On October 9-12 this year my family and I visited Springfield, IL (see overview of the trip here). On the 11th, we visited The Lincoln Tomb in Springfield’s Oak Hill Cemetery. Unfortunately, the tomb (run by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency) was not open – budget constraints again. And even the exterior was not fully accessible: the second level of the exterior was closed for repairs. It was an overcast day to begin with, and I was losing what little light I had. Here are some images of the tomb and the statuary on and in front of it. The nose of the Gutzon Borglum bust is shiny from the rubbing hands of thousands of visitors. The four Larkin Mead tableaux around the obelisk depict the cavalry, navy, artillery, and infantry. Click on the thumbs for larger images, and click the images for larger ones still:
Here is a view of the tomb from the rear, and also of the stained glass window that allows light into the interior:
At the bottom of the hill behind the tomb is the crypt in which Lincoln’s body resided initially and, halfway up the hill, a marker to another vault to which his body was subsequently removed prior to completion of the tomb:
Across from the crypt at the bottom of the hill is a chime tower, inlaid with the slab on which Lincoln’s body first rested:
We stayed our first night (10/9-10) a little outside town near the power plant at the Crowne Plaza hotel, in the lobby of which is this grouping of Lincoln and some children On the Road to Greatness:
This grouping (Springfield’s Lincoln, 2004 by Larry Anderson) sits on the Adams St. mall between the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices and the Old State Capitol.
There are two sculptures outside the Springfield Union StationVisitor Center, across the street from the ALPLM. The first shows Abe clutching his coat against a cold prairie wind (A Greater Task, 2006 by John McClarey); the second is an interactive photo-op (Lincoln, 2006 by Mark Lundeen).
Inside the Visitor Center is this cool model of Lincoln’s funeral train:
On Monday the 12th, before driving back to St. Louis to catch our flight home, the boy and I drove over to the current Illinois State Capitol, on the grounds of which are two fine statues of Lincoln (Lincoln of the Farewell Address, 1918 by Andrew O’Connor) and Stephen Douglas (1918 by Gilbert Riswold).
I really enjoyed our trip to Springfield, even if it was a little chilly. I consider that a small price to play for smaller crowds and shorter lines. Springfield is a must visit for all Lincoln, Civil War, Presidential, and American history enthusiasts. I hope to return some day to catch the other sites I missed this time around.
Harry Smeltzer
Bull Runnings 
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