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Decatur Hub Tour
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Decatur Hub Tour
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Macon County has a rich Lincoln history and many Lincoln “firsts.” Decatur was the first
Illinois home of the Abraham Lincoln family, he was first nominated for the presidency at
the state Republican party convention and he made his first political speech in downtown
Decatur. In addition when he rode the circuit he tried several cases in Decatur. The log
courthouse where those cases were heard still exists in the Prairie Village at the Macon
County Historical Society Museum. The museum also features a video called “Lincoln in
Macon County” that tells the story of his relationship to this area.
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The Macon County Historical Society had its birth on May 25, 1916, when twelve people met in the Decatur Public Library, adopted a constitution, and elected temporary officers. In August, 1916 there was an appeal for members at the Old Settlers’ Picnic for any items of historical interest. The Society had plans “to establish a library of local and state history, to maintain a museum, and to cultivate the historic sense and diffuse knowledge upon these subjects by meeting and publications”. On more than one occasion over the years the Society became inactive and then reorganized. In 1962 several local citizens met to discuss the reactivation of the Society, with meetings being held in Decatur’s old Carnegie Library until the Society purchased the old North Cumberland Presbyterian Church to establish their new museum and a meeting place.
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Sand Creek Conservation Area
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Richard J. Oglesby is best known both as a friend and political ally of Abraham Lincoln. Oglesby helped form the "Railsplitter Candidate" image which put Lincoln in the national spotlight during the 1860 presidential election. Oglesby was also with Lincoln when he died in 1865 and as Governor of Illinois he lead the effort to build Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. In his later years Oglesby helped preserve Lincoln's historical legacy and shape the heroic legend of Abraham Lincoln through his speeches and interviews. |
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The Mansion possesses features of the Italianate style including brackets under the eaves, the low-pitched roof with belvedere (a flat deck area at the roof's center with a balustrade), bay windows and verandas. The interior features vibrant parquet wood flooring, seven fireplaces and a walnut staircase. Throughout the house are furnishings of the era including several items owned by the Oglesby Family.
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Arguably one of the most important downtown areas in Lincoln lifetime, visitors can trace his very beginnings in Illinois to his run for the presidency. At the corner of Main and Merchant Streets a statue of Lincoln commemorates the site of his important “Stump Speech” that propelled him into political prominence. At Main Street Bank & Trust parking lot, plaque marks the site of “The Wigwam” where Lincoln was nominated for President by John Palmer during the 1860 Illinois Republican Convention. Also introduced at this site was Richard Oglesby’s famed slogan, “Abe Lincoln, The Rail Splitter Candidate for President of 1860.” |
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Bursting with unique boutiques, specialty shops, and restaurants, you will also find five art galleries within a one-square block area. The oldest building still standing in Downtown Decatur was built in 1856 and first used as a church. Now restored, it holds apartments and commercial space. The hub of their thriving community, downtown is famous for its many street festivals and seasonally coordinated special events.
Downtown Decatur Part 1 |
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Rock Springs Conservation Area |
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Emanuel Good, a Civil War veteran, along with his wife and children were the second family to live there. The Goods owned the house from 1866 to 1903, selling it one year after Emanuel's death.
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Friends Creek Conservation Area |
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Taylorville is often referred to as “the last stop” because when Lincoln and his fellow lawyers, including Stephen A. Douglas, rode the 8th judicial circuit Taylorville was often the last place they stopped before going back to Springfield.
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In the 1840’s and 1850’s when Abraham Lincoln rode the 8th judicial circuit, the last stop was in Taylorville, Illinois. While not in its original location on the city square, the first Christian County Courthouse still exists and is now part of The Christian County Historical Museum. The white frame building was built in 1839 and was restored using original specifications for construction. The simple almost crude interior furnishings echo courtrooms of the period when the practice of law was less formal than it is today. The Historical Museum grounds also include a one-room schoolhouse, an 1800’s train depot, a log house dating to the 1820’s and several buildings that include an amazing array of exhibits and artifacts.
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Taylorville, Illinois, is home to the Christian County Courthouse, and county seat. The County Seat was established in 1839. Inside the building, visitors can find a number of actual Lincoln documents on display and assorted displays for Lincoln the Lawyer.
The 1902 courthouse is the county’s third. The first one was built in 1840 and used until 1856. Up until 1853, it was the last stop on Abraham Lincoln’s 8th Judicial Circuit route and where Lincoln reportedly issued a “writ of quietus” to silence the sound of hogs that were disrupting a trial. The original courthouse has been moved to the grounds of the Christian County Historical Museum at Illinois 29 and 48 on Morrison Drive.
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The hike and bike trail follows historic rail bed 15 miles between Taylorville and Pana. Rustic bridges, wild flowers, prairie plants, songbirds and woodlands create a scenic sanctuary. This section of trail offers a unique opportunity to get out of the car and stretch or even hop on a bike and explore the land as Lincoln knew it along this marvelously exciting stretch of prairie land.
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Shelbyville was founded in 1827 and named in honor of Isaac Shelby, hero of the Revolutionary War and Governor of Kentucky. The history of Shelbyville begins with Barnett Bone, a Tennessean who, in 1835, built a log cabin along the Kaskaskia River. As a side note, his cabin eventually became the county's first courthouse. Shelby County was formed in 1827 out of Fayette County and was also named as such as an additional honorific for Isaac Shelby. |
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In 1871, the Committee on Public Buildings reported to the County Board that the Courthouse (located on the Public Square) was too small and unsafe. In November 1872, voters approved the proposed new court- house. The lot, just north of the Public Square, was purchased for $800.00. The building was built in 1879 (at a cost of $72,987) and was dedicated on April 13, 1883.
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The Lincoln Public Square & Eternal Flame houses the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, designed by local artist, Robert Marshall Root. The square was erected in 1907 in memory of the fighting men in the county. The square has a plaque in honor of Abraham Lincoln who practiced law in Shelbyville and there is also a plaque for Horace Tallman, the inventor of the first mechanical pick-up hay baler. Flags are placed around the square during Memorial Day to Labor Day.
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Shelby County Historical and Genealogical Society is a library for researchers. There are historic artifacts on display. Built in 1892, the building was formerly the Shelby County Jail and sheriff’s residence. It houses a treasure trove of historical images and artifacts, including a brilliant analysis of the painting of the Lincoln-Thornton Debate, with a complete listing of almost everyone pictured in this image. In addition, they have several exhibits directly pertaining to Lincoln in Shelby County and Shelbyville on display.
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If you are looking for a walk through Lincoln’s Illinois, this is a stop not to miss. Covered bridges of this type were constructed in the United States starting in the 1820s and were erected continuing into the mid 1800s. Though this bridge was built following Lincoln’s assassination, it does offer a taste of the types of covered bridges that Lincoln would have encountered in his travels.
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Want to take a break from the travel and just relax or do you want to explore more of the landscape of Illinois? Though not from Lincoln’s time, Lake Shelbyville affords both! Whether enjoying the lake itself or exploring the surrounding flora and fauna of Lincoln’s Illinois, this is a stop to be taken and enjoyed. |
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Named for General John Sullivan, who was a member of the Continental Army and the First Continental Congress, Sullivan, first called Asa's Point, was named in part because Sullivan was a Northerner, while Moultrie County was named for General William Moultrie, who was a Southerner. |
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No visit to Moultrie County is complete without a visit to the Old Order Amish settlement located in Moultrie and adjoining Douglas County. Although primarily farmers, many of the Amish use their multiple talents in the more than 225 Amish cottage businesses which dot the landscape.
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The Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society's purpose is to bring together those interested in the history and genealogy of Moultrie County, to discover, collect, and preserve any material which may help establish or illustrate the history of the area and all its people, to provide for the cataloging and for the preservation of such material and for its accessibility to those who wish to examine or study it. Also, to stimulate and encourage an interest in the genealogy of our ancestors, to promote and publish material in a quarterly publication covering Moultrie County, other counties, neighboring states, and other areas from which our settlers and ancestors came.
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The Moultrie County Courthouse is the only site in Moultrie County, Illinois that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in the county seat of Sullivan, the courthouse has been listed on the register since 1995.
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Piatt County, named for James A. Piatt, Sr., was established January 27, 1841, from territory taken from Macon County. The county seat is currently Monticello. |
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The museum was started as “The Piatt County Pioneers” on March 11, 1965. The name was changed in December of 1965 to “The Illinois Pioneer Heritage Center.” Through the years, many dedicated people worked to preserve the heritage and artifacts unique to Piatt County. The name was changed to “The Piatt County Museum” in January of 1996. They are currently erecting the old University of Illinois Beef Barn and in order to create a new facility for their museum near the Train Museum.
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James Piatt Sr. came to this Central Illinois territory in 1829 and called the area Piatt's Point. In 1837, a plat was registered by Piatt and it was named Monticello by Major James McReynolds, an admirer of Thomas Jefferson. Industry progressed with the incorporation of the Monticello Railroad Company in 1861 and by the 1880's, Monticello was a major business hub in Central Illinois. |
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The continual success of the company helped spawn the construction of mansions on North State Street that became known as "Millionaire's Row”. Experience this evolution and growth of wealth on this one of a kind walking tour through Historic State Street in Monticello Illinois!
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Everyone knows that Lincoln expanded the railroads and used them heavily during the Civil War as President, but before that he road the rails, as they arrived throughout the Eighth Judicial Circuit and even argued cases for and against the railroads in Illinois. Now visitors can experience a bit of the railroad magic in Central Illinois.
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The 1500-acre woodland, garden, meadow, and prairie landscape that surrounds the Allerton Mansion was once the private estate of Robert Henry Allerton. Named “The Farms,” the estate was the center of the 12,000-acre Illinois agricultural enterprise acquired during the latter half of the 1800s by Robert’s father Samuel. The family wealth however, extended far beyond Illinois. Samuel Allerton owned more than 80,000 acres of farmland, was a founding principal of the First National Bank of Chicago, and held prominent leadership positions in five major stockyards, including the Union Stockyards of Chicago. |
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What was once the private oasis for a single family is now a vibrant teaching, recreational, and celebratory sanctuary for nearly 100,000 guests every year. Allerton Park and Retreat Center is a unique cultural and environmental asset of the University of Illinois and serves as a bridge between the public and the educational and research resources of the University’s faculty.
Allerton Park Part 1 |
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Bryant Cottage was built in 1856 by Francis E. Bryant a friend and political ally of Senator Stephen A. Douglas. According to Bryant family tradition, on the evening of July 29, 1858, Douglas and Abraham Lincoln conferred in the parlor of this house to plan the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates. The picturesque one-story, four-room wood frame cottage has been “restored” and is interpreted as an example of a middle-class life in mid-nineteenth-century Illinois. The furniture on display is of the Renaissance Revival style, appropriate for a small-town family of the mid-nineteenth century.
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