely roamed the streets, contesting the walkways with pedestrians, rooting up sidewalk planks, and creating smelly "how . . . — — Map (db m57077) HM
Noted businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) lived in this house as a boy between 1869 and 1879. The son of German Jewish immigrants, he left Springfield without completing high school to learn the clothing trade. In 1895, . . . — — Map (db m190069) HM
In 1860 Emanuel Brunswick opened a billiard hall in the second floor of the building just east of the Chenery House here on Washington Street. It contained elegant Brunswick tables and was touted as the largest and best hall in Illinois . . . — — Map (db m57057) HM
Shoppers at Clark M. Smith's All-Purpose Store on the South Side of the public square seldom paid cash. Money was scarce; credit accounts were common. Smith's in-laws---the Lincolns---had an account. After her husband lost the Senate race to . . . — — Map (db m48620) HM
(Left) Campaign poles sported flags and banners, such as this one from 1844 supporting Lincoln's hero, Henry clay. Lashed to Lincoln's 120-foot presidential Ash Pole in 1860 was a broom--- signifying Lincoln's intent to sweep corrupt Democrats . . . — — Map (db m48902) HM
This was the Arnold residence from 1850 to the 1870's. A political ally of Abraham Lincoln, Arnold was twice elected County Sheriff on the Whig ticket during the years he was Lincoln's neighbor. — — Map (db m48455) HM
This was the residence of Lincoln's friend, Charles Corneau, a Springfield druggist. Historic records show that the Lincoln family purchased such items as "Cough Candy," "Castor Oil," and "Hair Balsam" at the Corneau and Diller drugstore. Like . . . — — Map (db m48365) HM
When it opened in 1858, Cook's Hall became the largest of Springfield's public halls. Its gas-lighted auditorium and gallery were the grandest in the region. A wealthy soap and candle manufacturer, John Cook, built the hall following a . . . — — Map (db m48557) HM
Apothecaries in the mid-19th century carried a surprising variety of drugs and remedies—potassium iodide for rheumatism and syphilis, sulphate of quinine for tooth powder, opium elixir for toothache, and . . . — — Map (db m48560) HM
The Gregarious General Isaac B. Curran was a prominent citizen in Lincoln's Springfield. His store here on the south side of the square was a popular gathering place for Lincoln's political opponents. Curran arrived as a young silversmith from . . . — — Map (db m180409) HM
These green lawns and groomed streets were once far noisier, messier, and smellier than they are today. many residents of Springfield kept horses, cows, and chickens on their property. They also tended gardens, washed laundry, hauled water, and . . . — — Map (db m48541) HM
In Abraham Lincoln's time, many residents of Springfield came from someplace else, whether a state or an ocean away. Southerners, northerners, and European immigrants came here to improve their lot in life, much as Lincoln had in 1837. Springfield's . . . — — Map (db m48452) HM
On August 15, 1908, at about 7:00 p.m., the mob reassembled and stopped briefly at Payne's Hardware Store to obtain a length of clothesline rope. The rope was intended to be used for hanging William Donnegan, a seventy-six-year-old retired black . . . — — Map (db m200005) HM
In 1860, this house was rented to young lawyer George Shutt and his family. Unlike most of Lincoln's politically active neighbors, Shutt supported Stephen A. Douglas in his campaign against Lincoln for the Presidency in 1860. — — Map (db m48371) HM
The Globe Tavern as it appeared in May 1865 at the time of Lincoln's funeral. the Lincolns lived here from November 1842 until the winter or early spring of 1844. At that time the tavern consisted of two buildings joined as a "T," with the older . . . — — Map (db m48903) HM
Throngs give big sendoff to Lincoln Monday morning February 11, 1861 dawned dismal and gray. A chilling drizzle soakedthe dirt roads of the capital. At 7:30 A.M., a carriage pulled up here in front of the depot, and President-elect . . . — — Map (db m48554) HM
This depot, built in 1852, was the site of Abraham Lincoln's famous farewell address upon leaving Springfield on February 11, 1861, to assume the presidency of the United States. — — Map (db m48555) HM
In 1838, Abraham Lincoln purchased two lots in this block for $300. Twelve years later, he sold a half lot to Harriet Dean for $125.00 Mrs. Dean purchased an adjacent lot from someone else and had a house built, thus becoming a neighbor of the . . . — — Map (db m48539) HM
This was the residence of Henson Lyon in 1860. the census of that year identified him as a farmer and the owner of $12,000 in real estate, and $3,000 in personal property, indicating that he was comparatively wealthy. — — Map (db m48458) HM
During the 1860's, this was the residence of Henson Robinson, a partner in a Springfield business concern that sold stoves, furnaces, and tinware. Robinson's company had a contract to manufacture tin cups and plates for soldiers during the Civil War. — — Map (db m48449) HM
November 1858 Register notices published on Election Day and the day after---documenting the end of the heated and hectic Lincoln-Douglas Senatorial contest.When the seat of government left Vandalia in 1839, the former capital;s . . . — — Map (db m48901) HM
1854 marked Lincoln's public return to politics following a five-year hiatus. That year Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois pushed the "Kansas-Nebraska Act" through the U.S. Congress, overturning the 1820 Missouri Compromise line. Fearing . . . — — Map (db m48577) HM
This was the home of Jesse K. Dubois and his family from 1859 to 1864. Dubois was the Illinois State Auditor, a close friend of Abraham Lincoln and his most important political ally in this neighborhood. One of the Dubois sons was named after . . . — — Map (db m48370) HM
There was a housing shortage in Springfield when 28 year old Abraham Lincoln---riding a borrowed horse---moved here from New Salem in April 1837. Builders couldn't keep up with the newly designated state capital. One of Lincoln's first stops . . . — — Map (db m48899) HM
Mrs. Sprigg, a widow, purchased this house in 1853 and used it as a residence for herself and her children until 1869.She became close friends with her neighbor, Mrs. Lincoln; Mrs. Sprigg's daughter often babysat for the younger Lincoln boys. — — Map (db m48366) HM
This bed of tulips was donated by the people of Noorder-Koggenland, Holland on Dec. 3, 1999, commemorating the 55th anniversary of their liberation by the Allies and honoring Central Illinois native Kenneth Belton, who survived the mid-air explosion . . . — — Map (db m190133) HM WM
In November 1840 legislators convened in the cramped quarters of the Methodist Church while workers were completing the statehouse a block away. "The House of Representatives was crammed in a room barely large enough for the members . . . — — Map (db m57068) HM
Treatment of Animals in Lincoln's Era
sometimes reflected rough frontier attitudes.
Pioneers saw them as threats to crops, gardens, and livestock; wild game was an important source of food. Lincoln, however, did not share the . . . — — Map (db m190138) HM
Lincoln Home National Historic Site is part of the National Park System, one of more than 390 parks that are important examples of our nation's heritage. This unit of the National Park Service preserves the home of the nation's 16th president, . . . — — Map (db m48372) HM
Lincolns Farewell to Springfield
February 11, 1861
My friends, no one not in my situation
can appreciate my feelings of sadness at this parting,
to this place, and the kindness of this people, I owe
everything. Here I have . . . — — Map (db m241031) HM
Abraham Lincoln
prepared and wrote his
first inaugural address
as President of the
United States,
in the third story of this
building in the month of
January, 1861.
— — Map (db m4622) HM
This portion of the Tinsley Building, a merchant block constructed in 1840-1841, is the only surviving structure in which Abraham Lincoln maintained a law office. Intended originally for commercial use, much of the building was rented for other . . . — — Map (db m4656) HM
Americans had poor oral hygiene in Lincoln's era. Rotten teeth and foul breath were common (halitosis was not yet a social evil). Calomel frequently prescribed by doctors for fevers caused many people to have loose teeth. Dentistry was plagued . . . — — Map (db m48621) HM
The funeral train pulled into the Chicago & Alton Railroad station on Jefferson Street, at 8:40 A.M. on May 3, 1865.
Vast crowds had already poured into Springfield over the night of May 2, 1865, and more people were still arriving. Now, for . . . — — Map (db m160707) HM
Lincoln reportedly had a "very defective taste" in hats. At various times he was known to have worn fur caps, straw or palm hats, and broad, low-brimmed wool or felt hats. He is best known for the "plug" or stovepipe hats he wore as a lawyer . . . — — Map (db m48875) HM
Lincoln understood the importance of making his image available for the presidential campaign. Springfield photographer Preston Butler captured several likenesses of Lincoln during the 1860 election.Lower Left Ambrotype of Abraham Lincoln, . . . — — Map (db m48317) HM
Since Abraham Lincoln's death in 1865, the corner of Eighth and Jackson has been a popular destination for those seeking a personal connection to Lincoln's home, life, and legacy. Through the years, visitors to the Lincoln Home have ranged from . . . — — Map (db m190224) HM
When Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865,joyous citizens decorated Lincoln's horse, Old Bob, with flags and led him triumphantly through the streets of . . . — — Map (db m48553) HM
Lincoln and Herndon rented law offices at several locations over the years. Their last was a rear room on the second floor in a building that stood here. Leslie's Weekly published this drawing of the office interior during the 1860 presidential . . . — — Map (db m48896) HM
Twenty-eight-year-old Abraham Lincoln settled here in 1837. He was unmarried, unlearned, unrefined, with "no wealthy or popular relations to recommend me." On the day before his fifty-second birthday, Lincoln left here a profoundly changed man; . . . — — Map (db m48571) HM
Mary Lincoln formed lasting friendships with women in her neighborhood, including Julia Sprigg and Hanna Shearer, and exchanged a lively correspondence with many out-of-town relatives and friends.Julia Sprigg lived in the house behind you and was a . . . — — Map (db m48367) HM
These four Todd sisters each married a Springfield man and established households within a few blocks of each other, Elizabeth was the oldest and became Mary's surrogate mother." Frances lived closest to Mary (across the street where the Grace . . . — — Map (db m48550) HM
"Love is Eternal" were the words engraved in the plain gold band that Abraham Lincoln slipped on Mary's finger at their wedding in Springfield on November 4, 1842. The inscription reflected the ideal of "romantic love" that swept America in the . . . — — Map (db m48874) HM
The Old State Capitol was the fifth Statehouse in Illinois history. The building served as Capitol from 1839 to 1876. Its cornerstone was laid during ceremonies held July 4, 1837. During the 1840s and 1850s the building dominated Springfield's . . . — — Map (db m4821) HM
Just Imagine! On August 8, 1860, an exuberant political rally parade passed by the Lincoln home, including: 180 train cars of Lincoln supporters 28 oxen pulling a mammoth wagon 21 Wide Awake Clubs (groups of young pro-Lincoln men) 10 decorated . . . — — Map (db m48369) HM
On Sept. 29, 1838, 800 Potawatomi Indians marched through Springfield on the forced removal from Indiana to Kansas. Although many had died and they faced severe hardship, they were encouraged by Judge Polke and Chief I-o-weh to exhibit pride, so . . . — — Map (db m34320) HM
In the Old State Capitol Nearby,
President-Elect Abraham Lincoln
used the Governor's Office as Headquarters
until he left for Washington.
Early in the Civil War,
Ulysses S. Grant
also served here as Special Military Aide
to . . . — — Map (db m12360) HM
During the 1860 election Illinois Republicans held conventions in temporary wood and canvas structures dubbed "Wigwams." "Wigwams" were reminiscent of the "Log Cabins" from the 1840 presidential campaign. They quickly became symbols of . . . — — Map (db m57073) HM
Poet, translator, writer, educator, Robert Stuart Fitzgerald (1910-1985) lived in his family's home on this site (215 E. Jackson) for 20 years. While a student at Springfield High School, his talent for poetry came to the attention of poet Vachel . . . — — Map (db m184684) HM
During 1860, this house was rented to Mrs. Cook, a widow, who let rooms to help provide support for herself and her children. In 1855, a Springfield newspaper carried an advertisement for Mrs. Cook's photographic studio, with its "splendid Camera, . . . — — Map (db m48453) HM
The State Arsenal was used as a safe haven for many black families. The mob's intended assault on the Arsenal's sanctuary on August 15, 1908, was thwarted by the presence of military guards. The militia had been called to action earlier by Governor . . . — — Map (db m200006) HM
On August 14, 1908, a mob gathered at the Sangamon County Jail and demanded the release of George Richardson and Joe James, two black prisoners. Richardson was accused of raping Mabel Hallam, a white woman; and James was accused of the murder of . . . — — Map (db m199935) HM
In Memory
of the
Soldiers of the
American Revolution
Buried in Sangamon County
Isaac Baker Ezekiel Harrison
Moses Broadwell John Lockridge
George Bryan . . . — — Map (db m12427) WM
To Honor the Soldiers of the War of 1812
who lie buried in Sangamon County
First Column:
Roswell Abel James Adams William Archer James Baker Jacob Baker Eli Barbre Isaac Bates Oliver Bates Amor Batterton Philo Beers . . . — — Map (db m46175) WM
Allen, a gunsmith, owned and lived in a house on this property during the 1850's and '60's.
His barn is the only outbuilding from the Lincoln period that still exists in the Historic Site. Many of Lincoln's neighbors kept livestock in barns . . . — — Map (db m48448) HM
West Side Illinois Volunteer Regiments 7th Infantry Colonel Marcus Kavanaugh 8th Infantry Colonel John R. Marshall 9th Infantry Colonel James R. Campbell 1st Cavalry Colonel Edward G. Young Battery A Light Artillery Captain . . . — — Map (db m81690) HM
In this Old Capitol on April 25, 1861, Senator Douglas delivered his Protect the Flag speech, one of the most heroic and effective speeches in the English language. His plea helped save our Country and was the culmination of his great career. — — Map (db m12428) HM
This is the how the east side of the public square looked from this vantage point (circa 1859), looking north along Sixth Street. The picture shows how buildings were refurbished following the great east-side fire of February 1858. but the . . . — — Map (db m48572) HM
West side of the public square This is the how west side of the public square looked from this vantage point (circa 1859), looking north along Fifth Street. In September 1859 "daguerrean" (photographer) Preston Butler advertised his four . . . — — Map (db m48741) HM
North side of the public square This is the how the north side of the public square looked from this vantage point (circa 1859), looking east along Washington Street. The rickety wood structures of "Chicken Row" that had been familiar to . . . — — Map (db m48742) HM
This is how the south side of the public square looked from this vantage point (circa 1859), looking east along Adams Street. Businesses at the time included (starting at right); J.W. Bunn Groceries; T.S. Little clothier, with a dental office and . . . — — Map (db m57063) HM
Many people look at Mount Rushmore, carved in the Black Hills of South Dakota, as a monument to four Presidents, but land surveyors see it as "three surveyors and one other guy." Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln all were land . . . — — Map (db m48744) HM
Social galas and political functions were common at the American House. Stephen A.Douglas sometimes used the hotel as headquarters for the Democrats. (Below Left) A newspaper published Springfield's newest hotel under the direction of J. . . . — — Map (db m48569) HM
"The bathing rooms now kept by Rev. S. S. Ball in the rear of his Barber's Shop are in elegant trim for the accommodation of his Friends and the public," advertised Elder Samuel S. Ball.His shop was on the south side of the public square . . . — — Map (db m48619) HM
Neighbor girl Josie Remann (left)was a favorite of Lincoln's. Once, on finding her in tears in front of her house, Lincoln ran all the way to the train station with her trunk on his shoulders because a carriage driver failed to come for it on . . . — — Map (db m48548) HM
Union Station opened in 1898 as the passenger terminal for the Illinois Central (IC) Railroad. Francis T. Bacon, an IC architect, designed the station, adorning the brick structure with decorative terra cotta and topping it with a 110-foot-tall . . . — — Map (db m48872) HM
The Springfield "urban" environment that shaped the childhood of the Lincoln boys was a far cry from the "backwoods wilderness" their father knew as a child. "Pay schools" and academies, railroad trains and fancy carriages, circuses and Sunday . . . — — Map (db m48575) HM
In fifty-one years of life Abraham Lincoln had lived in three different states. He worked many different jobs including store clerk, store owner, postmaster, militia captain, surveyor, lawyer, and politician. He lived in a one room log cabin, the . . . — — Map (db m190063) HM
The Lincoln neighborhood was a lively place with people of different ages, ethnicities, and religious beliefs. Like Lincoln, many people came to Springfield hoping to improve their lives. Lincoln formed a deep relationship with many of the people . . . — — Map (db m190061) HM
The Underground Railroad refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage. Acts of self-emancipation made runaways "fugitives" according to the laws of the time. While most began and completed their . . . — — Map (db m48450) HM
Virgil Hickox was one of many local people who disagreed politically with Abraham Lincoln. Raised in the traditions of Jeffersonian Democracy as a youth in New York, he settled in Springfield in 1834 and became a prosperous merchant, railroad . . . — — Map (db m156400) HM
On August 14, 1908, in this area of East Washington Street, the mob vandalized fifteen black and several Jewish businesses. The first Jewish store attacked by the rioters was Fishman's Pawn Shop, located at 719 E. Washington Street where they . . . — — Map (db m199937) HM
On May 1, 1844 Abraham, Mary, and nine-month-old Robert moved into a little house on the corner of Eighth and Jackson street, at the eastern edge of Springfield. This rapidly growing community was home to immigrants from Ireland; Germany; France; . . . — — Map (db m190477) HM
Today many people refer to gardening as a hobby, but in the mid-19th Century many families depended on a kitchen garden to enrich their diets with seasonal foods such as fruits, vegetables and herbs. This recreated 19th Century kitchen garden . . . — — Map (db m48540) HM
Beedle, a railroad fireman rented this house. Mrs. Ann Walters, a widow, owned this property as well as a two-story frame house which stood on the two lots immediately to the right. Mrs. Walters used the rent as income to help support herself, her . . . — — Map (db m48456) HM
On February 10, 2007, United States Senator Barack Obama of Illinois announced his candidacy for President of the United States from the southeast lawn of the Old State Capitol. More than 15,000 people attended the event.
Obama, who had served . . . — — Map (db m227808) HM
On this corner was built in 1821 the first Sangamon County Court House, a log house one story high and twenty feet long
Costing $72.60. — — Map (db m227865) HM
The Rev. Francis Springer, D.D. founded Historic Grace Lutheran Church in 1841, and was a neighbor of Abraham Lincoln, who wrote of Springer on April 13, 1863,
"Francis Springer is one of my best friends, & than whom there is no more reliable . . . — — Map (db m227866) HM
