Lincoln Photograph from 1860 - Illinois Bicentennial Celebration

[David Lockmiller]

Monticello - A new portrait of Abraham Lincoln will hang in the Piatt County Courthouse as part of Illinois' bicentennial celebration (Illinois was admitted as a state in the Union in 1818 and there is now a U. S. postage stamp to commemorate the event in the form of an Illinois boundary map). The Lincoln photograph was taken in Springfield by photographer Alexander Hesler on June 3, 1860. The image was distributed for Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign. Historians consider Hesler’s portrait one of the best taken of Lincoln during his pre-presidential years.

Printed on canvas, the image of the beardless Lincoln is encased in a richly stained wood frame and measures 30-inches wide by 40-inches tall. It is a high-quality reproduction of the historic photograph, and each of the state's 102 counties will receive one from the Illinois State Historical Society, said John McClarey, a member of the society's board of directors. The Illinois Judges Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Judges Foundation and Illinois Bar Foundation donated the paintings for the bicentennial effort.

Sixth Circuit Court Judge Hugh Finson told a story about a time Lincoln stayed at a hotel on the main square in Monticello where the Dairy Queen is now. Finson said Lincoln had a pig bladder filled with water, which he was heating over a fire in his hotel room. “Eventually, it blew up and sent embers flying out around the room; he is lucky he didn’t burn the place down,” he said.

[RJNorton]

Thank you for this posting, David. Here are a couple of photos from the Piatt County Courthouse.

[David Lockmiller]

I had made up my mind today that I would not make any more posts about Grant until I had finished reading Volume 1 of the "Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant" which had been given to me by a neighbor up the street as a gift a long time ago (she had only Volume 1 and did not know what happened to Volume 2). Recently, I decided to begin reading this book volume from the beginning. Hence, the previous posts that I made about Grant were made on a different thread.

But since Grant began his Civil War military career in Illinois, I think that I shall make my posts about Grant here as I find them and believe them to be perhaps worthy of interest to others on this "Lincoln" website. Otherwise, these observations of note made by Grant may well dissipate in time and mind and thus be lost also to others that may well have had an interest.

This morning I was looking for the place to renew my readings and opened the book at random in the front part of the book. I began by reading as follows on page 59:

One morning about daylight I happened to be awake, and, hearing the discharge of a rifle not far off, I looked out to ascertain where the sound came from. I observed a couple of clusters of men near by, and learned afterwards that "it was nothing; only a couple of gentlemen deciding a difference of opinion with rifles, at twenty paces." I do not remember if either was killed, or even hurt, but no doubt the question of difference was settled satisfactorily, and "honorably," in the estimation of the parties engaged. I do not believe I ever would have the courage to fight a duel. If any man should wrong me to the extent of my being willing to kill him, I would not be willing to give him the choice of weapons with which it should be done, and of the time, place and distance separating us, when I executed him. If I should do another such a wrong as to justify him in killing me, I would make any reasonable atonement within my power, if convinced of the wrong done. I place my opposition to duelling on higher grounds than any here stated. No doubt a majority of the duels fought have been for want of moral courage on the part of those engaged to decline.

[LincolnMan]

Beautiful framed photograph!