Thursday, September 18, 2008 8:35 PM CDT
Walking tour follows Lincoln, Douglas routes
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — Abraham Lincoln once walked the streets of Charleston to practice law in the Coles County Courthouse as well as to visit family and friends.
Both Lincoln and Stephen Douglas walked these streets on the occasion of their historic debate 150 years ago at the Coles County Fairgrounds.
Their steps will be retraced Sunday when the Charleston Tourism Office offers “Walk Where Lincoln and Douglas Once Walked.” This self-guided tour will follow Saturday’s “Reunion Tour ‘08” celebration at the fairgrounds, which is marking the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Karen Petersen, director of the Charleston Tourism Office, said tour booklets will be sold from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday on the southwest corner of the square, near the new Looking for Lincoln exhibit sign.
Each booklet gives the location for more than a dozen sites where Lincoln and Douglas once walked, or where there is history or murals regarding the Lincoln era. The site descriptions include historical information, quotes, photographs and artwork.
Nancy Easter-Shick, a local historian, said there are many instances in which the original buildings no longer exist, but the booklets give detailed information about where they were located. She said signs will be posted at each site Sunday to assist those who are taking the self-guided tours.
“The tour gives you a background for what the town used to be like,” Petersen said.
A prominent house from the time of the debate that still stands is the Thomas Marshall home at 218 Jackson Ave. Marshall, a descendent of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and nephew of statesman Henry Clay, built the home in 1853.
Easter-Shick said Marshall hosted a party at this home for Lincoln, a close friend, after the Charleston debate and the subsequent Republican rally. The two-story white house west of the square can be identified by its metal fence and front porch and balcony railing.
Visitors can also get a glimpse into the Lincoln era at 512 Sixth St. on the west side of the square. Easter-Shick said it appears that part of the original structure remains from the time when Dennis Hanks, a first cousin and close friend of Lincoln, lived upstairs above his shoe shop there.
The booklet relates that Lincoln visited Hanks there many times, including as newly elected president on Jan. 31, 1861. That night a packed going-away reception was held for Lincoln at the southeast corner of Monroe and Fifth in the City Hall building, which no longer stands. This was Lincoln’s final visit to Charleston.
Other buildings that have been lost to time include the law offices of Orlando Ficklin at 703 Monroe Ave. and Usher Linder at 623 Monroe Ave. Both men backed Douglas during the 1858 campaign, but maintained strong friendships with Lincoln.
The 150th anniversary celebration billed as “Reunion Tour ’08” is taking place in the seven cities that hosted the original debates. Commemorative coins, afghans and T-shirts will be sold during Saturday’s celebration and Sunday’s walk
Saturday’s celebration will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the fairgrounds. Activities will include presentations by actors portraying Lincoln and Douglas at 1 p.m., art vendors and demonstrations, music, a Five Mile House fundraising barbecue, and more. On Sunday, tours and demonstrations will be 1-3 p.m. at the Five Mile House, located at the intersection of Illinois Route 130 and Westfield Road.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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