Springfield Tour

[Gene C]

This is the first of two installments of photo's from the 2016 Springfield Tour.
We had a light, on and off again, misty rain that lasted until early afternoon as we started our tour of some of the cemeteries in the New Salem - Petersburg area. It was a little cool as we started out, but not cold. I was very impressed with the care most these cemeteries are given. Joe was an excellent guide. Every time I go more of the pieces of history fall together and I get a better understanding of who did what and their involvement in Lincoln's life. As we all share what we have read and learned, our modern world takes a back seat to the world of Lincoln and the 1830's. In the small community of New Salem, friendships and neighbors take a more personal, intimate role than they seem to do today.

After reading Joe's "New Salem - A History of Lincoln's Alma Mater", I was surprised to see how many of his friends and neighbors were close to his own age. (within 10 years) We see photo's of many of these people in their 50's through their 70's with the faces worn by the years of hard living, and that's how I see them during Lincoln's time, but many of them were in their 20's and 30's when they all lived in New Salem.

Later that afternoon, Scott and I visited the Lincoln depot, as Joe and David had other appointments. We had the small place to ourselves, and it wasn't hard to image what is would have been like in Lincoln's day. It is a very nice building, very clean and polished. I imagine in the 1850's -1860's it was a bit more dusty, had the look and feel of an active railroad station and not a museum. The seating was wooden benches, not the most .
comfortable. Immediately next to the Lincoln Depot is the "Unfinished Mural". It would have been very nice had it been finished, but there is enough completed to give it a certain character and mystique.

That night after a great dinner we strolled through the Lincoln neighborhood. At this time of the year (early October) it's cool with hardly anyone else present. There is a unique feeling in the air, for a few moments you wish time travel were possible.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/105898294@N05/DQ6H0A

Unfortunately, Flickr has made some changes in the past year and it doesn't work as well as it used to.

Notes to photo's are in the lower left corner, use your mouse. Click to enlarge. Hope you enjoy, and consider joining us this year. More to follow.....