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Current News
POSSIBLE CIVIL WAR BAYONET DISCOVERED IN JACKSONVILLE GARDEN
Saturday, April 3, 2021
An original bayonet discovered by a Jacksonville, Illinois man tilling his garden may have a connection to Grant's March, the July 1861 journey that took then-Colonel Ulysses S. Grant and 1,000 soldiers from Illinois to the battlefields of the Civil War.
Elijah Iles House ReOpens in April
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
The Elijah Iles House will open to the public on Saturday, April 24, from noon to 4 pm.
Quincy ReOpening Historic Sites
Monday, March 8, 2021
The Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County will soon be re-opening all of its properties to the public, including the Governor John Wood Mansion at 425 South 12th, Quincy.
Upcoming Events
Lincoln's Last Train Ride
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 7:00 PM
Join Looking for Lincoln Conversations on the 156th Anniversary of the Lincoln Funeral Train. Host Chris Vallillo will have a conversation with Bill Thomas, Ron Keller and Justin Blandford to discuss Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral Train through the eyes of the three communities where Lincoln lived and worked Atlanta, Lincoln, and Springfield, Illinois.
Bill Thomas currently serves as the Chairman of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and lives in Atlanta, Illinois. Ron Keller is the Associate Professor of History and Political Science at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois and Justin Blandford is the Superintendent of the State Historic Sites in Springfield Illinois. This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
A Conversation with Clara Barton
Wednesday, May 5, 2021 7:00 PM
Looking for Lincoln Conversations welcomes the heroic civil war nurse Clara Barton to the conversation! Nationally known historical interpreter Leslie Goddard will bring Clara Barton to life to be followed by an informative discussion of the impact of women in the Civil War. The presentation will be hosted by musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo.
Leslie Goddard is an actress and historian who has been portraying famous women in history for more than fifteen years. In addition to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in theater, she has a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and currently works full-time as a historical interpreter and public speaker.
This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
Abraham Lincoln and the Illinois Supreme Court
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 7:00 PM
Abraham Lincoln’s most important work as a lawyer occurred at the Illinois Supreme Court although his circuit riding has long attracted interest and attention from biographers.
Join John Lupton and Samuel Wheeler of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission, who will have a conversation about Lincoln’s legal career, specifically as it relates to his appellate practice. The program will be hosted by musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo.
This program is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
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.