Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln wrote the laws that formed parts of this railroad corridor; and without that start, Rt. 66 would not have been built here.

By the mid-1850s, Lincoln was one of the most respected and best-paid corporate lawyers in the state. He spent much of his time working for the Illinois Central Railroad, one of the largest and most powerful railroads in the country. Abraham Lincoln often used this line while on legal business from 1853 to 1860.

For more than two decades, the Eighth Circuit brought Lincoln to McLean County and its seat of Bloomington. Once in the spring and once in the fall, the circuit judge and a band of lawyers would make a “swing” from one county seat to another, providing a rough but generally fair system of justice.

Lincoln practiced law in the second McLean County courthouse, pictured here. As you enter the Museum today (the 4th courthouse), there is a brass bar that marks the southern wall of this courthouse.

On May 29, 1856, delegates from across Illinois gathered in Downtown Bloomington to oppose the expansion of slavery. They were part of a national movement that became the newly organized Republican Party.

In an emotionally charged keynote address, Lincoln pledged to oppose the expansion of slavery and the rise of “Slave Power” — even threatening to use force if southern “disunionists” made good on their threats to secede. 

Contemporary observers believed Abraham Lincoln’s May 29, 1856 speech in Bloomington was the finest of his career. Because no copy of this address exists, today it is known as Lincoln’s “Lost Speech.” However, that is a bit of a misnomer, as we know much of what Lincoln said that night through newspaper articles and eyewitness accounts.

When court was in session, local families would host attorneys for dinner. Lincoln had dinner with David Davis at his place, Clover Lawn; and Jesse Fell hosted Lincoln at "Fell Park" in Normal. 

Jesse and Hester Fell grew vegetables and fruit for the table, but they also liked ice cream! Hester was from Pennsylvania. She had the first ice cream freezer in the community. It is quite possible that Lincoln first enjoyed this Pennsylvania-born treat while visiting Jesse and Hester in Normal.