I just “discovered” a very nice website devoted to historic sites and tours associated with Abraham Lincoln. The website Looking For Lincoln is operated by the “Looking For Lincoln Heritage Coalition” which is based in Springfield, Illinois. The organization is a consortium of central Illinois communities which have banded together to encourage visitation to the other lesser-known sites in the area associated with Lincoln.
Obviously, the Coalition is trying to drum up tourism, but it’s doing a very commendable job in placing these small communities in context with Lincoln’s life and career. Some of the sites shown and discussed on the website include the David Davis (a close friend and colleague of Lincoln’s) mansion; the Mt. Pulaski courthouse (one of two surviving 8th Circuit courts where Lincoln practiced); and the Lincoln-Douglas debate museum in Charleston.
The website is well-organized and provides suggestions for “hub tours” starting out from various locations in Illinois. I’d highly recommend it as a starting point for anyone who would like to take a “Lincoln Pilgrimage” trip to Illinois. Indeed, I will use it as a reference the next time I take my own pilgrimage. The “Land Of Lincoln” encompasses far more than Springfield, and Looking For Lincoln is an outstanding starting place to find out why.