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Current News

ALNHA added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
Tuesday, May 6, 2025

NPS adds the ALNHA to the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program

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Seeking Extras for 8th Judicial Circuit Video
Thursday, April 24, 2025

Looking for Lincoln is currently in the process of creating a documentary about Abraham Lincoln and his work and on the 8th Judicial Circuit.

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LaHood Honored as a 2025 Heritage Champion
Saturday, February 15, 2025

The Alliance of National Heritage Areas (ANHA) honored Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) as a 2025 Heritage Champion. Rep. LaHood and three others were recognized during ANHA’s annual Congressional Breakfast and Awards Reception.

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Upcoming Events

Journey to Freedom: Illinois' Undeground Railroad Exhibit - Marshall
Thursday, April 10, 2025 - Thursday, May 29, 2025

Looking for Lincoln presents the travelling exhibit, Journey to Freedom Illinois’ Underground Railroad. The courageous stories of freedom seekers, and the multi-racial conductors who assisted them, are highlighted in this new exhibit about the Underground Railroad in Illinois. Learn about the network of people, who often at great risk to themselves, collaborated to assist those searching for freedom and dignity.

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Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad Exhibit - Beardstown
Monday, May 5, 2025 - Friday, June 6, 2025

Looking for Lincoln presents the travelling exhibit, Journey to Freedom Illinois’ Underground Railroad. The courageous stories of freedom seekers, and the multi-racial conductors who assisted them, are highlighted in this new exhibit about the Underground Railroad in Illinois. Learn about the network of people, who often at great risk to themselves, collaborated to assist those searching for freedom and dignity.

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The Presumption of Freedom: The Illinois Supreme Court and the Fate of Slavery in Illinois
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Though Illinois entered the Union as a free state in 1818, slavery continued to exist within its borders for decades. Freedom seekers, abolitionists, and pro-slavery forces turned to the judicial system to determine the fate of slavery in Illinois. This talk will highlight several of the nearly two dozen slave cases that reached the Illinois Supreme Court and examine the Court’s role in ending slavery in the Prairie State.

John Lupton, Executive Director, Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. Samuel Wheeler, Director of History Programs, Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission.

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Regional Highlight

On August 27, 1853, Abraham Lincoln christened the new community of Lincoln Illinois with juice from a watermelon. The town was formed in 1853 when a new community was developed along the Chicago and Alton Railroad and was the first town named after Abraham Lincoln. Today you can visit the christening site marked by a watermelon statue located on the South lawn of the Historic Train Depot in downtown Lincoln, Illinois.

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