From a Beggar's Bowl: Springfield, Illinois

We recently visited Springfield, Illinois, mainly to see the sites connected to Abraham Lincoln. Our motel was along motel row (Dirksen Parkway). We arrived on a warm spring afternoon and took advantage of our proximity to Lake Springfield. Near the boat launch ramp there is a path that goes along the shore with several benches. We read our books sitting at the lake. Lots of picnic tables in the park itself.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is well worth the time and the expense. Besides artifacts, there are two theater experiences using holographic techniques similar to what Disney uses in its Haunted Mansion ride. I enjoyed the White House façade with Mary Todd Lincoln standing inside to greet you in her ball gown. Because the Lincoln presidency was preoccupied with the Civil War, there is lots of information about that tragedy as well. And of course the assassination is also covered.

Mary Todd Lincoln

Gowns of Mary’s social “rivals”

Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky, lived much of his boyhood in southern Indiana, and moved to New Salem near Springfield in 1831 as a young man. In New Salem, he managed a general store and read for his law license. He did survey work and served as a postmaster. In 1834 he was elected to the Illinois General Assembly and thus began his political career.

Reconstruction of the store where he clerked and served as postmaster

In 1831, New Salem was small and growing smaller. It was a place where people got a start and moved on to bigger and better places.

Today the reconstructed village has a few craft buildings such as blacksmith and coopers, the tavern, a carding mill. The only original building is the cooper shop.

Tavern

There is a nice gift shop. We were surprised to see Whetstone woodenware from Silver Lake, Indiana in the shop. Bonnets in the style of the 1830s were available.

In the summer, they have many college students who intern at the historical site, but this time of year it was the smithy and the tavern lady that answered questions. The tavern hostess did point out the ash hoppers which we had been wondering about. There are 3 community ash hoppers in New Salem. Ashes are collected through the year until hog butchering season when the ashes are used along with the fat to make lye soap.

Besides the museum and presidential library, one can tour the Old Capitol Building where Lincoln presented many cases.

We actually started our tour at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site south of the museum area. Abraham and Mary Lincoln bought a modest cottage at Eighth and Jackson Streets in 1844. As the family grew, they added on. A lot of the original furniture is in the home plus reproductions of carpeting and wallpaper which may surprise you by their busy patterns and bright colors.

The home had been draped in black bunting a few days before we arrived. May 3rd a reenactment of the funeral train will take place. The coffin will arrive at the nearby depot, be transferred to a hearse wagon, driven past the home, and eventually to the burial site.

We were not allowed to use flash photography. Most of my attempts failed. The room with the most natural light was the kitchen.

Apparently, the stove was a top-of-the-line for its time. Mary was worried that the stove in the White House would not compare well. LOL.

Tad and Willie’s room. Robert was away at school. Eddie who was born at this house also died here just short of his 4th birthday from tuberculosis. Willie died in the White House in 1862 and plunged his parents into deep grief. Tad died in 1871. Only Robert survived to adulthood and had children of his own. Robert rented out the house until 1887 when he gave it to the state with the understanding that it would remain a monument to his family. It later was given to the National Park Service.