I’ve just finished Stephen Mansfield’s fascinating book, Lincoln’s Battle With God, which traces Abraham Lincoln’s painful but steady journey from probable atheism to probable Christianity. Just as I closed the last page, I left to speak at Child Evangelism Fellowship symposium in Peoria, and stayed to speak at Grace Presbyterian Church. That gave me the perfect excuse for an overnight stop in Springfield, Illinois, to see the Lincoln sites. This is must-see territory for every family with children and for everyone interesting in the most challenging epoch in American history. The Lincoln home authentically makes you feel Abe and Mary will walk through the door any moment. The Lincoln Museum provides a visually graphic tour of Lincoln’s life with images and murals so real you’ll think they are. And Lincoln’s tomb brings you as close as you can get to the man himself. Top off the experience by bumping into a United States senator on the street, and you feel like you’re intersecting destiny in some small way. I recommend reading Mansfield’s book, then making a visit to Lincoln Land. Here are some pics.
Abraham and Mary lived here with their boys until the day they left for D.C. The house is just as they left it.This is the formal double room where guests were entertained.The Lincoln family roomMary Todd’s BedroomThe kitchenThe outhouseOn the way from the Lincoln House to the Lincoln Museum I ran into Senator Dick Durbin.We had a very frank and respectful conversation about the election.Now on to the Lincoln Presidential Museum…The tour begins with Abe’s childhoodWe visit him in the cabin reading while his dad and his dog sleep nearbyWe journey with him down the Mississippi.Here he is, opening a store. It wasn’t his most successful venture..Courting Mary Todd
The First LadyDeep grief. Willie dies in the White House.The tide turns with the War and jubilation breaks out at the White House. No one can hear Lincoln speaking from the upstairs window.According to Mansfield, Lincoln’s last words were: “There is no place I so much desire to see as Jerusalem.”You really feel you are there, passing by Lincoln’s coffin in hushed reverence.The only known picture of Lincoln in his casket.The theaters and special effects are Disney-like amazing.Next stop — the Old State House where Lincoln practiced law and politicsThe room where Lincoln gave his “House Divided” speech and where HIs body later lay in state.A few miles away — Lincoln’s tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery
