Kitchen & Bedroom

Interesting items on display in the various rooms of the Lincoln residence in Springfield are today's focus. The kitchen naturally centers around the stove mentioned in the previous post, an item that has been here for a century and a half. Even on a bright summer day it is easy to see the warmth and aroma that would have surrounded the stove and the kitchen all those years ago.

In another room, we see colorful carpeting in a bedroom. And those of us with indoor plumbing might not understand the pottery bowl under the bed, as we can get up and step to the bathroom when the need occurs. At a time when the facility was an outhouse, sleepers were provided with a handy alternative.

More items from the Lincoln house in the next post.

Home of the President

Nestled in a National Park today, the last home owned by Abraham Lincoln is situated into a small community of period buildings. The house has been tended and refurbished in a major effort that must have hundreds of people involved. When we last visited the site about 18 years ago, the house was in good condition, filled with furniture of the time, but not the furniture owned by the Lincolns. I recall our tour guide telling us that only the cast iron kitchen stove was from the family as it was too heavy to move.

Today the house is in excellent condition, everything well-preserved and easy to see. And many of the rooms feature actual Lincoln furniture and possessions. Photography is encouraged, and we will look into some rooms in the next post. And a unique setup kitty-corner across the street, shows the famous vista of the house as seen through a Civil War-era camera. A nice semi-historical touch.

Lincoln Images

The Lincoln Presidential Museum is bright, airy and beautiful, filled with interesting facts and many life size dioramas of the statesman who is often considered the best President in the history of the Republic. Images of family members, scenes from campaigns and wartime, and speculative looks at the life the famed President when he was miles away and years earlier than the fame that was to come.

Perhaps my favorite image from the entire museum is outside a cabin mockup featuring scenes from Lincoln growing up. As you see, a pensive young man, book in hand, seated on a stump. A fine image and a great experience.

Next post will visit the last home the President owned, his home before he left for the White House.

Visit to Springfield

Following the end of the Europe trip, we arrived home exhausted. A week later, though, we were ready to roll again, taking a trip to Springfield, Illinois, the adult home of Abraham Lincoln. The relatively new Lincoln Presidential Museum, the Lincoln family home before his election, his law offices, and New Salem, his home when he was a young man are all open for interested students of all ages.

Once we found the underground parking garage we came up right across from the old state capitol building, where Lincoln often spoke and worked. Later, at New Salem, we saw a leaf that looked to me a lot like a bright green heart, perhaps a St. Patrick's Day decoration. We will visit some Springfield highlights in the next several posts, including some of the buildings at New Salem.

Craftsmen at Play

Among the many campsites at Cantigny, people were cooking, selling extra costumes, talking to guests about fires and tents and music and weaponry. Perhaps the most visually interesting was the camper who was hand carving and chiseling the wood structure of a Revolutionary War-era firearm. In a large vise, the future combatant in another re-enactment waited quietly between work sessions. The concentration on the face of the craftsman is obvious.

Along the road through the campsite was a sign that can certainly be taken two ways. As we saw in the previous post, there were families with children in the camp. But certainly it can be said that all of us, campers and spectators alike, were at play. This is in no way a negative; in fact, it is a compliment to the creativity and ingenuity of the campers. I thank them for being so gracious to me on my photo tour.

Next post takes us to the heart of the State of Illinois.

Camp Faces

Walking through the camp, back and forth several times, I saw lots of faces. Many of them have already been depicted here in battle, on the march, preparing dinner. But the ages ran the gamut and we look here at young and old.

Clearly, Benjamin Franklin was looking wonderful for his advanced age. At the other end of the age spectrum, this young lad took a break from his formation marching, complete with mock wooden rifle, as he tagged along with his dad. Lots of family fun at the Revolutionary War encampment.

A final pair of photos from camp in the next post.

Turkey Dinner

Early on during my visit to the camp, I noticed two large turkeys, ready for cooking. I wondered at that time how much they weighed and how long they would have to be turned over the open fire to be cooked.

Later I came by when they were on the spit, and I asked. I found out that 16 pound turkeys will feed several people (especially when there are two of them), and they will take over eight hours to cook. An interesting fact and a pair of photos that I like.

More from the camp in the next post.