Pekin and Springfield, Illinois–29 March 2017

Pekin, IL

Our first stop was Pekin, a small city of 30,000 people, where I grew up. THe first picture is from the library; the lamp-post at the right is from the original building.

Display case at left, ornate ironwork post from old library at right

The building at the lagoon:

Building with large porch and two domes on top of second floor at either side.

And the two houses where I lived when I lived in Pekin.

Two-story white house Beige brick house with flag in front

OK. That’s enough of that.

Springfield, IL

We got to Springfield in time to briefly take in the Lincoln Presidential Museum. There are quite a few artifacts as well as dioramas.

Interior log cabin; Lincoln reading in front of fireplace with dog at his feet. Lincoln in general store serving female customer Lincoln and Douglas debating on a platform with bunting on front Lincoln at cabinet meeting Frederick Douglass and African-American woman Frilly wide-botom dresses worn by Mrs. Lincoln Mrs. Lincoln wearing white flowered dress President and Mrs. Lincoln in Ford’s theater box

Lincoln was not universally loved during his Presidency; there is a whole wall of cartoons mocking him:

Cartoons mocking Abraham Lincoln Cartoon portraying Lincoln as The Yankee Nero

This is the gravestone from Lincoln’s second son, Edward:

Gravestone of Edward Lincoln

And bronze casts of Lincoln’s face in 1860 and 1865.

Bronze cast of Lincoln’s face and hands Bronze cast of Lincoln’s face from 1865

Miscellaneous artifacts:

Embroidered Lincoln campaign ribbon Blue delft-style plate with Lincoln’s picture

There was also a guy from a local radio station doing a broadcast from the museum.

Man in blue shirt in front of microphone and monitors for WMAY radio