Lincoln and the Logan County Court Houses

[STS Lincolnite]

I had a great time on this year’s Springfield tour and definitely learned a some things. I thought I would post a little more information about what I learned about a few of the places we visited. Joe and Gene provided lots of great photos from our trip (see the “Springfield Tour” thread). I am posting a couple of photos here so some photos are handy.

Lincoln was one of a group of lawyers that traveled the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Twice a year, he and others, along with Judge David Davis, would ride from county seat to county seat to hear court cases brought by the local residents. During these years, he probably spent as much time riding the circuit as he did at home in Springfield. As a brief aside, author Guy Fraker believes it was Lincoln’s time spent on the circuit that paved his way to the Presidency. One of the counties on the Circuit was Logan County, IL. There were several different Logan county seats and courthouses during Lincoln’s time and the ones in Postville and Mt. Pulaski were two of them. Not many details are known about Lincoln’s cases in Logan County as a fire in 1857 (by then, the county seat was in Lincoln, IL) destroyed most of the Logan County court records from the period when Lincoln served on the circuit. There are some remaining documents that shed some light on a few of his cases. These are apparently duplicate records that exist related to appeals of some of the cases in another court. We paid visits to the historical sites related to both the Postville and Mt. Pulaski courthouses. A replica (built in 1953) of the original Postville Courthouse sits at the original location. It is in what is now Lincoln, IL at 914 5th Street. I can’t tell you what is inside now because it was closed when we were there. The Mt. Pulaski Courthouse is at 113 S Washington St., Mt. Pulaski, IL. It has been restored to look like it did when Lincoln served as an attorney inside its walls. The floors and railing in the courtroom are original and were there during Lincoln’s time. The Mt. Pulaski Courthouse is one of only two original courthouses remaining in Illinois in which Lincoln practiced law while riding the circuit. The other is in Metamora, IL.

Postville Courthouse
The Postville Courthouse was built in 1840, about a year after it was decided that the community of Postville would be the seat of the newly formed Logan County. It was a frame building built in a very simple, Federal style and looked like a regular house. In addition to the courtroom, the building housed the offices of the county clerk, the recorder of deeds, the Sherriff, the coroner, and the county surveyor. When not in use by the circuit court, the courtroom was used by the justice of the peace and as a meeting room for the county board of commissioners. This building served as the courthouse for 8 years (1840-1848). In 1848, the residents of Mt. Pulaski, IL offered to build a new structure to serve as county courthouse. The residents collected $2700 of the $3000 necessary to build it. The county leaders accepted the offer, partly due to a fear of courthouse fire and thereby the destruction of the county’s legal records. A fear that proved to be well founded as many of the county’s legal records were in fact destroyed in a fire in 1857 as stated above. After the county seat moved to Mt. Pulaski, the building became a private home. The town of Postville was annexed by the town of Lincoln, IL in 1860, and the building became sort of forgotten. It was bought by Henry Ford for about $8000 in 1929, when he became interested in buying up historical properties. Yes, the same Henry Ford who said in a 1916 interview with the Chicago Tribune, “I don’t know much about history, and I wouldn’t give a nickel for all the history in the world. It means nothing to me.” Guess he changed his tune – probably because he thought he could make some money. Anyway, Ford’s crew dismantled the building and its foundation. The pieces were moved and then reassembled at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI. I have not been there, but apparently the building is still there. The attached photo is of the replica courthouse in Lincoln, IL.
   

Mt. Pulaski Courthouse
As stated above, it was the decided that the Mt. Pulaski Courthouse would be a masonry structure to help protect against fire. The courthouse was completed in 1848, being a brick building in the Greek Revival style. Mt. Pulaski was, and is, located in the southeastern part of Logan County. In the early 1850s, a railroad was built (it would become the Chicago and Alton Railroad) heading to the northeast from Springfield. While this rail line passed through Logan County, it was nowhere near Mt. Pulaski. Because all of the new development of the county was focused around the railroad, it was decided that the Logan County seat would move again. This time to a location on the rail line and more near the center of the county. It was moved to Lincoln, IL, the only community to be named for Lincoln during his lifetime. The county voters solidified the choice in 1853 and by 1855 the county government had been relocated. In the years following the relocation of the county seat to Lincoln, IL, the former courthouse building was used as a school, a city hall and jail, and as a post office. In the 1930s the IL Governor started a program to find any surviving buildings in which Lincoln had spent time. In 1936, Mt. Pulaski gave the building to the state of Illinois. The state restored it to its mid nineteenth century courthouse character from 1936-1939. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Restoration and maintenance projects continue in the courthouse which now serves as a historical site. The attached photos are of the exterior of the courthouse and of the second floor courtroom.
       

For additional information on Lincoln’s time on the eighth judicial circuit, check out the following:

Lincoln’s Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit, by Guy C. Fraker

http://www.lookingforlincoln.com/8thcircuit/index.html

[RJNorton]

Scott, thank you for such a terrific post!! I once came across a comment in a book that said when there was a break on the circuit all those men traveling with Lincoln would go home to be with their families, but Lincoln would stay put and not go back to Springfield. We may have discussed this on the forum awhile back, but I don't recall what was said. Scott, based on what you know, can you comment?

[STS Lincolnite]

(10-11-2015 02:15 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Scott, thank you for such a terrific post!! I once came across a comment in a book that said when there was a break on the circuit all those men traveling with Lincoln would go home to be with their families, but Lincoln would stay put and not go back to Springfield. We may have discussed this on the forum awhile back, but I don't recall what was said. Scott, based on what you know, can you comment?

Roger, I too seem to vaguely remember this being discussed in another thread as well, but don't remember which one.

The idea that other lawyers went home while Lincoln did not, came from comments Judge Davis made in one of Herndon's interviews in 1866: "In my opinion I think Mr. Lincoln was happy - as happy as he could be, when on this Circuit - and happy no other place. This was his place of Enjoyment. As a general rule when all the lawyers of a Saturday evening would go home and see their families & friends at home Lincoln would refuse to go home."

I would really have to study the topic further but there are probably several reasons Lincoln may have remained away when others went home. My initial thoughts follow:

First, I don't know if all the lawyers traveled the whole circuit as Lincoln did. If perhaps they only traveled to a couple of the county seats - the ones closer to home, it would be much easier to get home on a weekend and then back by the time court proceedings began again. Springfield was situated in the southwest corner of the circuit and in the earlier years when traveling by horseback, there is no way he could get home to Springfield and then back to some of the county seats on weekend. In later years, when railroad travel was available, Lincoln may have in fact gone home more regularly on the weekend.

Second, the living conditions on the circuit could range from mediocre to horrible according to Guy Fraker's book. I suspect that Lincoln's hardscrabble life prior to becoming a lawyer made him much more tolerant of such a lack of amenities. It is only speculation on my part, but I would guess most of the lawyers were raised in and were used to a much higher standard of living. They headed for home any opportunity they had just for a break from the sometimes dreadful living conditions.

Third, I think Lincoln was a ambitious. He was a lawyer and aspiring politician. He clearly understood that he could better get to know potential clients and voters by spending time with them outside of the courtroom and did so to further his career. He went the extra mile in this regard and did what some others might not have been willing to do. According to reports he enjoyed the "social time" while riding on the circuit and became quite popular. The fruits of that labor are evidenced by the town of Lincoln, IL being named after him because of the reputation he gained while riding on the circuit.

Some seem to think that the only reason he did not regularly go home while riding the circuit was because he was trying to avoid Mary. I don't agree. There certainly may have been times when he stayed out even when he could have gone home. Possibly in order to avoid some sort of domestic responsibility or hardship but I hardly think he would be the first spouse in history to do that. Also, the time people like Washington and Adams were away from their wives in order to further their careers was far greater than Lincoln's. No one claims it was all to stay away from their wives (accepting that their wives were not known to have the mood swings that Mary had). When the available info is taken in its entirety (and I am not saying all the available info is in this post - I also seem to remember some reports from fellow circuit riders that Lincoln did in fact go home from time to time but I didn't have time to look for it just now) it's really not that strange to me that Lincoln stayed out on the circuit.

It is an interesting question posed, and I would be interested to hear the thoughts of others.

[Wild Bill]

This notion that Lincoln stayed at country inns on weekends while riding circuit while the other lawyers and judges went home to family reminded me of CA Tripp's "Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln." So, I looked it up. I found two references to this. One on pp. 157-58, in which Tripp credits this idea that Abe refused to go home on weekends came from Herndon's "Life of Lincoln,"249. The other was on Tripp's pp. 212-13. Sorry to butt in here, but I remembered this as one of the indicators that Lincoln had an unhappy marriage and could barely stand to be home with Mary. It was also allegedly an indication of his bi-sexualism, Tripp asserted. Take it for what you all think it is worth. Jean Baker in her intro to Tripp's book calls his assertions about Mary and their marriage as "brutally harsh" and "unfair" (p.xxi)

[RJNorton]

Many thanks, Scott and Bill!

I found another quote, but I cannot find which colleague said it. The quote is as follows:

"He (Lincoln) was never seated next to the landlord at a crowded table and never got a chicken liver or the best cut from the roast. He never complained of the food, bed, or lodging. If every other fellow grumbled at the bill of fare which greeted us at many of the dingy taverns where we sojourned, Lincoln said nothing; yet he loved the life and never went home without reluctance."

Does anyone know who the colleague was who said this?

[Eva Elisabeth]

I second Roger, Scott - thank you for such a terrific post!

I have read that Lincoln was not the very only one who did not go home, just this was the minority. Reasons for doing so were saving money and living too far away. I think the latter applied to Lincoln in any case. And in the times of the railway he did go home more often. Please see my post #7 here, and also Toia's fantastic post #5:
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...t#pid34271
Despite I believe he needed the time to study and to prepare.

I agree with Scott, I don't think the reason was flight from marriage. I would tend to think whatever the reason was it must have been reasonable enough for Mary not to complain explicitly about that other circuit riders spent the weekends at home while her husband did not. It seems she understood.

---

(10-11-2015 02:05 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  Postville Courthouse
The Postville Courthouse was built in 1840, about a year after it was decided that the community of Postville would be the seat of the newly formed Logan County. It was a frame building built in a very simple, Federal style and looked like a regular house. In addition to the courtroom, the building housed the offices of the county clerk, the recorder of deeds, the Sherriff, the coroner, and the county surveyor. When not in use by the circuit court, the courtroom was used by the justice of the peace and as a meeting room for the county board of commissioners. This building served as the courthouse for 8 years (1840-1848). In 1848, the residents of Mt. Pulaski, IL offered to build a new structure to serve as county courthouse. The residents collected $2700 of the $3000 necessary to build it. The county leaders accepted the offer, partly due to a fear of courthouse fire and thereby the destruction of the county’s legal records. A fear that proved to be well founded as many of the county’s legal records were in fact destroyed in a fire in 1857 as stated above. After the county seat moved to Mt. Pulaski, the building became a private home. The town of Postville was annexed by the town of Lincoln, IL in 1860, and the building became sort of forgotten. It was bought by Henry Ford for about $8000 in 1929, when he became interested in buying up historical properties. Yes, the same Henry Ford who said in a 1916 interview with the Chicago Tribune, “I don’t know much about history, and I wouldn’t give a nickel for all the history in the world. It means nothing to me.” Guess he changed his tune – probably because he thought he could make some money. Anyway, Ford’s crew dismantled the building and its foundation. The pieces were moved and then reassembled at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI. I have not been there, but apparently the building is still there.

Isn't it this one? I admit all the different names confuse me.
http://abesblogcabin.org/the-logan-count...e-michigan

[STS Lincolnite]

(10-11-2015 05:14 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Please see my post #7 here, and also Toia's fantastic post #5:
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...t#pid34271

Eva,

Thanks for the link to the thread on the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Had I known about that thread, I would have placed my post under that thread instead of starting a new one.

I think Toia's post there goes right along with what I had written...and with citations to boot!

Your post does a great job of illustrating just how large this area was geographically.

---

(10-11-2015 05:14 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Isn't it this one? I admit all the different names confuse me.
http://abesblogcabin.org/the-logan-count...e-michigan

That's it! The original Postville Courthouse. Thanks for sharing. And the link is to an item written by our very own Bill Nash! I should have known he, as a Michigander, would be all over that one. I do notice that in the photo Bill has, the building has only one chimney as compared to two chimneys in the replica building. Curious.

[LincolnMan]

(10-11-2015 02:05 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  I had a great time on this year’s Springfield tour and definitely learned a some things. I thought I would post a little more information about what I learned about a few of the places we visited. Joe and Gene provided lots of great photos from our trip (see the “Springfield Tour” thread). I am posting a couple of photos here so some photos are handy.

Lincoln was one of a group of lawyers that traveled the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Twice a year, he and others, along with Judge David Davis, would ride from county seat to county seat to hear court cases brought by the local residents. During these years, he probably spent as much time riding the circuit as he did at home in Springfield. As a brief aside, author Guy Fraker believes it was Lincoln’s time spent on the circuit that paved his way to the Presidency. One of the counties on the Circuit was Logan County, IL. There were several different Logan county seats and courthouses during Lincoln’s time and the ones in Postville and Mt. Pulaski were two of them. Not many details are known about Lincoln’s cases in Logan County as a fire in 1857 (by then, the county seat was in Lincoln, IL) destroyed most of the Logan County court records from the period when Lincoln served on the circuit. There are some remaining documents that shed some light on a few of his cases. These are apparently duplicate records that exist related to appeals of some of the cases in another court. We paid visits to the historical sites related to both the Postville and Mt. Pulaski courthouses. A replica (built in 1953) of the original Postville Courthouse sits at the original location. It is in what is now Lincoln, IL at 914 5th Street. I can’t tell you what is inside now because it was closed when we were there. The Mt. Pulaski Courthouse is at 113 S Washington St., Mt. Pulaski, IL. It has been restored to look like it did when Lincoln served as an attorney inside its walls. The floors and railing in the courtroom are original and were there during Lincoln’s time. The Mt. Pulaski Courthouse is one of only two original courthouses remaining in Illinois in which Lincoln practiced law while riding the circuit. The other is in Metamora, IL.

Postville Courthouse
The Postville Courthouse was built in 1840, about a year after it was decided that the community of Postville would be the seat of the newly formed Logan County. It was a frame building built in a very simple, Federal style and looked like a regular house. In addition to the courtroom, the building housed the offices of the county clerk, the recorder of deeds, the Sherriff, the coroner, and the county surveyor. When not in use by the circuit court, the courtroom was used by the justice of the peace and as a meeting room for the county board of commissioners. This building served as the courthouse for 8 years (1840-1848). In 1848, the residents of Mt. Pulaski, IL offered to build a new structure to serve as county courthouse. The residents collected $2700 of the $3000 necessary to build it. The county leaders accepted the offer, partly due to a fear of courthouse fire and thereby the destruction of the county’s legal records. A fear that proved to be well founded as many of the county’s legal records were in fact destroyed in a fire in 1857 as stated above. After the county seat moved to Mt. Pulaski, the building became a private home. The town of Postville was annexed by the town of Lincoln, IL in 1860, and the building became sort of forgotten. It was bought by Henry Ford for about $8000 in 1929, when he became interested in buying up historical properties. Yes, the same Henry Ford who said in a 1916 interview with the Chicago Tribune, “I don’t know much about history, and I wouldn’t give a nickel for all the history in the world. It means nothing to me.” Guess he changed his tune – probably because he thought he could make some money. Anyway, Ford’s crew dismantled the building and its foundation. The pieces were moved and then reassembled at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI. I have not been there, but apparently the building is still there. The attached photo is of the replica courthouse in Lincoln, IL.


Mt. Pulaski Courthouse
As stated above, it was the decided that the Mt. Pulaski Courthouse would be a masonry structure to help protect against fire. The courthouse was completed in 1848, being a brick building in the Greek Revival style. Mt. Pulaski was, and is, located in the southeastern part of Logan County. In the early 1850s, a railroad was built (it would become the Chicago and Alton Railroad) heading to the northeast from Springfield. While this rail line passed through Logan County, it was nowhere near Mt. Pulaski. Because all of the new development of the county was focused around the railroad, it was decided that the Logan County seat would move again. This time to a location on the rail line and more near the center of the county. It was moved to Lincoln, IL, the only community to be named for Lincoln during his lifetime. The county voters solidified the choice in 1853 and by 1855 the county government had been relocated. In the years following the relocation of the county seat to Lincoln, IL, the former courthouse building was used as a school, a city hall and jail, and as a post office. In the 1930s the IL Governor started a program to find any surviving buildings in which Lincoln had spent time. In 1936, Mt. Pulaski gave the building to the state of Illinois. The state restored it to its mid nineteenth century courthouse character from 1936-1939. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Restoration and maintenance projects continue in the courthouse which now serves as a historical site. The attached photos are of the exterior of the courthouse and of the second floor courtroom.


For additional information on Lincoln’s time on the eighth judicial circuit, check out the following:

Lincoln’s Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit, by Guy C. Fraker

http://www.lookingforlincoln.com/8thcircuit/index.html

Regarding the courthouse at Greenfield Village in Dearborn. It is still there-and preserved well. Visitors are able to go inside to see what it looked like. Also, there is a cabinet inside made by Thomas Lincoln.

[maharba]

This almost sounds like Lincoln was a judge. But I assume he came along expecting to be hired to represent probably a defendant. I wonder if a person could represent themself either in civil or criminal. He must have been dedicated to the work to want to travel like that for about 20 years.

[RJNorton]

Actually Lincoln did act as judge on occasion. Much of the time Lincoln argued cases in front of Judge David Davis who traveled the circuit with him. When Davis was ill or had other personal business to take care of, he usually asked Lincoln to act as judge for a few days. This procedure was irregular and was altogether without statutory sanction; thus Lincoln would only preside at a trial if all parties consented. At least two of "Judge" Lincoln's cases were reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court because of this irregular assignment of the judicial duties, but usually Lincoln's integrity and character were so reputable as to inspire confidence in his findings and weight to his judgments.

[maharba]

Interesting but not unexpected that might happen from time to time. Lincoln to sit in as judge or other lawyers too. I clicked on David Davis and he went on to be appointed by Lincoln as a Supreme Court Justice, later a Senator. Shows he lived in Bloomington Illinois.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Welcome maharba! Re.: "I wonder if a person could represent themself either in civil or criminal?" - maybe this helps?:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_se_l...ted_States

Re.: "He must have been dedicated to the work to want to travel like that for about 20 years."

I would think the work he was most dedicated to was politics. A part of his dedication to his lawbusiness was certainly simply to make a living (and not the labored way his father did). And about traveling I think he loved the kind of "timeout" from regular life, the freedom, adventure, and male companionship.

David Davis later became one of Robert's best friends/intimates and surrogate father (and to Mary right the opposite). His house was one of the poshest and technically (re. plumbing, lighting, etc.) most modern ones in Illinois (and he was the largest landowner in the state).
https://www.daviddavismansion.org/