Land o' Lincoln

February 12 was Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. To celebrate, Disc0 and I took the train from Chicago down to Lincoln's home town and our state capitol, Springfield (on the way down, we kept singing the song from the Simpsons when Bart and Milhouse go crazy Broadway style...look, you already know we're nerds...we went on a Historical Daycation.)

It was a very enjoyable History Daycation. In the 7 or so hours we spent in Springfield, we saw the old state capitol (where we witnessed re-enactors and listened to some gospel music in the old house of representatives):



visited the outside of the new state capital (very impressive building, even grander than Georgia's gold dome if I do say so myself):



took a tour of Lincoln's home and neighborhood (a well-preserved national park):




(check out his wallpaper!):


took a tour of Lincoln's law office, and watched some edutaining little movies about Lincoln's life and times.

I knew a decent amount about Lincoln and obviously understand what an inspiring figure he was in his time and still is. But it was very satisfying to learn a lot of little details about his life, and in a setting where he got the hero's treatment. In Virginia, in the 80's and 90's, I was taught a lot about the "war heros" Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. I was taught that the war was "about economics, more than it was about slavery." Uh huh...Ah, crazy ol' Virginny. It was nice to go someplace where I know school children take field trips and learn the Union side of the story. The one that WON. The one that did result in the abolition of slavery. That story.

And it was sobering to get the details about what a trial-laden life the man led. In school, I was also taught that Abe and especially Mary Todd Lincoln were emotionally unstable, depressive, and a bit crazy. Well, 75% of their kids DIED in childhood. Mary Todd lost two sons, her husband, and then another son. That sounds pretty crazy-making to me. He still managed to get some nice policy work done, right?

Anyway, I am now a huge proponent of the Historical Daycation. Especially if you can take the train down and back. Ah yes: at the end of the day, we got some ice cream and some popcorn for the trip back. Illinois is a magical place for popcorn. At Del's, we got "charmel corn" upon which both caramel sauce and cheese...substance are heaped. DELICIOUS!