About Springfield IL
Springfield is the capital of the state of Illinois, and serves as the county seat of Sangamon County. It is as well the principal city in the Springfield Metropolitan region. The site for the future city was first inhabited by European Americans in the early 19th century, around the time Illinois was into a state. The most famous resident of Springfield was the United State’s 16th President; Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln chose to move here to pursue a law career. He also met his wife Mary Todd Lincoln here, and they raised their 4 boys here, while he served as a member of the House of Representatives. Present day Springfield is renowned for its American Civil War history together with museums and monuments devoted on Lincoln’s life.
The city is situated at the center of the state, and sits on a valley and plain in close proximity to the Sangamon River. Springfield was initially known as Calhoun in honor of Senator John Calhoun who hailed from South Carolina. It was made to be the county seat for Sangamon County thanks to its fertile soils along with lucrative trade opportunities. In 1832, it was renamed to its present name in honor of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. At that particular epoch, the latter city was acclaimed for its industrial innovations, prosperity, and of course, the famous Springfield Armory. It was as well a city that had developed from a simple frontier outpost to gain national prominence because of its ingenuity. The population of Illinois’ Springfield wished to emulate this Massachusetts city.
Springfield became the 3rd capital of the state in 1839 thanks to the efforts of Abraham Lincoln and his close associates. The group was known as the ‘Long Nine’ due to their combined height of 54 feet. Lincoln first came to Springfield in 1831, and ultimately became a respected attorney and politician in the city. He delivered his famous Lyceum Address in Springfield. While his impromptu farewell speech before moving to Washington as President, has become a classic in American rhetoric. In 2007, the then senator Barack obama declared his intention to vie for the presidency in Springfield, while standing on the grounds of the Old State Capitol.
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Top Attractions
Like it was earlier noted, Springfield is renowned for its most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln who spent a quarter of his life here. To this end, Springfield is awash with numerous historic attractions dedicated to showcase his life and times. This includes the Lincoln Tomb, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.
Springfield is a key cultural hub in the Midwest region of the United States, and boasts of a number of popular performing arts centers. One of the most prominent is the Hoogland Center for The Arts, which is situated in the downtown area and is home to the Springfield Theater Center. The Springfield Ballet Company and the Springfield Municipal Opera also use the Hoogland Center for The Arts to perform their productions. Another key performing arts venue in this Illinois capital is the Sangamon Auditorium that is situated in the University of Illinois at Springfield campus.
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden
Established in 1936, the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden is a popular historic attraction and comes complete with imposing oak trees planted by Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. This garden is mostly maintained by volunteers and the Springfield local community. The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden sprawls on a 100 acre parcel of land, and offers 6 miles of tranquil walking trails. These trails feature lumber benches that have being inscribed with Abraham Lincoln’s most famous quotes. This garden is meant to portray the landscape, which the famous US President was familiar with during his life in the Midwest.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
Despite its construction taking 4 times the years the Civil War was fought, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum has quickly become the most popular presidential center in the country. It mainly showcases exhibits on the famous president’s life. This includes a rotating exhibit that puts to show numerous historic artifacts in the center’s Treasure Gallery. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum was designed by a good number of Lincoln scholars. Its grand opening attracted 25,000 people including Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.
Old State Capitol
This Greek Revival historic building was constructed in the mid 20th century, and is a modern recreation of the building that is famous for hosting charged debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. The Old State Capitol is patterned on the 5th Illinois Statehouse. It is here that Lincoln delivered his fabled ‘House Divided’ speech, and was as well the location of his presidential campaign headquarters in 1860.
Springfield & Central Illinois African American History Museum
Founded in 2012, this Springfield museum’s primary objective is to commemorate the rich African American heritage of Central Illinois. To which end, it comes complete with intriguing exhibits and presentations related to the history of black Americans. It as well possesses a big collection of more than 700 oral histories from the people of this region of Illinois.
Lincoln’s New Salem
Situated around 20 miles on the northeastern end of Springfield, the Lincoln’s New Salem is a modern recreation of the town Lincoln was raised and spent his early years as a grown man from 1831 to 1837. He earned a living here by taking a wide variety of jobs including being a boatman, owner of a store, rail splitter, soldier and even as a postmaster. Lincoln’s New Salem provides proactive experiences and interactive exhibits touching on the late president’s life in Salem.
Air Combat Museum
The Springfield Air Combat Museum exhibits more than 10 classic fighter aircraft, and can be an interesting place to explore if you are air combat enthusiast. Visitors to this museum get to obtain up close views of a number of well preserved planes. Some of the most notable are the 1923 Stearman C3B and the Vought F4U-5N Corsair. The Air Combat Museum also showcases several military vehicles including the M3 Halftrack, which was used as a troop transport in the 2nd Great War.
Dane Thomas House
Dane Thomas House was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright just after the turn of the 20th century, 1902 to be more specific, for socialite Susan Lawrence Dana. This was his first blank-check project, and his plans comprised of more than 35 rooms in the 12,000 square feet house. These rooms were spread over 3 main levels along with 16 varying total levels. The building puts to show Lloyd’s distinctive workmanship such as glass doors, terracotta creations and detailed murals.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Upon his move from New Salem to Springfield to pursue a career in law in the mid 19th century, Abraham Lincoln met Mary Todd and eventually married her. Together, they bought this house in 1844 immediately after their nuptials. It is the preserved home that Lincoln and his family including his 4 sons resided in, and is in fact the only property he ever owned. The Lincoln Home National Historic Site consists of 12 different rooms that are sprawled over 2 floors. It was while residing here that Lincoln became a member of the House of Representatives, and ultimately, the president of the United States. The house was donated to the state of Illinois in 1887, with a clause that it would be well preserved and offer free admission to all visitors who wished to explore it.