Rebels in Springfield

During our vacation to the midwest we spent a day in Springfield, Il.  Driving into downtown we drove near the state capital building which is truely an impressive structure.  On our way to the Lincoln museum we drove in front of the old state capital building.  The old capital had some impressive stone columns and was situated in the middle of town. Abraham Lincoln served as a legislator in the old capital building.

We stopped at the restored Union rail station.

Inside they had photos of the station in use with trains getting loaded up where a road currently runs in front of the building.  It's really interesting to see the same building in use over the period of so many drastic changes.  As cars became more common, the need for the rail was less until they were finally removed.

The Lincoln Presidential Museum is across the street from the old rail station and if you ever get a chance to visit, you must do it.  This museum has some really awesome exhibits.  As you go through the museum you see a lot of artifacts from throughout Lincoln's life and, of course, a large collection from his time as President. One of the things that I hadn't considered before was how Lincoln was viewed during his presidency.  There was one exhibit that featured all the political cartoons against him and some articles that were critical to his decisions.  It seems like now days he is a legend and an American hero and I often forget that, even then, there were politics at play.

Before you leave the museum, you have to stop at the museum shop.  Can you visit any place as a tourist without stopping at a shop anymore?  Anyway, at the shop is where Randy found a civil war style hat.  He scooped up the gray rebel hat and headed to the cashier.  He'd wear it the rest of the day.

After we left the museum we crossed another street and went into the Lincoln Presidential Library.  The main hallway of the library had another great exhibit.  Both buildings were really interesting and I realized that although you probably learn more about Lincoln in school than any other president, there is so much more to see and learn when you are talking about Abraham Lincoln.

Two more stops were left on our tour in Springfield.  First was his home in Springfield.  A park ranger takes you on a free tour through the house where you find that Mrs. Lincoln had a rather odd decorating style.  You'll have to go see for yourself.  Here's a photo of the house.  I don't believe the lift in the yard was original to the home.

You also get to see the mirror where Lincoln shaved every morning.  He didn't have a beard until he went to Washington.

Before leaving town we went to Lincoln's tomb.  Randy decided to be respectful and take off his rebel hat for this visit.  The monument that you see on the outside is fitting for such an American icon.

It's inside the tomb that got my attention.  Lined with granite and marble, you walk down a curved hallway to the spot where Lincoln is buried.  Inside are statues and plaques with quotes.  Down in the quiet room at Lincoln's burial site I took a moment and considered the things I had learned that day.

Leaving town around five wasn't too bad.  Just hook up on Walnut St. and head toward the main road.