Springfield IL and Abraham Lincoln's home

What an exciting day we had exploring exactly where Abraham Lincoln worked, lived and loved for almost 25 years!  First, we toured his home, the only one he ever owned....purchased for $1,500.00!!  Then we walked around his neighborhood and were able to go into several other homes.  Very similar in concept to Colonial Williamsburg, but on a smaller level.

At the Visitor Center we watched two movies about his life and marriage to Mary Todd Lincoln and his years before becoming president.  They had a happy and also, very sad and tragic life together.....losing three out of their four sons to disease before they reached age 18.  All very moving experiences.

We also went into the Abraham Lincoln Museum, which was fantastic!  Movies, multi-media presentations and wonderful exhibits.  One of the most moving was a giant map of the United States during the Civil War, and as you stood there, there were two rows of numbers:  one representing the casualties of the Union Army, and one for the Confederates.....underneath that, dates scrolled by for the whole 4 years of the war.......how disturbing to see over 700,000 casualties for the Union and more than 600,000 for the Confederacy.  The sad thing was watching the numbers for the North spin by so quickly, right up until the Battle of Gettysburg, and then the South numbers flew by......you could literally see the "tide turning" that you read so much about when you study the Civil War.

Last, but certainly not least, we went to the Oak Ridge Cemetery to Lincoln's gravesite.  He is buried there with Mary, and their boys.  Robert Todd Lincoln, their only son to live to adulthood, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Here are some pictures of what we saw:

	The Lincoln Home
	See any additions to the Lincoln family?
The fully-recreated cabin where Lincoln lived as a boy in Indiana.	We We actually saw the real thing yesterday.
The South Portico of the White House	John Wilkes Booth
	Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglas
Lincoln's tomb, the outside monument and the inside tomb:

His original tomb:

One of the truly amazing pieces of information we heard was early on in the day.  The park ranger told us that we were lucky to be there this year as it's the 150th anniversary of his being elected to the Presidency.  This time of year 150 years ago, he would have been campaigning! 

Anyway, all in all, a wonderful and moving day learning about not Lincoln, the legend, but Lincoln the man!


~Karen



  From Mike:

It was amazing to see the difference between how Lincoln lived until his early twenties and how he lived after he began his law practice in Springfield.
But some things always stay the same!!  There would have been some fancier seats over these.	One of those new cookstoves!

I bet Lincoln would have preferred a grave similar to his mother's in Indiana, but the will of the people prevailed.  His tomb was a very beautiful and somber site.

Lincoln's tomb

Nancy Lincoln's grave  in Indiana

Our visit with Lincoln these past two days was enjoyable and profound.

Now on to Minnesota!

--Mike