Sat. June 6th

We began our morning at the Old State Capitol.

We were led on a guided tour through the building with very in depth explanations as to the changes, renovations and uses of each room. I would have liked to have been introduced to some of the artifacts in the rooms, even though they weren’t original to the building. An explanation as to the reason for their placement would have been interesting. It is always a bit disheartening for a history buff when you visit a “historical” site and are told that they aren’t the originals or that the building has been altered or torn down and reconstructed. Even more disheartening is knowing that nothing in that building (such as furniture, etc.) was there when Lincoln was.

Then we went across the street to the Lincoln-Herndon law offices.

Our guide was a bit hard to follow with her explanation of how the building was originally constructed, torn down, rearranged, etc. Basically what I got was that the flooring was original. It was very interesting to see the desk that was from his brother-in-laws, where Lincoln sat and wrote his 1^st Inaugural Address. A true piece of Lincoln history. (I’m assuming she meant Lincoln’s brother-in-law and not Mr. Tinsley, the owner of the building?)

A short walk to the Lincoln home and we were introduced to the lifestyle of a Springfield attorney. The house, in my estimation, was quite beautiful and much larger than I would have anticipated.

It was very interesting to see the photograph of the Lincoln home at the Visitors Center, and then to actually stand in front of it and be able to compare the image from 1860 to the present.  This shows how easy it is to use pictures (or other primary sources) in your class. Back to the house, I was struck by how small the kitchen was. Considering the type of clothing that the women would have had to wear, there wouldn’t be much room to move around. Our guide told us that several nights before leaving Springfield to go to Washington DC that the Lincoln’s threw an open house. Over 700 people went through their house that  night! It was so crowded with just a group of 17, I can’t imagine even 100 in there. 

The Lincoln tomb was awe inspiring. He has a more regal burial spot than even George Washington. I think its sad that the bodies of Lincoln and his family have to be entombed under / behind so much concrete and marble to protect them from grave robbers. I have heard a lot of talk on this trip about the History Channel program “Stealing Lincoln” (or something similar to that). I wish I would have seen this program prior to the trip. This is something I am going to look into upon our return.

I didn’t quite know what to expect at New Salem Village. It was much larger than I anticipated. I had expected there to be more “period actors” available at the different cabins and shops. We spoke with a woman at the tavern, who was in the back room sewing a quilt. It was absolutely beautiful. She said that a group of volunteers came in to work on the quilt whenever they could. Then they placed them in the various cabins on the property. Once a year they make a quilt for an auction. We tried to give her our addresses to send the quilt to, but she just chuckled and smiled. I would have liked to been able to go into some of the specific cabins to get a better idea of how they were arranged. I am a little fuzzy on the historical accuracy of New Salem Village. While I’m sure that the names of the families and business owners were accurate, I am not sure about the location or how accurate the reproductions are.

 We also saw this piece of “machinery” outside several of the cabins, but have no idea what it is. Does anyone know?

Now we are on our way to Chicago. The anticipation of arriving at the “dorms” is almost unbearable!

Ok, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised upon entering our room. SOOOOOOOO much better than years past. I think we will be quite comfortable here