A visit to the land of Lincoln...

I recently wrote about our stop in Independence, Mo. at the Truman Museum. We also stopped in Springfield, In. at the Abe Lincoln home and Presidential Library. If we look in the past we see the present. They look about the same.

This photo is his Springfield home. After his election as President he never returned. He was 56 when he was assassinated. That's the same age I am now.  A famous quote at the time of his death is "Now he belongs to the ages." Seems like every now and then new things come up about Abe. In the 50s a teenage researcher in the Presidential Library turned up a never before seen photo of his body lying in state. I think I saw a recently published clinical report by the first Doc to reach him after he was shot and of course there is the movie. 

Here's a photo of in the home. It was recreated from drawings made just before he went to Washington. Seems like folks knew he was going to be a great one because he either put these furnishings in storage or loaned them out to friends who safely kept them. The only things lost were in Chicago at the time of the fire that destroyed the city. 


As you can see the accommodations were very fine for the times. And after Abe became president times were tough. Succession, war, slavery and more ripped the nation apart  As we have seen with other presidents the critics of the time were not very kind. Political cartoons in newspapers depicted Abe as an ape, a monkey, an African King or a banjo player. They had great fun with his rough, humble beginnings. Any of this sound familiar? Seen such lately? 

Here's Cathy in the foyer of the Library. It's the only place you could make photos. Inside are quite a collection of impressive artifacts from Abe and his family. There's a top hat, letters, other belongings and some very modern media presentations. 

Abe was a Republican. Hanging in the foyer was a photo of our old friend Bill who has been awarded the Lincoln Leadership award. I don't think Bill's a Republican. How's that for some bipartisanship? Seen any of that lately?