At New Salem, you can walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln. His birthday is Feb. 12.
New Salem is a reconstructed village set in the time when Lincoln lived and worked there. It is about 22 miles northwest of Springfield, Illinois, on Highway 97.
Lincoln’s Time Here
Lincoln arrived in New Salem by flatboat on the Sangamon River and remained there for six years.
In his time here he split rails, clerked in a store, and served as a postmaster.
Visitor Center
The center houses an auditorium where you can watch an eighteen-minute film on New Salem. Exhibits focus on the village and its most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln.
We saw a statue of Lincoln, murals, original Lincoln items, and a unique “time walk” that leads visitors through the village’s history.
New Salem Village
The reconstructed village contains over 20 homes and businesses. I’ve included a few noteworthy ones.
Denton Offutt Store
Offutt opened a store here on July 8, 1831, and employed Lincoln to run it. Lincoln received his first exposure to the business of merchandising. Although, the business failed.
William G. Greene, who became a lifelong friend of Lincoln’s, served as an assistant.
Greene recalled Lincoln as a “generous and accommodating clerk and was then as much a center of attraction as he was when President of the U.S. though not quite so grand a one.” (abrahamlincolnonline.org)
New Salem Carding Mill and Wool House
Samuel Hill built a carding machine and storehouse for wool in 1835, which was run by two oxen hitched to a 40-foot wheel.
T.G. Onstot, the cooper’s son, recalled, “Every person kept sheep in those days and took the wool to the machine. They commenced bringing in wool in May and by June the building would be full. It was amusing to see the sacks of all sorts and sizes and sometimes old petticoats.” (abrahamlincolnonline.org)
Miller-Kelso Two-Part House
Joshua Miller and his brother-in-law Jack Kelso came with their families to New Salem in November 1832 and built a two-part house. Miller lived here with his wife Nancy and their children, Caleb and Levicy. Kelso was a hunter, fisherman, and “jack of all trade.”
Miller’s Blacksmith Shop
Miller was also the community blacksmith and he carried on a flourishing business. He shod horses, furnished iron parts for wagons and farming implements, and did general metalwork for the community. The tools, forge, and hand bellows have all seen many years of service.
New Salem (Rutledge) Tavern
James Rutledge, a native South Carolinian who co-founded New Salem with John Camron, erected a building as a residence in 1828.
Once New Salem began to prosper, he converted it to an inn and tavern where travelers could enjoy a meal and bed.
His daughter Ann Rutledge, was supposedly Lincoln’s first love but died young from typhoid.
New Salem Saw and Gristmill
A dam was built on the Sangamon River for the powering of a gristmill in 1829. In 1940 the Civilian Conservation Corps reconstructed the mill. The Sangamon River ran next to the mill in the mid-nineteenth century. Since that time, the river has changed its course and is now a considerable distance to the east.
The mill and dam are outside of the reconstructed village and located along Highway 97 north of the New Salem entrance road. Look for parking on your right before Athens Blacktop Road. If you drive into Petersburg, Illinois you have gone too far.
Summer Schedule
During the summer months, there are more activities. New Salem has people in period costumes demonstrating life in the home or making tools in a blacksmith shop.
Lincoln’s New Salem also offers performances near the visitor’s center in the Kelseo Hollow Amphitheatre.
DETAILS:
Drive: Take Interstate 55 out of St. Louis to Springfield, Illinois. In Springfield take Interstate 72 west to Exit 93 and go north on Veterans Parkway. Then turn left onto Highway 97 and stay on this road until you see a sign for Lincoln’s New Salem and make a left turn into this historic site.
Hours: 9 am 5 pm Daily, May – Oct. and 9 am to 4 pm Wednesday – Sunday, Nov. – April.
Admission: Donation
Address: 15588 History Ln, Petersburg, IL 62675
Visiting Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield
We next went to Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb. Designed by sculptor, Larkin Mead, and completed in 1874, and free to visit.
It is in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. At the entrance to the Tomb is a bronze bust of Lincoln. The tradition is to rub the nose of the Lincoln for good luck.
Inside the tomb, we saw statues of Lincoln throughout and his final resting place along with his family members.
Then we made sure to take a moment to see the outside structure with more statues around it.
We happened to be there when they had a speaker giving a talk on the tomb.
He explained that “local citizens had wanted it downtown, which would have been better for businesses, but Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, wanted his tomb in the cemetery. She didn’t want it crowded among buildings and by a railroad line and threatened to have his tomb moved to Washington, D.C. if she did not get her way.”
I don’t blame her; the large wooded cemetery is a much nicer resting place than downtown.
The tomb is worth checking out to learn a bit about his life and how he is memorialized.
DETAILS
Drive: Take Interstate 55 out of St. Louis to Springfield, Illinois. In Springfield take Interstate 72 west to Exit 93 and go north on Veterans Parkway. Take J. David Jones Parkway south then make a left onto Grand Avenue and then another left onto Monument Avenue.
Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Daily
Address: 1500 Monument Ave, Springfield, IL 62702
ADDITIONAL LINCOLN SITES
Abraham Presidential Library and Museum
Tells the whole story of the life of Lincoln through rare artifacts along with state-of-the-art theatrical performances.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
You can walk through this historic neighborhood where Lincoln lived in Springfield although the tour is not currently available.
Old State Capitol
Here is where Lincoln gave his famous speech on “House Divided” and where he launched his presidency.
MORE MUSEUMS IN SPRINGFIELD
Springfield Illinois has many other sites with Illinois history, but we did not have time to check them all out. Here is a short list of them.
Illinois State Capitol
The legislature moved to this larger building in 1877. Topped with a 405-foot dome.
Dana Thomas House
Prairie-style home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Illinois State Museum
The Illinois State Museum is home to three floors of exhibitions that tell the story of Illinois’ land, life, people, and art starting 500 million years ago.
MORE CENTRAL ILLINOIS TRIP IDEAS
Road Trip to Allerton Park Near Champaign
A centaur in the middle of the woods can be found at Allerton Park sculpture garden in Central Illinois and was one of the many treasures we found there.
This park has amazing sculptures like this everywhere and it was our destination today.
