Looking for Lincoln Community
Self-Assessment
This assessment will assist an LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community in
identifying its strengths and challenges and creating a baseline from which to
establish goals for the future development of the LFL Community.
ALNHA Defined
The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area (ALNHA) is a 42 county area in central Illinois in which the story of the
life and times of Abraham Lincoln is told. The ALNHA was created by legislation signed by the President on May 10,
2008. The legislation designates the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, a nonprofit 501c3 corporation, as the
coordinating entity for the ALNHA.
The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition works
collaboratively with local, state, and national
partners across the ALNHA to: tell the stories of
Abraham Lincoln's life and times, promote heritage
tourism by providing high quality experiences for
visitors, and foster economic development in
communities.
ALNHA Mission
The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area is a
partnership of organizations and individuals
dedicated to enhancing the communities and
landscapes of central Illinois through recognition
and support of their significant natural, cultural, and
historical legacies.
ALNHA Vision
The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area is a
nationally significant landscape and network of sites
associated with the social, cultural, economic, and
political complexities of the Antebellum period of
our nation’s history. The heritage area explores this
history and its meaning through the lens of
Abraham Lincoln’s life and times.
As the result of the heritage area’s work, communities across the region understand their history and appreciate how life
here has evolved over time. The region’s legacy gives meaning and context to experiences today. Heritage area partners
work collaboratively to preserve significant resources and strengthen local and regional economies through heritage
based initiatives and innovation. Success is accomplished through a common vision of building prosperity through
recognition of this shared heritage.
Residents explore the region’s communities and landscapes and seek to know them better. The region’s breathtaking and
bountiful agricultural landscapes and preserved natural areas touch the soul. Community centers are active and vital
places where residents like to gather. Cultural programs and events express residents’ interest in community interaction
and their commitment to education. Visiting audiences are attracted by the region’s quality of life and hospitality and are
intrigued by its stories. Even difficult and unpleasant stories have meaning and convey lessons to help guide daily life.
Every place has a story to tell; authenticity and quality are prized. Through heritage area initiatives, new ways of
working together are forged across the region; communities are strengthened; and new generations are inspired to
community action and betterment.
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ALNHA Goals
Goal 1: Maximize the heritage area’s effectiveness through strong partnerships that link communities, sites,
organizations, ideas, and actions.
Goal 2: Create engaging experiences that connect places and stories throughout the heritage area and promote public
awareness of the region’s history, culture, and significance.
Goal 3: Promote heritage, cultural, and recreational tourism and related heritage development that support increased
economic activity and investment in heritage resources.
Goal 4: Participate in a national dialogue on keeping America’s promise by examining national issues associated with
the Antebellum period and in particular Abraham Lincoln’s life and evolving thought.
Goal 5: Raise public consciousness about the needs and benefits of preserving the historic
and cultural legacies of central Illinois.
Goal 6: Facilitate initiatives for the preservation and stewardship of the region’s physical legacy of historic resources,
communities, and landscapes.
Goal 7: Strengthen the ability of sites and resources associated with Abraham Lincoln and his legacy to achieve longterm sustainability.
Goal 8: Encourage and facilitate the enhancement of community character and quality of life related to the region’s
heritage for the benefit of residents and to strengthen the visitor experience.
ALNHA Guiding Principles
Long-Term Interests: We work in the best long-term interests of central Illinois, its people, communities, natural
and historic resources, and environment.
Partnership: We work through a partnership structure; we welcome and respect each partner’s input, perspective,
and capabilities.
Purpose and Management: The federal enabling legislation for the heritage area is the fundamental guide for
the ALNHA management plan and all programs and actions deriving from it.
Planning: Good planning is key to a successful endeavor. Every action we undertake is well planned for
successful implementation.
Resource Stewardship: Historic preservation and natural resource conservation underlie all that we do and are a key
means through which we achieve our goals.
Communities: Strong communities are central to our work both in how we are organized and in what we seek to
achieve. Community character based upon our shared heritage is among our primary interests.
Property and Privacy: We respect private property rights and the privacy of individuals, especially their homes and
neighborhoods.
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Authenticity: We support authentic places and seek authentic experiences associated with our heritage and the
stories we wish to tell.
Sustainability: We promote ecological and economic sustainability in our planning and our actions. We seek
economic sustainability in our organization and operations.
Communication and Transparency: We maintain a policy of openness and frequent communication within our
partnership, with other organizations, and with the general public.
Hospitality: We make our neighbors and visitors feel warmly welcomed within our communities and across the region.
ALNHA Interpretive Themes
Overarching Theme: The Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln
The story of Abraham Lincoln is best understood through the lens of: Lincoln the Man, Illinois’ Influence on Lincoln,
and Lincoln’s Legacy. Lincoln did not become a prominent and astute politician overnight. He worked hard to make
something of his life and although he made mistakes and even failed, he continued to persevere. Discovering who
Lincoln was as a lawyer, politician, father, husband, and friend provides a better understanding of Lincoln the man.
Lincoln’s time in Illinois molded him into the great statesman and leader the world remembers. A key component of the
ALNHA story is the environment and the influences that shaped him. Therefore, his life must be examined in the
context of the times in which he lived, the social, political and physical landscape of Antebellum Illinois and the people
Lincoln interacted with on both a professional and social level. A study of his life must also include the key events
within the state and the nation that impacted Lincoln and formulated his thinking on prevalent issues of the day such as
slavery. The final lens through which Lincoln’s life and times must be examined is Lincoln’s legacy.
1) Lincoln the Man: Abraham Lincoln arrived in Illinois poor and with little formal education, but left three decades
later as a prominent attorney and president-elect of the nation. His early years were full of successes and setbacks as
Lincoln tried his hand at many occupations as he continued a program of self-education. Initially a political novice,
Lincoln learned quickly, interacting with the leading political minds in the state. Though he began his political career as
a strict party-line Whig devoted to improving the infrastructure and economy of Illinois, he evolved into a Republican
devoted to stopping the expansion of slavery on the national level. In Illinois, Lincoln developed into a statesman. An
appreciation of Lincoln the Man serves as the backdrop for understanding Lincoln the President.
2) Illinois’ Influence on Lincoln: Illinois was the western frontier when Lincoln’s family arrived from Indiana. During
the next three decades Lincoln lived in Illinois, the region evolved from a mix of subsistence farms to a thriving agrarian
economy with pockets of industry. Equally important are the national events and issues that impacted the state and the
evolution of the social, political, and physical landscape of antebellum Illinois. The tension in Illinois surrounding the
issue of slavery uniquely prepared Lincoln to deal with the issue as President.
3) Lincoln’s Legacy: Few individuals in American history have left such an indelible mark on the world. The major
issues that Lincoln’s generation confronted—the balance of power between the federal government and individual
states, civil liberties during wartime, issues regarding race and equality, etc.—continue to define the challenges facing
the nation today.
The life and times of Abraham Lincoln—the story of a boy born in absolute poverty who went on to guide the nation
through its most tragic hour—continues to bring hope and inspiration to millions around the globe.
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Purpose of the LFL Community Self Assessment
The purpose of the LFL Community Self-Assessment is to assist an LFL Community or Emerging LFL
Community in identifying its strengths and challenges and creating a baseline from which to establish goals for
the future development of the LFL Community. The self-assessment provides the basis for the creation of the
LFL Community Action Plan.
How the LFL Community Self-Assessment will be used?
The LFL Community Self-Assessment provides the LFL working group with a starting point for developing and/or
reexamining goals for their community. The self-assessment illustrates the community’s strengths and challenges and
gives them a foundation for building and expanding the community’s unique Lincoln story(s) and promoting economic
development through heritage tourism.
The LFL Community assessment will also provide valuable information to the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition
(LFLHC) that will serve as a baseline for evaluating the impact the LFLHC has in the Abraham Lincoln National
Heritage Area. During the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area’s congressionally mandated evaluation, the
LFLHC will need the information in the LFL Community Self-Assessment to demonstrate to the National Park Service
how the various program, projects, and initiatives impacted the communities within the national heritage area.
Timeline for completing the LFL Community Self-Assessment
The LFL Community Self-Assessment is divided into two parts. Part one of the self-assessment will be completed by
existing LFL Communities and Emerging LFL Communities to illustrate the community’s strengths and challenges.
LFL Community Self-Assessment’s will begin in LFL Communities in 2014. As Emerging LFL Communities begin the
process to become LFL Communities they will also complete the LFL Community Self-Assessment as part of that
process.
Part two of the LFL Community Self-Assessment captures what the LFL working group has accomplished since the
community’s initial self-assessment. LFLHC will initiate part two of the self-assessment beginning in 2017/2018. Part
two is included with the initial self-assessment to provide communities with the questions they will be asked in the
future. When communities complete their second self-assessment they will be asked to update part one of the selfassessment with any information that has changed and complete part two. It is recommended that the LFL working
group maintain a digital and paper copy of their completed LFL Community Self-Assessment(s) for future use.
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Part One: Establishing a Baseline for the LFL Working Group
Section A: Community Information
Name of LFL Working Group:
Name of contact for LFL Community Self-Assessment:
Email:
Phone:
Address:
List the name(s) of the county or community(s) that were evaluated.
Provide a community profile of the LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community.
See example of a LFL Community profile in Appendix A. (If available, a community may choose to use their community profile
from the ALNHA management plan.)
Section B: Telling & Preserving the Community’s Unique Lincoln Story1
1. Identify the community’s unique Lincoln story(s). Please attach an overview of the community’s unique
Lincoln story(s) with a list of source material to the LFL Community Self Assessment. The purpose of this
document is to provide a summary of the Lincoln’s connection to the community which will form the
foundation for telling the community’s unique Lincoln story(s). See example overview in Appendix B.
2. Identify which ALNHA interpretive theme(s) the community’s unique Lincoln story(s) fits within. Please select
the themes from the list below. A complete description of each interpretive theme and sub-theme can be found
in Appendix C.
o Lincoln the Man
a) Lincoln the Pioneer
b) Lincoln the Politician
c) Lincoln the Lawyer
d) Lincoln the President
o Illinois Influence on Lincoln
a) The Land of Opportunity
b) Lincoln and Springfield
c) The People
d) Social and Political Landscape of Illinois and the Nation
e) Underground Railroad in Illinois
o Lincolns Legacy
a) Lincoln’s Imprint on America
b) Myth & Memory, Lincoln Remembered
c) Lincoln & America’s continuing struggle with Equality, Race Relations, National Unity and the
Capacity for Democratic Government
3. Identify how the community’s unique Lincoln story(s) is currently being told by the community.
The phrase “unique Lincoln story” refers to a story about the “life and times” of Abraham Lincoln as identified in the ALNHA
Interpretive themes.
1
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Examples: LFL Waysides, historic site, events, walking/driving tour. Only include LFL waysides, historic sites,
or events that pertain to the “life and times” of Abraham Lincoln. Please include the following information
a. Number and titles of LFL Waysides2
b. Name, address, and hours of operation of historic site(s)
c. Name, location, frequency, average attendance of events (Example: Civil War Cemetery Walk)
4. Does the community have an event that ties to the ALNHA interpretive themes that could potentially become a
LFL signature event? Yes/No
If yes, please provide a brief description of the event including:
a. Name
b. Description
c. Frequency
d. Attendance
Signature Event Defined: A signature event is Lincoln Centric3 and designated by the ALNHA Steering Council. The event must
fit within the ALNHA interpretive themes and provide excellent visitor services. It is a marketable event that embodies the Looking
for Lincoln brand and occurs on an annual basis, unless commemorative.
Section C: Preserving the Community’s Sense of Place
Information about National Historic Landmarks and the National Register of Historic Places can be found on the
National Park Service website at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/ and http://www.nps.gov/nhl.
Note: All sites listed below should pertain to the “life and times” of Abraham Lincoln.
1. Identify any Lincoln era National Historic Landmarks and any historic districts or properties on the National
Register of Historic Places within the county or ten miles radius of the community. Please provide a list below.
2. Identify any Lincoln era locally designated landmarks within the county or a ten mile radius of the community.
Please provide a list below.
3. Identify any Lincoln era historic sites, or structures, within the county or a ten mile radius of the community not
already listed above. Please provide a list below.
4. Is the community part of the Illinois Main Street Program? Yes/No
If yes, is the Illinois Main Street community coordinator part of your LFL Working Group? Yes/No
If no, why not?
5. Does the community have a historic preservation commission/committee? Yes/No
If yes, is a representative from the historic preservation committee part of the LFL working group? Yes/No
If no, why not?
2
A complete list of Looking for Lincoln waysides by community can be found on the Abraham Lincoln NHA website
www.lflhc.org.
3
A Lincoln Centric Event is an event that pertains to or is centered on Abraham Lincoln’s life.
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6. Please provide the following information for each structure or site listed above.
(Information will be captured on a digital form with checkboxes and or drop down boxes.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Name of structure or site
Address of structure or site
Date of construction or significant event
Owner: private, public, N/A
Condition of structure or site: good, fair, poor, other (please explain)
Public accessibility: open to the public, open by appointment, not open to the public, other (please
explain)
g. Does the structure or site interpret the “life and times” of Abraham Lincoln? If yes, please explain how
the structure or site is interpreted. Example: driving tour or signage
Section D: Preparing for the Visitor
1. Does the community have a visitor center that is open to the public? Yes/No
If yes, what are its hours of operation?
Does it have public restrooms? Yes/No
2. Identify visitor services and amenities within the county or a ten mile radius of the community.
a. Number of gas stations in the community?
b. Number of restaurants in the community?
c. Identify the types of lodging available within the community? (Check all that apply.)
 Hotel
 Motel
 Bed & Breakfast
 Lodge
 Campground
d. How many individuals can the community accommodate with overnight lodging?
3. Identify any non-Lincoln visitor attractions that are within the county or a ten mile radius of the community.
Please provide the name, address, website (if applicable) and a one sentence description.
Section E: Community Planning
1. What is the purpose of the LFL working group?
2. What are the LFL working group goals for the LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community? Do they align
with the goals of the ALNHA? If not, why?
3. Briefly describe the greatest needs or challenges facing your community from the perspective of the LFL
working group. (250 words max)
4. Does the LFL working group include representatives for the community’s local government, business, historic
preservation, education, history and tourism organizations and other segments of its population? Please list all
the groups or organizations involved in the LFL working group?
Explain why you feel the right people are at the table to make the LFL working group successful and a
community/county project?
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5. Please submit a copy to the LFL Working Group’s Action Plan with your LFL Self-Assessment. Appendix D
provides information on creating an LFL Working Group Action Plan.
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Part Two: Identifying the LFL Working Group’s Accomplishments
To be completed beginning in 2017/2018
A Moment for Reflection: As the LFL working group begins part two the LFL Community self-assessment please take
some time for self-reflection by considering the questions in Appendix E as a working group. The community is not
expected to submit the results of the discussion(s), as the value of the exercise is how the discussion may help the LFL
working group.
Part two of the LFL Community self-assessment is designed to provide the LFL Community working group the chance
to highlight their accomplishments over the past 3-5 years.
Section A: Telling & Preserving the Community’s Unique Lincoln Story(s)
1. Describe how the LFL working group has expanded or enhanced its unique Lincoln story(s) in the LFL Community.
How is the community telling its unique Lincoln story?
2. Does the community have a designated LFL Signature Event(s)?
_____Yes
_____No
Signature Event Defined: A signature event is Lincoln Centric4 and designated by the ALNHA Steering Council. The event must
fit within the ALNHA interpretive themes and provide excellent visitor services. It is a marketable event that embodies the Looking
for Lincoln brand and occurs on an annual basis, unless commemorative.
3. Describe the LFL working group’s future plans (if applicable) for telling and preserving the community’s
unique Lincoln story(s). What would the working group like to accomplish?
Section B: Preserving the Community’s Sense of Place
1. Describe what the LFL working group has accomplished towards preserving the community’s sense of place.
Examples: established a historic preservation commission/committee, become an Illinois Main Street
Community, rehabilitated or restored a Lincoln era structure, developed a way to make a Lincoln era structure
publicly accessible, etc.
2. Describe the LFL working group’s future plans (if applicable) for preserving the community’s sense of place.
What would the LFL working group like to accomplish?
Section C: Preparing for the Visitor
1. Identify how the LFL working group has enhanced the community’s visitor readiness.
Examples: better signage, a brochure, a community beautification project, etc.
2. If applicable, give an example of how the LFL working group is working with local businesses and convention
& visitor bureaus to attract visitors to visit local businesses (restaurants, other attractions, lodging) in the
community?
4
A Lincoln Centric Event is an event that pertains to or is centered on Abraham Lincoln’s life.
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3. Describe the LFL working group’s future plans (if applicable) enhancing visitor readiness. What would the
working group like to accomplish?
Section D: Community Planning
1. What is the purpose of the LFL working group?
2. What are the LFL working group goals for the LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community?
3. Do the LFL working group’s goals align with the goals of the ALNHA? If not, why?
4. When the LFL Working Group’s Action Plan was last updated? Please attach the LFL Working Group’s Action
Plan.
5. Please briefly describe any ongoing or planned initiatives by the LFL working group for the community not
already listed above.
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Submitting the LFL Community Self-Assessment
Once the LFL working group has complied all the information and completed the self-assessment please review the
following checklist to verify the LFL Working Group has all the necessary information.
Part One Checklist
 Completed all five sections of the self-assessment (Section A-Section E)?
 Attached a summary of the community’s unique Lincoln story(s)?
 Attached the LFL Action Plan
 Attached any supporting documentation
Part Two Checklist
 Updated part one of the LFL Community Self-Assessment?
 Completed the LFL working group self-reflection exercise?
 Completed all five sections of the self-assessment (Section A-Section D)?
 Attached the LFL Action Plan
 Attached any supporting documentation
Please submit the LFL Community Self-Assessment application, the LFL Action Plan, and any supporting
documentation to the LFLHC Executive Director.
Sarah Watson, Executive Director
Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition
#1 Old State Capitol Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701
Phone: 217-782-6817
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APPENDIX
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Example of LFL Community Profile
Overview of Community’s Lincoln Story(s)
ALNHA Interpretive Themes
The LFL Action Plan
A Moment of Reflection
Current Looking for Lincoln Communities
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Appendix A: Example of a LFL Community Profile
McLean County: Prior to 1822, this area was home to the Kickapoo Indians and featured rich soil, tall prairie grass,
dense groves of trees, abundant game, and streams. The first white settlers arrived in 1822 and McLean County was
incorporated on Christmas Day in 1830. Blooming Grove was renamed Bloomington and was designated as the seat of
the new county government. Settlement of the new community began in 1831.
Agriculture was the initial draw for the new county, and many travelers heading west decided to stay in this area. As
Bloomington grew, other nearby communities of varying sizes also sprang up. Local developers worked to bring the
railroads through Bloomington, and Jesse Fell took the lead to bring the first public university in the state, as well as the
Illinois Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home to the area just north of Bloomington, later to be called Normal, in honor of Illinois
State Normal University. Fell joined Judge David Davis and other locals in encouraging Abraham Lincoln to run for the
presidency in 1860. Fell and Davis worked tirelessly to secure Lincoln’s nomination and played key roles in his election.
State politics, education, arts and culture, as well as manufacturing played important roles in the growth and influence of
this area. Two Illinois Governors came from Bloomington, as did the state’s first woman senator. Illinois Wesleyan
University was established in Bloomington, and a local educator became the nation’s first woman school superintendent.
State Farm Insurance Company was founded here, as were the Steak ‘n Shake restaurant chain and Beer Nuts. Historic
Route 66 wound through town, and the community later became an important hub for the Interstate Highway system.
Insurance, education, finance, and agriculture continue to play the main roles in the local economy, and local
preservationists have worked to save and maintain historic buildings and homes in the area. Wind farms now stand near
the Grand Village of the Kickapoo Indians, and a large stand of Illinois prairie grass is still in existence near Funks
Grove, where maple trees are still tapped to produce the famous “sirup.” The long-running American Passion Play
continues to draw thousands of visitors each year, and hockey, arena football and independent league baseball teams are
located here, as well as numerous historic sites, museums, and outdoor recreation activities. Visitors from all over the
world pass through our community, and we have many stories we can share, as well as things to see, restaurants, and
entertainment of every type available year round.
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Appendix B: Overview of Community’s
Lincoln Story(s)
Description
The overview of a community’s Lincoln story(s) is a document that presents a concise overview of how the community
or individuals within a community are connected to Lincoln’s life and times. The purpose of this document is to provide
a summary of the Lincoln’s connection to the community which will form the foundation for telling the community’s
unique Lincoln story(s). There are two sections in the overview: the narrative of the community’s story(s) and the
sources for the story(s). The length of the document will depend on the community’s connection to Lincoln. This should
not be a detailed account of everything Lincoln did in a community, but rather a summary of the community’s
connection to Lincoln’s life and times.
A key aspect of this overview is the sources that support or provide evidence for the community’s Lincoln story(s).
Each Lincoln story should be authenticated by sources from the time (primary sources) such as letters and newspaper
accounts, as well as sources written by individuals after the life and times of Abraham Lincoln (secondary sources).
However, local legend or folklore regarding a Lincoln story may still qualify if there is sufficient evidence to show that
the legend or lore originated from an individual or individuals who were contemporaries of Lincoln, and if it is clearly
disclosed in the interpretation that the story being told is based on local legend or lore. The source list will provide the
basis for expanding or developing the community’s Lincoln story.
Examples of primary and secondary sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Diaries and Journals
Encyclopedias
Speeches and Interviews
Chronologies
Letters
Biographies
Autobiographies and Memoirs
Most Journal Articles
Books or articles written at the time of
Most published books (unless
written and the time of the event)
the event
Government Documents
Paraphrased quotations
Census Statistics
Textbooks
Photographs (from the time period)
Art (from the time period)
Maps (from the time period)
While the overview can be formatted in multiple ways it should include the following:
 A narrative overview of the community’s Lincoln Story(s)
 A bibliography or list of sources for the community’s Lincoln Story(s)
o Sources from the time (primary sources)
o Sources written after the life and times of Abraham Lincoln (secondary sources).
The following is an example of an overview of a community’s Lincoln story(s); not a template to follow. Please feel
free to contact the staff at the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition to answer any questions or to provide direction as
needed.
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Overview of Vermillion County’s Lincoln Story
Abraham Lincoln traveled the Eastern Prairie of Illinois for twenty years: The first time as a green, young lawyer in
1841; the last time as the newly elected President of the United States in 1861. Danville, Illinois was one of the early
settlements of the Eastern Prairie and Illinois. It was here that the county seat of Vermilion was established. Lincoln
came to Danville for twenty years. It was in this circuit court that he became acquainted with many of the men he
associated with the rest of his life.
This was truly "Lincoln Country." Lincoln became acquainted with the citizens and formed lasting relationships with
many of them. The residents here always gave him a majority when he ran for political office. Doctor William H.
Fithian of Danville was Lincoln's friend, client, and political supporter for more than thirty years. They met in 1834
when both were sworn into the Illinois House of Representatives at Vandalia, Illinois, on the same day. Lincoln once
wrote to Fithian, "I appeal to you because I can to no other with so much confidence."It was in Danville that Lincoln
formed a partnership and opened a law office with the flamboyant Ward Hill Lamon. "Hill" as Lincoln called him,
became one of his most intimate friends. When Lincoln went to Washington as President, he took Lamon with him.
Some of his more interesting court cases originated in Danville, Illinois. It was on the Eastern Prairie that he met many
of the prominent attorneys of the era. He attended church in Father Enoch Kingsbury's Presbyterian Church in Danville
and visited with attorney "Little" Oliver Davis on Vermilion Street. Enoch Kingsbury developed a friendship with
Lincoln during this time. Kingsbury was a staunch abolitionist, whose son Edward was killed in the Civil War.
It was in Danville that Lincoln became friends with Oscar F. & Elizabeth Harmon. He visited them in their home and
entertained them in Springfield. When attorney Harmon was killed in the Battle of Kenesaw Mountain, Lincoln was
devastated. Following Lincoln's assassination, Elizabeth Harmon was given a lock of his hair. Years later, when John
Hay asked for a portion of the lock, he was told by the widow that it was too precious to part with a single strand.
Jim Kilpatrick, a young newspaper editor in Danville, became one of Lincoln's most ardent supporters. His Vermilion
County Press was a dedicated supporter of Lincoln's 1858 run for a U.S. Senate seat and his 1860 Presidential contest.
Kilpatrick was also a friend of Ward Hill Lamon. Kilpatrick, the editor, once shared a room with Lincoln at Danville’s
McCormack House. He earned the name “Chickamauga Jim” for his service in the Civil War. Hiram Beckwith of
Danville studied law in the Lincoln/Lamon law office, and took the law exam from Lincoln. He was a successful
attorney and Lincoln's friend and associate. Beckwith was also a historian and he left an excellent record of Lincoln's
court days in Danville. Lincoln met abolitionist Abraham Smith on the Eastern Prairie. The Ridge Farm Quaker's home
was a station on the Underground Railroad. Smith felt Lincoln was not strong enough in his views against slavery in the
early years of their acquaintance, but he eventually became a supporter of the attorney from Springfield.
This is the history of Lincoln and the people of the Eastern Prairie who lived in extraordinary times in our nation's
history. They were his clients, friends, and political supporters. Some of them knew him from the time of the Black
Hawk War in 1832, until his death in 1865. Many of those he knew preceded him as casualties in the Great Rebellion.
They were witnesses as a young, green, attorney arrived in Danville seeking court business. They gathered at the Great
Western Depot in Danville, decades later, to bid farewell to the same man, newly elected President Lincoln, as he made
his last stop in an Illinois city on his way to Washington and immortality.
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Bibliography/ Source Material for Community’s Story(s)
Books, Magazines, Published Accounts
Babcock, Rufus, ed. Memoir of John Mason Peck D.D. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1965.
Barringer, William. Lincoln's Rise to Power. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1937.
Barton, William E. The Life of Lincoln. 2 vol. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1925.
Easier, Roy P., ed. The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. 8 vols. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1955.
Beckwith, H. W. History of Vermilion County. Chicago: H.H. Hill and Company, 1879.
Beckwith, H. W. "Reminiscences of Lincoln." copy at Vermilion County Museum.
Coffeen, H. A. Vermilion County Historical, Statistical, and Descriptive, a Handbook. Danville: H. A. Coffeen, 1870.
Congressional Record of 1859.
Davis, Edwin D. The Lincolns, The Hanks and Macon County. Reprinted from the Journal of the Illinois State Historical
Society, Vol. XXV, Nos. 1-2, April-July 1932.
Duff, John J. A. Lincoln, Prairie Lawyer. New York: Rinehart & Co., Inc., 1960.
Elliott, Isaac H. Record of the Services of the Illinois Soldiers in the Black Hawk War, 1831 -32, and in the Mexican
War, 1846-48. Springfield: H. W. Rokker, 1882.
Halstead, Murat. Caucuses of 1860: A History of the National Convention of the Current Political Campaigns. ]
Columbus: Follett, Foster & Co., 1860.
Hamand, Lavern Marshall. "Ward Hill Lamon: Lincoln's Particular Friend." Thesis, University of Illinois, 1949.
Hare, Richard Lee. 100 Year History of Newspapers in Danville, IL. Danville, Commercial News, 1966.
Hendrick, Willene and George Hendrick, eds. On the Illinois Frontier, Dr. Hiram Rutherford. Carbondale: Southern
Illinois University Press, 1981.
Herndon, William H. & Jesse W. Weik. Herndon's Life of Lincoln. New York: Boni, 1930.
Jones, Lottie E. History of Vermilion County. 2 vol. Chicago: Pioneer Publishing Company, 1911.
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. No. 1, April 1937; and vol. 14.
King, Willard L. Lincoln's Manager, David Davis. Cambridge: University Press, 1960.
Kyle, Otto R. Abraham Lincoln in Decatur. New York, Vantage Press, 1957.
Lamon, Ward H. The Life of Abraham Lincoln, from His Birth to His Inauguration as President. Boston: James R.
Osgood and Company, 1872.
Lamon, Ward Hill. Recollections of Abraham Lincoln, 1847-1865. Washington, B.C.: University Press, 1911.
Linder, Usher F. Reminiscences of the Early Bench and Bar of Illinois. Chicago: The Chicago Legal News Company,
1879.
McClure's Magazine, July 1896.
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Magdol, Edward. Owen Lovejoy, Abolitionist. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1967.
McPherson, Lucy Harmon. Life and Letters of Oscar Fitzalan Harmon. Trenton: MacCrellish & Quigley Co., 1914.
Mearns, David C. The Lincoln Papers. 2 vol. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1948.
Miers, Earl Schenck, ed. Lincoln Day by Day. Dayton: Morningside, 1991.
Morehous, Frances Irene. The Life of Jesse W. Fell. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1916.
Pearson, G. C. The Past & Present of Vermilion County. Chicago; S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1903.
Pratt, Harry E. The Personal Finances of Abraham Lincoln. Springfield: The Abraham Lincoln Association, 1943.
Proceedings of the Republican National Convention held in Chicago, IL on May 16-18, 1860.
Randall, Ruth Painter. Lincoln's Sons. Boston: Little, Brown, 1955
Rice, Allen Thorndike. Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of His Time. New York: North
American Review, 1888.
Rogers, Robert M. The 125th Regiment ,Illinois Volunteer Infantr. Champaign Gazette Steam Print, 1882.
Sandburg, Carl. Abraham Lincoln, The Prairie Years. 2 vols. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1926.
Scrapbook -Amos Williams and Early Danville, Illinois. Danville: Recording & Statistical Corp., nd.
Stark, Mary E. and Donald L. Brown. Paths from the Past, A History of Georgetown, Vermilion County, Illinois.
Danville: Printing Techniques, Inc., 1977.
Tarbell, Ida M. The Life of Abraham Lincoln. 4 vols. New York: Lincoln History Society, 1924
The Heritage of Vermilion County, Autumn 1989.
Tilton, Clint Clay. Lincoln and Lamon: Partners and Friends. Reprinted from the Transactions of the Illinois State
Historical Society, Publication No. 38.
Tilton, Clint C. "Hubbard, Fithian & Lincoln." Original manuscript, Danville High School Archives.
Vermilion County Bench & Bar, the First One Hundred Fifty Years, 1826-1926. Danville, 1977.
Weik, Jesse W. The Real Lincoln. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1923.
Weik, Jesse W. "Lincoln and The Matson Negroes," Arena, 17 April 1897.
Wendt, Lloyd. "Swift Walker" An Informal Biography of Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard. Chicago: Regency Books, 1986.
Wisconsin Magazine of History. Volume 34.
Whitney, Henry C. Life on the Circuit with Lincoln. Boston: Estes & Lauriat, 1892.
Whicker, J. W. Sketches of the Wabash Valley. Reprinted 1976.
Wilson, Rufus R., ed., Intimate Memories of Lincoln. New York: Primavera Press, 1945.
100 Years on the Ridge. Potomac, Bluegrass Printing, 1974.
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Collections and Institutions
Joseph Barnhart Collection and Interview.
Chicago Historical Society
William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan.
Danville High School Archives.
Danville Public Library files.
Vertical Files
Census of 1860
Docket Book - Danville, IL
Patriot & Plaindealer newspapers - various years
First Presbyterian Church Records.
Fithian Family Bible and Records.
Friend's Collection, Ridge Farm, Illinois.
Ruth Burcham Howard Collection and Scrapbook.
Illinois Historical Survey Library, University of Illinois, Urbana, Woodbury Collection.
Illinois State Archives.
Illinois State Historical Library, Davis Collection
Leverich Family Records.
Robert Todd Lincoln Collection, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Pelletier Library, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA
Spring Hill Cemetery Records.
Vermilion County Board Records For 1850, Book D, Page 19.
Vermilion County Museum Society Archives.
Robert B. Wright Collection and Interviews.
Eleanor Yeoman's Collection.
Newspapers
Bloomington Pantograph, Bloomington, Illinois.
11 February 1857
21 December 1858
Central Transcript, Clinton, Illinois.
6 October 1859
Chicago Times, Chicago, Illinois.
7 July 1858.
Danville Commercial, Danville, Illinois.
9 March 1906
Danville Daily News, Danville, Illinois.
6 September 1878.
Danville Independent, Danville, Illinois.
15 May 1856
16 May 1856
3 July 1856
6 November 1856
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Danville Republican, Danville, Illinois.
29 February 1860
Free West, Chicago, Illinois
21 September 1854
Illinois Citizen, Danville, Illinois
29 May 1850
2 April 1851
Illinois State Register, Springfield, Illinois
6 November 1855
Lafayette Daily Courier, Lafayette, Indiana.
23 September 1858
Prairie Beacon, Paris, Illinois.
8 February 1850 through 24 May 1850
24 May 1850 through 11 April 1851
4 July 1851 20 May 1852
6 July 1852
. '
18 January 1856
6 July 1856
25 July 1856
8 August 1856
29 August 1856
26 September 1856 2 July 1858
23 July 1858
30 July 1858 29 June 1860
State Chronicle, Springfield, Illinois.
7 February 1856
The Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio
5 April 1833
Vermilion County Press, Danville, Illinois.
Issues from 1858 through 1861.
Wabash Commercial, Indiana.
20 September 1854.
Western Citizen, Chicago, Illinois.
1 June 1843
2 February 1844 16 May 1844
8 April 1846
23 June 1846
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1 September 1846 7 September 1847 21 September 1847
24 December 1850
Court Records
Champaign County Court Records.
Coles County Court Records.
Illinois Supreme Court Records.
Sangamon County Court Records
U.S. Court Records, Southern District of Illinois.
Vermilion County Court Records.
Correspondence & Unpublished Accounts
Elizabeth Harmon's correspondence & remembrances of Lincoln, at the Vermilion County Museum.
Letters of John Hay and Extracts from Diary. Washington, printed but not published, 1908.
Ralph Goodrich Diary
Interviews
Myrtle Dalbey Monroe
Jesse Fithian
Helene Abbott Marsh
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Appendix C: ALNHA Interpretive Themes
The Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln
Communities throughout Illinois that have a Lincoln connection to share with the world emphasize three overarching
themes: “Lincoln the Man,” “Illinois’ Influence on Lincoln,” and “Lincoln’s Legacy.”
Lincoln did not become a prominent politician overnight. He worked steadily to make something of his life, endured
adversity, and overcame obstacles. By highlighting Lincoln the laborer, surveyor, and postmaster, lawyer, politician,
husband, father, and friend, Illinois communities have stories to share that fundamentally define who Lincoln was as a
man. Similarly, the physical environment, as well as the social and cultural landscape of antebellum Illinois and its
people helped mold Lincoln into the greatest statesman of his era. Finally, a key aspect to understanding the life and
times of Abraham Lincoln involves tracing the tremendous impact he has had on the world.
1) Lincoln the Man: Abraham Lincoln arrived in Illinois poor and with little formal education, but left three decades
later as a prominent attorney and president-elect of the nation. His early years were full of successes and setbacks as
Lincoln tried his hand at many occupations as he continued a program of self-education. Initially a political novice,
Lincoln learned quickly, interacting with the leading political minds in the state. Though he began his political career as
a strict party-line Whig devoted to improving the infrastructure and economy of Illinois, he evolved into a Republican
devoted to stopping the expansion of slavery on the national level. In Illinois, Lincoln developed into a statesman. An
appreciation of Lincoln the Man serves as the backdrop for understanding Lincoln the President.
1a) Lincoln the Pioneer: Lincoln’s family immigrated to Illinois when he was 21, joining many other
individuals and families in search of fresh opportunities. Here, Lincoln grew to manhood. He began as a rugged
farmhand and occasional flat boatman. At New Salem, Lincoln climbed the rungs of an occupational ladder that
included work as a miller, store clerk, militia captain, merchant, postmaster, surveyor, legislator, and finally,
lawyer—each new job carrying him into a higher, more exclusive economic social level. When he left New
Salem in 1837 at age twenty-eight, he had acquired enough social and intellectual prowess to successfully
compete in Illinois’s increasingly sophisticated commercial and political world.
1b) Lincoln the Politician: Lincoln’s political career began at age 23 with an unsuccessful run for the state
legislature. Two years later, he was successfully elected to the Illinois House of Representatives for the first of
four consecutive terms. In 1846, he was elected as a representative to the United States Congress and fourteen
years later, he was elected to the nation’s highest office. A gifted speaker, quick in debate, and an eloquent
writer, Lincoln traveled extensively throughout the state, Midwest, and northeast to stump for candidates and
defend key party issues.
1c) Lincoln the Lawyer: Despite the benefit of a formal education, Lincoln was a full-time lawyer in Illinois
for a quarter century. Like nearly all of his contemporaries, his legal practice was extremely diverse—he
handled cases at nearly every level of the court system and represented clients in civil and criminal cases
involving such issues as debt, divorce, murder, and slander.
1d) Lincoln the President: The story of Lincoln’s presidency began in Illinois when Lincoln became president.
Immediately, seven states left the Union. As the nation unraveled, president-elect Lincoln remained in
Springfield meeting and corresponding with party leaders, office seekers, and members of the media. Just six
weeks after his inauguration, the Civil War began. For the next four years, Lincoln guided the nation through
Civil War. Illinois’ involvement in the Civil War and the political climate in Lincoln’s adopted home state
serve as the backdrop for examining Lincoln the President.
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2) Illinois’ Influence on Lincoln: Illinois was the western frontier when Lincoln’s family arrived from Indiana. During
the next three decades Lincoln lived in Illinois, the region evolved from a rude mix of subsistence farms to a thriving
agrarian economy with pockets of industry. Equally important are the national events and issues that impacted the state
and the evolution of the social, political, and physical landscape of antebellum Illinois. The tension in Illinois
surrounding the issue of slavery uniquely prepared Lincoln to deal with the issue as President.
2a) The Land of Opportunity: In the 1830s, Illinois was the nation’s western frontier. The region’s settlement
over the next thirty years saw an evolution from a rude mix of subsistence farms wary of the open prairie
landscape to an organized rectangular fabric of neat farmsteads and an established market economy. Towns
developed with a vibrant, upwardly mobile society seeking middle class respectability. Opportunities for
advancement abounded as both the region and Lincoln matured.
2b) Lincoln and Springfield: Springfield was the center of Lincoln’s world for a quarter century. When he
arrived, the statehouse had not yet been built and the town had a population of less than two thousand. The
unpaved streets were dusty or muddy by turns, while cows, chickens, and pigs wandered the streets at will.
However, the town matured. The population steadily increased, social and cultural institutions sprang from the
prairie, and ambitious individuals helped cultivate a vibrant political atmosphere. In law offices and
courtrooms, as well as in storefronts and legislative chambers, Lincoln honed his skills of persuasion and
perfected the art of politics. By the time Lincoln left in February 1861, Springfield’s population had increased
five-fold. Lincoln and Springfield matured side-by-side and both went on to play significant roles in the Civil
War.
2c) The People: Illinois was settled by immigrants seeking new western lands and fresh opportunities. As a
result of the mix of northern, southern, and foreign immigrants in Illinois, the social and political landscape
reflected the diverse viewpoints of its residents. Against this backdrop Lincoln interacted with clients,
colleagues, friends, and family who influenced his thinking and development.
2d) Social and Political Landscape of Illinois and the Nation: The social and political environment of Illinois
and the nation shaped Lincoln. Whether discussing the key issues of the day, such as internal improvements,
popular sovereignty, abolition and immigration or wrestling with the impact of national events like the KansasNebraska Act and the Dred Scott Case, these issues and events collectively formed Lincoln’s ideology.
2e) Underground Railroad in Illinois: The Underground Railroad crisscrossed the state of Illinois and served
as a conduit for slaves to escape bondage. This illegal and controversial activity was part of the landscape of
Illinois in which Lincoln lived and worked.
3) Lincoln’s Legacy: Few individuals in American history have left such an indelible mark on the world. The major
issues that Lincoln’s generation confronted—the balance of power between the federal government and individual
states, civil liberties during wartime, issues regarding race and equality, etc.—continue to define the challenges facing
the nation today The life and times of Abraham Lincoln—the story of a boy born in absolute poverty who went on guide
the nation through its most tragic hour—continues to bring hope and inspiration to millions around the globe.
3a) Lincoln’s Imprint on America: Lincoln’s Presidency left its mark on Illinois and the nation. His legacy is
more complex than his most celebrated acts of preserving the Union or ending American Slavery. As President
he created the Department of Agriculture, supported construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, signed the
Morrill Land Grant Act, and Homestead Act.
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3b) Myth & Memory, Lincoln Remembered: Abraham Lincoln is one of America’s most beloved Presidents.
A larger-than-life persona the “real” Lincoln is often replaced by the legend and lore.
3c) Lincoln & America’s continuing struggle with Equality, Race Relations, National Unity and the
Capacity for Democratic Government: Equality and race relations were at the heart of the moral, economic,
and social turmoil caused by slavery in Lincoln’s America. Democratic government failed to compromise and
chose war over peace. Americans today, challenged anew with sustaining a workable political, social, and
cultural consensus have much to learn from the attitudes and actions of the Civil War generation.
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Appendix D: The LFL Action Plan
Note: The LFL Action Plan should only be completed after the questions in part one of
the LFL Self-Assessment has been answered.
Description
The LFL Action Plan is a tool to help LFL working groups focus their ideas and decide what steps need to be taken to
achieve the purpose and goals of the LFL working group. The purpose of the LFL Action Plan is to establish specific
objectives that the LFL working group plans to accomplish in the next one to five years and the steps required to achieve
those objectives. Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time specific (SMART). The LFL
Action Plan should include short term (1-2 years) and long term (3-5 years) objectives. The objectives should help the
LFL Working Group achieve its purpose and goals.
The LFL working group’s objectives should fall within the following four categories:
 Telling and Preserving the Community’s Unique Lincoln Story
 Preserving the Community’s Sense of Place
 Preparing for the Visitor
 Promoting Your Community
Looking for Lincoln communities and Emerging Looking for Lincoln communities are as unique and diverse as the
individuals who comprise each of the Looking for Lincoln working groups. Each LFL working group’s action plan
should fit the needs of its community or county. The LFL working group may choose to have one or multiple objectives
in each category, but the LFL working group is not required to have an objective in each category. The LFL Action Plan
is a tool for working groups to establish:
 Where the LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community is now?;
 Where the LFL working group would like the LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community to be?; and
 How the LFL working group will help the LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community get there?
Action plans should not be static documents. They should change and evolve as the LFL working group works to
achieve its goals.
Creating a LFL Action Plan
Part one of the LFL Self-Assessment established where the LFL Community or Emerging LFL Community is currently.
As a LFL working group, utilize the information gathered in part one of the LFL Self Assessment to set objectives for
what the LFL working group would like to accomplish in the next five years. The following is a guideline of steps the
LFL working group can follow when creating the LFL Action Plan.
1. Begin the LFL Action Plan by reviewing the LFL working group’s purpose and goals.
2. Create a 5 year vision statement for the LFL Community. This should be a realistic vision that can be
accomplished by the LFL working group.
3. Develop objectives for the LFL working group. Think about the four categories as they relate to the community.
Identify what you would like to accomplish as a group. Remember to incorporate both short and long term
goals. The LFL working group may choose to have one or multiple objectives in each category, but the LFL
working group is not required to have an objective in every category. Objectives should correspond to the goals
of the LFL working group.
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4. Review the objectives? Are they SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time specific?
5. Identify the action steps the LFL working group will need to take to meet each objective. Some objectives may
only have a couple of steps while other may have several.
6. Once the LFL working group has finalized their objectives and action steps complete the following form and
submit it as part of LFL Self-Assessment to the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition.
LFL Working Group Action Plan
Name of LFL Working Group:
LFL Working Group Purpose Statement:
LFL Working Group Goals:
5-Year Vision Statement for the LFL Community:
LFL Working Group Objectives and Corresponding Action Steps:
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Appendix E: A Moment of Reflection
As the LFL working group begins part two the LFL Community self-assessment please take some time for selfreflection by considering the following questions as a working group. The community is not expected to submit the
results of the discussion(s), as the value of the exercise is how the discussion may help the LFL working group.
1. How effective is the LFL working group’s communication with the rest of the community/county?
2. How effective is its focus on phased implementation of projects the community/county has decided are
priorities?
3. How does the structure of the LFL working group provide for its on-going operation as its membership changes
over an extended period of time?
4. How effective is the LFL working group’s communication with the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, the
Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Steering Council, and the ALNHA Steering Council’s various ad hoc
committees?
5. Does our LFL working group communicate regularly with other nearby LFL working groups and/or organize
activities of mutual interest or benefit.
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Appendix F: Current LFL Communities
Alton
Beardstown
Champaign-Urbana
Coles County (Charleston, Oakland)
Danville
Decatur
DeWitt County (Clinton)
Galesburg
Hancock County
Jacksonville
Lincoln
Mahomet
McLean County
Metamora
Mt. Pulaski
Petersburg
Pike County
Pleasant Plains
Quincy
Shelby County
Springfield
Taylorville
Vandalia
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