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At the April, 1846 election, citizens of Logan County voted to move the
county seat from Postville to Mount Pulaski. In 1847, local citizens, craftsmen,
and merchants donated materials, labor, and $2,700 to construct the building.
An addition $300 was supplemented by a county appropriation. The building is an
example of early Greek Revival Architecture.
The new courthouse of the Logan County Seat was ready for occupancy in
the Spring of 1848, when the county records were loaded into wagons at
Postville and moved to these new quarters.
Mount Pulaski was the Logan
County Seat
from the Spring of 1848 to
November of 1854. Abraham Lincoln practiced law in this
courthouse while serving on the 8th Judicial Circuit during the majority
of the Spring and Fall sessions each year from 1849 to 1854 - he was
still serving out his congressional term (1847-1848).
In 1852, the Alton & Sangamon
railroad extended its line from Springfield, through Logan County, to
Bloomington. A town site was laid out in 1853 on the extension
right of way, one mile from old Postville. Its proprietors named
it Lincoln, in honor of their attorney, Abraham Lincoln.
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Mount Pulaski
Courthouse
The
Mount Pulaski Courthouse is an
Illinois State
Historic Site, located on
a hill in the center of the town square.
"1854" Cast Iron Tombstone Trial
Re-enactment
The
courthouse
is
open:
Tuesday - Saturday (12 - 4 pm)
Visitors to
Mount Pulaski
Courthouse
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In February, 1853, these proprietors secured the passage of a
legislative bill submitting to the voters of Logan County the
proposition of again changing the county seat, this time from Mount
Pulaski to this new railroad town site of Lincoln. However, due to
subsequent litigations, the actual transfer of the county seat and its
records did not take place until after the fall session of 1854.
During the following years, the courthouse served as city offices,
school house, community center and post office. Today, the Mount
Pulaski Courthouse has
been restored and is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places.
The courtroom on the second floor has the original wooden floor upon
which Abraham Lincoln once paced during his law practice, here.
Both the inside and outside of the courthouse has been restored to its
1847 appearance
- which include 6 chimneys,
numerous large double-hung 12-pane
windows, many hanging wrought-iron tapered-candle chandeliers,
period wall adornments, period furniture and nine
wood-burning
stoves through-out.
An
1848 United States Flag proudly hangs high on the front courtroom wall
behind the witness stand - California was not yet a state. In the rear
of the courtroom is a small jury room on one side and a small judge’s
chamber on the other side.
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