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In the footsteps of Lincoln
By Scott Richardson
srichardson@pantagraph.com
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Abraham Lincoln grew from frontiersman to president of the United States in the mid-section of Illinois.

He held his first public office as postmaster in New Salem, where he became a lawyer. He rode the vast 8th Judicial Circuit that stretched from the Illinois River to the Indiana border until it was carved into smaller pieces -- in a move engineered by Lincoln the lobbyist.

Bloomington was always part of the circuit.

It was there Pantagraph founder Jesse Fell convinced a discouraged Abe, who'd lost a run for Congress, that he was still a viable candidate for the nation's highest office.

Lincoln's story and the history of Central Illinois are intertwined, said Lincoln authority and Bloomington attorney Guy Fraker.

Fraker will guide two two-day tours of several Lincoln sites entitled "Riding the 8th Circuit with Lincoln" in May and June. Tour coordinator is Judy Markowitz, former Bloomington mayor and longtime professional tour director.

"The beauty of the 8th Judicial Circuit and Lincoln is that they are really parallel stories," Fraker said. "Lincoln arrives in Decatur in 1830 as a farm hand. The town had seven log cabins. In 1860 as president-elect, his train goes through Decatur. The depot now has a three-story hotel. The growth we see in Lincoln is parallel to the growth we see in the area. It goes from a frontier to a sophisticated place with colleges and manufacturing, public schools and libraries."

Fraker sees the "Riding the 8th Circuit with Lincoln" tour as a way for Central Illinois to tout its link to Lincoln while history buffs and tourism officials prepare to celebrate Abe's 200th birthday in 2009. Fraker thinks interest in Lincoln will not ebb afterward.

"It (the birthday celebration) is going to be very huge. It will bring an awareness of Lincoln that will be unprecedented. And once it happens, the story won't fade out. I don't see it as a fad du jour," he said.

Hal Smith, director of the Springfield-based Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, said Riding the 8th Judicial Circuit is a "wonderful" first step toward a series of thematic tours that will focus on Lincoln's days as a lawyer, the Lincoln-Douglas debates and other aspects of his life.

"We are delighted with it. ... Fraker is a terrific resource," said Smith, whose group coordinates Lincoln activities and sites in a 42-county region of Illinois. "We would expect bus tours, bike tours, motorcycle tours. ..."

Fraker was 10 when he became intrigued with Lincoln on a day trip to New Salem near Springfield. His parents had roots in the Midwest and attended the University of Illinois-Urbana. His father's business took the family to White Plains, N.Y., where Fraker grew up.

He attended his parents' alma mater, which was a hotbed of Lincoln scholarship at the time. He was aware of the strong connection Lincoln had to Bloomington when he accepted a position at a Twin City law firm after graduating from law school.

Later in his law career, Fraker became "compulsive" about learning more about the man who became president. Fraker is authoring a book on Lincoln's time as a lawyer. The tour is his latest Lincoln venture and a new challenge for him.

The tour starts and ends each day in Bloomington, where more than a half dozen sites have strong Lincoln connections. Among them is the David Davis Mansion, where the tour will enjoy a catered dinner and a presentation of "An Autobiography of A. Lincoln" by Lincoln performer James Keeran.

Davis was circuit judge and traveled with Lincoln to cover the 10,000 square miles of the circuit twice each year from 1837 to 1860. They completed the 400- to 500-mile loop in 11 weeks. President Lincoln eventually named Davis to the U.S. Supreme Court. The mansion was built after Lincoln was assassinated.

Bloomington's lesser known Lincoln sites include the Miller Davis building at Main and Front streets, the site of a former bank that spawned the town's first millionaire. Lincoln was his attorney.

Today's Burpo's Boutique, at 106 W. Washington St., was yesterday's Kersey Fell law office, where Kersey's brother, Jesse, collared Lincoln. The newspaper owner had just returned from the East Coast, where he found great support for Lincoln for president.

Fell eventually convinced Lincoln to write an autobiography so people could learn more about him. At least one historian thinks the meeting marked a critical moment in Lincoln's life.

Lincoln gave a lecture on "discoveries and inventions" around the corner at 113 N. Center St., in the former Centre Hall in the building that now houses Kelly's Bakery & Café. A century and a half before wind turbines dotted the landscape east of Bloomington, Lincoln commented what a great thing it would be if the wind could ever be harnessed.

"He would say, 'I told you so,' " Fraker said.

Other Bloomington sites include several former law offices where Lincoln did business.

Outside the Twin Cities, the tour visits several locations with strong Lincoln ties. The tour groups will be allowed inside the restored Stage Coach Inn in Middletown, which is normally closed to the public. They'll visit several Tazewell County sites, including the Metamora Courthouse. They'll stop at Eureka College, where Lincoln spoke on behalf of Republican presidential candidate and explorer John C. Fremont.

The tour also will visit:

• The McLean County Historical Society Museum in downtown Bloomington that offers memories of the days when Lincoln practiced law in Bloomington;

• Lincoln, the only town named for Abe before he was president, and the location of the Postville Courthouse State Historic Site, a reproduction of the 1840's courthouse where Lincoln tried cases. Henry Ford had the original disassembled and moved to his museum in Deerfield, Mich. The tour also will stop at Lincoln College Museum, which has a collection of original Lincoln artifacts and documents.

• The Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site, one of the two surviving 8th Judicial Circuit courthouses where Lincoln practiced law;

• Elkhart, which has several sites where Lincoln spent time.

Along the way, the route will follow roads where Lincoln traveled as closely as possible.

Fraker insists historians cannot overstate the importance of the 8th Judicial Circuit in Lincoln's life.

"He was a man of the people because he was a man among the people. As the towns grew in complexity and size, so did he."



If you go



What: Riding the 8th Judicial Circuit with Lincoln

Where: Various sites in Central Illinois; the two-day tour begins and ends each day in Bloomington

When: Tours are May 29-30 or June 19-20.

Cost: $275 per person includes transportation, lunch both days, dinner Thursday night, entertainment and commentary by Lincoln authority Guy C. Fraker. Not included are motel accommodations and a Friday night dinner at C.J.'s Restaurant in Bloomington.

Tips: The tours involve walking. Wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella.

Registration deadlines: May 14 for the May tour, June 4 for the June tour.

More information: Judy Markowitz at (309) 663-2074 or email cityjudy@aol.com

Take a look
This June 3, 1860 photograph of presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln was taken by Alexander Hesler in Springfield. (For the Pantagraph/McLEAN COUNTY MUSEUM OF HISTORY)
The David Davis Mansion is on the tour called Riding the 8th Judicial Circuit with Lincoln. (The Pantagraph/DAVID PROEBER)
Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis-Kavelman looked at an American Flag hung in the 1840's era courtroom of the Postville Courthouse in Lincoln as the city geared up for its 150th anniversary a few years ago. (Pantagraph file photo)
The Postville Courthouse, at Monroe and fifth streets in Lincoln, as it appears in winter. (The Pantagraph/DAVID PROEBER)
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Reader comments on this story - 3 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

snarky wrote on May 25, 2008 9:25 AM:

" Despite being a Lincoln history fan, I wouldn't go simply because I have no intention of having anything to do with Judy. "

lindini wrote on May 15, 2008 11:09 AM:

" I've noticed that all of the tours and walks available locally are very expensive, often at least $25 each. To take a family on such an event is really not possible. I would love if the local powers that be could organize some events for lower income history buffs. Sounds like a neat trip though... "

lindini wrote on May 15, 2008 9:58 AM:

" I've noticed that all of the tours and walks available locally are very expensive, often at least $25 each. To take a family on such an event is really not possible. I would love if the local powers that be could organize some events for lower income history buffs. Sounds like a neat trip though... "
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