It’s no secret to those who know me that I am a relic of the sixties – not Lincoln’s dismal 1860s, but the 1960s – a freaky, funky, frightening time. We had lots of fun phrases back then, and one of my favorites is “Keep on keepin’ on.” I’d like to twist the phrase a bit today.
Lately, there has been so much Lincoln news that it’s hard to “keep on keepin’ up” with it all.
I actually have a calendar of potential blog topics – things I’ve covered briefly and want to share with you more in depth, books I want to tell you about, people I want you to meet. Yet, recently, there seems to be a lot of Lincoln-related news every day – some of which appears on all the news pages and some which is more obscure.
Today, I want to draw your attention to three things – birthday cards for President Lincoln, a gift which may keep the Vandalia Statehouse open and a Bloomington (Ill.) home with Lincoln connections, which will have a new life.
Show your imagination – send a card
Who can forget the fun we had as children creating our own special birthday, Valentine or holiday cards and seeing the delight on another’s face when we presented our hand-crafted offering. Now, you can relive that pleasure by creating your own special handmade card for the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth. Just think, when will you ever have another chance to give someone a card celebrating their 200th birthday?
The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is having a card shower for Lincoln, so join in the fun. For more information see The State Journal-Register’s article.
New hope for Lincoln’s first legislative home
Although the Illinois state capital is now Springfield, it wasn’t always that way. In fact, it’s thanks to Lincoln and the other tall Sangamon County men known as the Long Nine that the capital was moved from its earlier home in Vandalia to its current more central location. Those who are familiar with Lincoln lore will most likely remember the Vandalia Statehouse for the tale of Lincoln jumping out the window to try to prevent a quorum.
The Statehouse is one of the historic sites closed under Governor Rod Blagojevich’s regime. Now, thanks to an anonymous donation from a Vandalia resident, pending state approval it appears the site may have a prolonged life. More on this story, too, in The State Journal-Register.
Couple to breathe new life into Lincoln-era home
Those familiar with Lincoln and his Bloomington (Ill.) connections know well his connection with Judge David Davis, but Lincoln’s McLean County acquaintances don’t stop there. If I were to say “speculator, investor, banker, millionaire, old grouch,” would you know which mid-19th century Bloomington resident I was describing? Try Asahel Gridley. The home he moved into on Lincoln’s inauguration day in March 1861 recently sold, and the couple who purchased it plans to rehabilitate the deteriorating building. Read more about the effort, the building and Gridley in The Pantagraph stories.
Watch C-SPAN White House programming
Don’t forget to watch C-SPAN’s superb White House programming this week. We’re trying to watch every night, but if you’re a Lincoln buff and can watch only one night, be sure it’s Thursday, Dec. 18. That’s when the Lincoln White House will be featured.
Showing posts with label Vandalia Statehouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vandalia Statehouse. Show all posts
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Gov’s cuts rain on Lincoln’s birthday parade
I hadn’t blogged about the historic site closings in Illinois. I really try to be an optimist and, deep inside, I truly hoped they wouldn’t close. For those of you outside of Illinois, here’s the skinny of it. The State of Illinois is in a horrible budget crunch. One of the ways Governor Blagojevich wants to fix it is by closing several state parks and many historic sites, and reducing hours at others.
This would be a tragedy under any conditions. Many of these sites will no longer be available for visitors, or at reduced hours, and dedicated site employees will lose their jobs. Many of the small communities where these institutions are located depend on tourist revenue for survival. And on top of all this, the closings are especially tragic in light of the upcoming bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth.
Lincoln sites closing
Three of the sites slated to close after November 30 are the Lincoln Log Cabin near Charleston, the Vandalia statehouse, where Lincoln served as a legislator, and the Carl Sandburg Birthplace in Galesburg. The David Davis Mansion in Bloomington was also on the budget chopping block, but thanks to a successful fundraising effort by the mansion’s foundation, private funds raised will keep the mansion open – at least until his birthday. I currently live in the Bloomington area and I’m always proud of our people. They come through – whether it’s a flood or hurricane relief drive, a food pantry effort, a Habitat home raising or maintaining the legacy of the man who helped Lincoln win the Republican bid for the presidency.
Why is Bloomington different, you wonder? Like many communities, we’ve got dedicated volunteers, caring individuals, supportive institutions. Unlike Galesburg, for instance, we still have a financially healthy community. People here are blessed and they share those blessings. Fortunately, the survival of the David Davis Mansion is on the receiving end of this sharing.
Huge hearts – empty wallets
I can’t speak for Vandalia and Charleston, as I’m not familiar with those communities, but I can speak for my hometown for more than 30 years, Galesburg. The hearts of the people of Galesburg are just as huge and the loyal contingent of Lincoln/Sandburg supporters would like nothing more than to see the birthplace remain open. Unfortunately, the money just isn’t there. The Galesburg community is as unhealthy financially as the Bloomington area is healthy. In the past decade, Sandburg’s hometown lost all major manufacturing, the lifeblood of the city and the surrounding area. As a ripple effect, many other businesses have also closed their doors, including the grocery store where, until moving away in 1997, this blogger worked and built cherished relationships for almost half of her adult life.
As the plan stands now, visitors to Illinois in 2009 who hope to see the sites which helped mold the sixteenth president and inspire the son of Swedish immigrants to write about him will miss their chance. The future of these sites looks dismal, especially for the upcoming February bicentennial.
One last hope
At this point in time, until we have an Illinois administration which cares as much as we do about keeping the legacy of Lincoln alive, I see only one hope – outside philanthropists. Maybe, just maybe, there are people out there who love Lincoln so much that they would come forth to these historic site associations or foundations and offer them the funds to keep the sites open. For the Galesburg site, the magic number is $7,833 per month, roughly $94,000 per year. I’m sure Illinois Historic Preservation Agency spokesman David Blanchette would be glad to provide similar numbers for the other sites and put you in touch with individuals at each site who spearhead the foundation or association efforts.
To borrow one of the eloquent speaker Lincoln’s many well crafted phrases, the “last best hope” for the future of these sites lies in the hands of those who love Lincoln and have the wherewithal to keep his legacy alive. Bob Lenz and his fellow Lincoln lovers in the Bloomington area have shown us it can be done and Blanchette has offered to listen to similar offers from other sites. Now, all we need is people who can make it happen. Are you one of them?
For more information
Here are several sources for more information on the closings:
This would be a tragedy under any conditions. Many of these sites will no longer be available for visitors, or at reduced hours, and dedicated site employees will lose their jobs. Many of the small communities where these institutions are located depend on tourist revenue for survival. And on top of all this, the closings are especially tragic in light of the upcoming bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth.
Lincoln sites closing
Three of the sites slated to close after November 30 are the Lincoln Log Cabin near Charleston, the Vandalia statehouse, where Lincoln served as a legislator, and the Carl Sandburg Birthplace in Galesburg. The David Davis Mansion in Bloomington was also on the budget chopping block, but thanks to a successful fundraising effort by the mansion’s foundation, private funds raised will keep the mansion open – at least until his birthday. I currently live in the Bloomington area and I’m always proud of our people. They come through – whether it’s a flood or hurricane relief drive, a food pantry effort, a Habitat home raising or maintaining the legacy of the man who helped Lincoln win the Republican bid for the presidency.
Why is Bloomington different, you wonder? Like many communities, we’ve got dedicated volunteers, caring individuals, supportive institutions. Unlike Galesburg, for instance, we still have a financially healthy community. People here are blessed and they share those blessings. Fortunately, the survival of the David Davis Mansion is on the receiving end of this sharing.
Huge hearts – empty wallets
I can’t speak for Vandalia and Charleston, as I’m not familiar with those communities, but I can speak for my hometown for more than 30 years, Galesburg. The hearts of the people of Galesburg are just as huge and the loyal contingent of Lincoln/Sandburg supporters would like nothing more than to see the birthplace remain open. Unfortunately, the money just isn’t there. The Galesburg community is as unhealthy financially as the Bloomington area is healthy. In the past decade, Sandburg’s hometown lost all major manufacturing, the lifeblood of the city and the surrounding area. As a ripple effect, many other businesses have also closed their doors, including the grocery store where, until moving away in 1997, this blogger worked and built cherished relationships for almost half of her adult life.
As the plan stands now, visitors to Illinois in 2009 who hope to see the sites which helped mold the sixteenth president and inspire the son of Swedish immigrants to write about him will miss their chance. The future of these sites looks dismal, especially for the upcoming February bicentennial.
One last hope
At this point in time, until we have an Illinois administration which cares as much as we do about keeping the legacy of Lincoln alive, I see only one hope – outside philanthropists. Maybe, just maybe, there are people out there who love Lincoln so much that they would come forth to these historic site associations or foundations and offer them the funds to keep the sites open. For the Galesburg site, the magic number is $7,833 per month, roughly $94,000 per year. I’m sure Illinois Historic Preservation Agency spokesman David Blanchette would be glad to provide similar numbers for the other sites and put you in touch with individuals at each site who spearhead the foundation or association efforts.
To borrow one of the eloquent speaker Lincoln’s many well crafted phrases, the “last best hope” for the future of these sites lies in the hands of those who love Lincoln and have the wherewithal to keep his legacy alive. Bob Lenz and his fellow Lincoln lovers in the Bloomington area have shown us it can be done and Blanchette has offered to listen to similar offers from other sites. Now, all we need is people who can make it happen. Are you one of them?
For more information
Here are several sources for more information on the closings:
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