Last week I visited the spot where Lincoln made his only visit to Michigan (in Kalamazoo). There is a Historical Marker there denoting the occasion. It is located downtown in a park. Ironically, I asked several people who were walking in the park where the Marker was located and they did not know. Mind you, we were standing about a hundred feet from it! I am now informed from a news feed on the internet that there may be plans to erect a Lincoln statue on the site, as well. Maybe that will be an attention getter!
Lincoln’s visit there was in 1856. He gave a speech that was largely unnoticed by the press at the time in support of John Fremont. Unnoticed? I see a pattern!


(Bill, I added a photo of the marker to go along with your post.)

(12-16-2018, 04:33 AM)LincolnMan Wrote: Last week I visited the spot where Lincoln made his only visit to Michigan (in Kalamazoo). There is a Historical Marker there denoting the occasion. It is located downtown in a park. Ironically, I asked several people who were walking in the park where the Marker was located and they did not know. Mind you, we were standing about a hundred feet from it! I am now informed from a news feed on the internet that there may be plans to erect a Lincoln statue on the site, as well. Maybe that will be an attention getter!
Lincoln’s visit there was in 1856. He gave a speech that was largely unnoticed by the press at the time in support of John Fremont. Unnoticed? I see a pattern!

(Bill, I added a photo of the marker to go along with your post.)

I am afraid that anything that requires reading now (unless it is in text talk and fewer than three sentences) is ignored by most people. This started out being the Information Age, but it appears no one wants information unless it's related to a crime or scandal or gossip.

Read the marker. Looks like even back then the press ignored what the speaker said and printed only the opinions of his critics.

Thanks Roger for posting the picture.
From what I’ve read- the propsed statue would be placed at the Marker site.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has the desk he used when he visited the area.

Thomas: thank you for telling us about the museum there. I didn’t know about it and will plan a visit in the future.

https://www.kalamazoomuseum.org/
Bill, here is the museum website to learn more.

Thank you much!

I should also like to mention that at the same event spoke Mr. Zachariah Chandler (ardent abolitionists). Chandler is a hero of mine-although I disagree with his approach to ending slavery at that time. He was not happy with Lincoln’s speech there. Although they both were In favor of ending slavery- they both held different opinions on how to end it. Though Lincoln and Chandler were “on the same side” - there was some antagonism between them.

There is now an effort being made through donations to fund a statue of Lincoln at the site in the park there. I just donated towards it online:
https://kalamazoolincolnproject.org/support