Springfield Tour

[Eva Elisabeth]

Wishing the Springfield group a great time!

[davg2000]

Bill,

Evidently medical professionals call it "the Lisiniopril cough". Once I stopped taking it the cough cleared up in a couple of weeks.

Maxzide is one of the few I didn't take. The only thing I can say is stay on top of it with your doctor. There are a number of medicines out there that work without the side effects.

Best
Rob

I had the same thing. In prescribing lisinopril my doc warned me that maybe 10% of lisinopril users would develop that cough. He switched me to pravastatin. No more cough.

[LincolnMan]

Never knew that. I will look out for it with my patients.

[LincolnMan]

New Photos!
Never seen before!

Did we capture the image of Ann and Abe as the present and the past intersected for a brief moment?

Photos from the 2018 Fall Springfield semi-tour

https://www.flickr.com/photos/105898294@...6938637081
(photo captions in lower left corner)

Love the pics!

[Anita]

Just returned from a fantastic tour with the best guides ever- Joe and Gene. This was my first time on the Springfield Tour they graciously have hosted for many years. We went to Lincoln, IL and the Lincoln Heritage Museum. This is the only college named after Lincoln during his lifetime. In addition to Lincoln artifacts and documents, the highlight is the unique and engaging way Lincoln's life if presented. Visitors step into the past just after Lincoln's been shot at Ford's Theater and walk through what he's seeing as his life flashes before him. We met the former Curator, a Professor at Lincoln College, happened to be in the lobby. I had corresponded with Ron for several years when I first began my Lincoln studies in 2010 and reached out to him. He spent time with us and shared original civil war letters. Ron's just written a new book:

https://www.lincolncourier.com/news/2019...tive-years


Gene knew every mural and Lincoln related site, including the Rustic Inn where the conspirators met to discuss plans for stealing Lincoln's body from Oakridge Cemetery. We had a yummy lunch at the Blue Dog Inn. I had a hamburger! Yes, I was also at the very spot Lincoln christened the city with watermelon juice! In the afternoon we went to the Foursquare book store in Springfield. I bought three books. My favorite, a signed first edition by W.A. Evans, "Mrs. Abraham Lincoln." Gene bought more books! look for his reviews on the forum. That night we ate at Suputo's Italian restaurant.

Saturday we had beautiful weather and we gathered for breakfast at the Homestyle Cafe to discuss our visit to New Salem. We were joined by Scott, his friend Brian and Dave Grimm. Joe talked about the history of the area we'd be traveling through, including the Broadwell Inn and Tavern in Clayville. Scott was in search of forgotten burials/cemeteries. That's how I learned about Sangomo Town. New Salem was commemorating May 22, 1919, the day the site was given to the people of Illinois by owner, William Randolph Hearst, who had purchased the 62-acre site in 1906.(see Gene's post) Good news for us because Terry Jones was there in period costume and spent so much time with us at the museum and as we strolled the site of restored cabins. It doesn't get better than being in New Salem listening to Joe and Terry, Gene and Dave discuss the many aspects of this historic site. I brought Joe's book with me from CA so he could sign it, but I didn't need it Saturday. We had Joe!

Saturday night we had dinner at Maldener's , one of the oldest restaurants on Route 66 (http://sangamoncountyhistory.org/wp/?p=6339). The food was excellent. We had so much fun getting to know each other beyond the Forum that brought us together. Speaking of which, Roger was with us in spirit.

Sunday we headed out early to Oakridge Cemetery, a beautiful serene location. Mary was correct in demanding that Lincoln's final resting place was here. Knowing Gene, you shouldn't be surprised he showed me the burial site of an accordion! Saw the resting place of many from Lincoln's time, including law partner William Herndon. Went on to the Lincoln Home with Gene and Joy. Being in this home and imagining all that took place was an emotional experience. Much of the original furniture and many smaller items belonging to the Lincolns are here. I saw Mary's stove, and understood why she wanted to take it to Washington. On the way to the Lincoln museum Gene showed me the Lincoln depot. There's a mural depicting Lincoln's farewell as he spoke to the crowd from the back of the train. The afternoon was spent at the Lincoln museum with Dave Grimm, who is a docent there. Dave's depth of knowledge, insights and passion for history enriched my time here. I'm grateful to Dave for coming in on a Sunday.

This was an amazing three days. It doesn't get better than the camaraderie and pure enjoyment of spending time sharing, learning and laughing on the scene in search of Lincoln. If they offer this opportunity again, sign up. I'm ready to return.

[davg2000]

Now you have to return next year! One great thing about this experience is that it doesn't get old.

[Gene C]

Great post Anita.
This was a good visit. Getting to personally meet another Lincoln fan who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic was one of the highlights for me.
Scott (STS Lincolnite) out did me in book purchases, he can share with you his great finds. I did have a pleasant surprise at the Books on the Square book store (they had a great selection of books about Lincoln and the area), where I was able to meet and talk with James Cornelius. A very nice gentleman, and another unexpected pleasant experience on this trip. My reading stack at home is a bit high, so I limited myself to only 3 books.

The town of Lincoln's downtown area seems to have declined from our last visit four years ago, with a few more vacant buildings, but the town itself seems to be a nice community.
For those of you interested and want to own a piece of real estate with a connection to Lincoln history, the Rustic Inn is for sale. The Rustic Inn was a meeting place in Lincoln IL where those who planned to steal Lincoln's body met. It was for sale last time we visited about four years ago. It's a bit of a fixer upper, but has some potential.
https://merealty.com/idx/mls-20190219-41...n_il_62656

I mentioned to my wife what a wonderful investment this could be.
You can probably guess what she said.

New Salem was great, as always. There is always something new to learn here.
Having Joe, Scott, Dave and Anita sharing information and then having Terry Jones give us his personal attention was the icing on the cake.
On our visit there were docents at almost every building, which added a lot to the experience, even a fiddle player at the Rutledge Tavern (no cover charge) I learned a little about medicine in the 1830's from the lady at Dr. John Allen's home and doctors office. No appointment necessary. I think Dr. Allen helped and influenced Abraham at a critical time in his life that has gone almost unrecognized. More on that later.

[Steve]

Looks like it was fun! Hopefully, I'll be able to go next year.

[Gene C]

That would be nice.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip in such detail - sounds like you had as a good time as Lincoln on the circuits! Great photo, Anita! (It's not Terry Jones from Monty Pythons?)

[Anita]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip in such detail - sounds like you had as a good time as Lincoln on the circuits! Great photo, Anita! (It's not Terry Jones from Monty Pythons?)

HA! Nope. This Terry Jones is the Assistant Manager of New Salem.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks - sorry, I'm not much into VIPs and actors...

[Gene C]

We usually plan our tours for May or Oct. because of milder temperatures and smaller crowds.
If you plan to visit Springfield this summer, check this site for a schedule for "History Comes Alive" events to get the most out of your visit.

http://www.visitspringfieldillinois.com/...Alive.aspx

Sounds like fun.....

[Gene C]

Neither snow nor rain, nor corona virus, nor gloom of night stays these Lincoln fans from the swift completion of their appointed historical tour sites.

We are aiming for October for our next tour. Some health sites currently suggest you wear gloves and a face mask when you go out in public.
We suggest you might want to wear more than that, it can get a bit chilly in October.

The tentative plan is to visit some of the sites in the 8th Legal Circuit where we will find -
The Lincoln - Douglas Debates Museum, the grave site for Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln & Dennis Hanks, the Lincoln Log Cabin Historic Site, and many other sites near Charleston and Coles County. Then it's on to Springfield and New Salem.

So mark your calendar, we are definitely planning a tentative date in October, subject to change.
More info to follow at a later date.

[Gene C]

I had really thought the corona virus issues would be pretty much resolved by Oct., but this doesn't seem to be the case.
We are still intending to go, but the itinerary is a bit unresolved not knowing what will be open.

- I always believed that a book store was an essential business, but the governor seems to think differently.
Social distancing and keeping six feet apart at the checkout shouldn't require to much of an adjustment at the places we go.
- Fortunately, the Cozy Dog dine in and drive through are still open.

Don't worry, here at the unofficial Lincoln Discussion Symposium Travel Center, with our vast experience, creativity and survival skills, we'll make it work.