Places
of Interest:
City
of Mount Pulaski -
founded by English immigrants (Jabez Capps, etc.), in 1836.
Settled mostly by German folks. Named after Count
Casimir Pulaski,
a Polish soldier of fortune who came to America to fight in the
Revolutionary War. He died in the battle of Savannah, Georgia.
In 1900,
a Republican Rally
was held here - attended by: President - William McKinley, Vice
President - Teddy Roosevelt, former president - Grover Cleveland, and
financial backer - John D. Rockefeller. They walked up
Washington street from their train to the Mount Pulaski House Hotel,
where they stayed the night. In 1910,
Wilber Wright sped
through our town from Chicago to Springfield on board the Illinois
Central train. His plane flew overhead, piloted by Walter
Brookins. This plane landed for a short time near the train
station, where a historic plaque now reveals the event. It was a
$10,000 bet, put up by one of the Chicago newspapers. His
bi-plane won the race to Springfield.
Mount
Pulaski Courthouse
- One
of the stops on the 8th Circuit Court where Abraham Lincoln served as
a traveling lawyer (1849 - 1855). This 8th Circuit covered about
10 counties. Courtroom wooden floor is the original floor where
A. Lincoln once paced for his court sessions. This structure
is an example of early Greek
Revival Architecture.
The local citizens, craftsmen and merchants donated materials,
labor and $2700 to construct this building in 1847. The Logan
County Seat was moved to Lincoln, Il (11 miles to the north) in 1855,
since the railroad had recently been laid - connecting Chicago to
Springfield and onto St. Louis through the city of Lincoln.
[the city of Lincoln, remarkably, was named after Mr. Lincoln before
he became widely known - 1854!]. Mount
Pulaski was founded in 1836.
Salt
Creek Attic -
Antique Furniture & Gift Shop (where free refreshments were
provided by Dorothy, Jo, and Phyllis.
Abraham
Lincoln Mural
- large
recently-painted mural of Abe in front of the old Mount Pulaski House
Hotel, where Abe and his lawyer peers visited, ate, talked and slept
(2 to a bed for $1.50 each, which included the keep of their horse)
Mount
Pulaski Township Historical Museum
MPTHS
Museum Current
Looks
MPTHS
Museum
Before & After Photos
Two
buildings of 1890's vintage, restored. The two upper floors are
restored to period rooms: kitchen (40-50's), sewing room
(1900's), dinning room (1920's), parlor (1900's), South Side Club
Poker room (where former Illinois Governor Oglesby once frequented),
bedroom, music room, classroom filled with old ink-well desks and old
books and artifacts (92 yr old former 3rd grade teacher helped restore
this room and she writes on the blackboard - seasonal remarks -
typical classroom educational information). Some noticed the
burnt spots on the banister where lit cigars had been twisted out into
the wood. At least one noticed the two large sky-lights in these
two buildings. The one in the lower bank side of the museum has
a false enclosed area which reaches all the way up to the roof from
the bottom floor level of the first floor.
<
return to main page >
|
Schedule:
|
|
2:15
pm
|
Arrival
in Mount
Pulaski
(40 people)
Bus parking on south side of Courthouse (Cooke St.)
|
| 2:15
- 3:00 pm |
Mount Pulaski
Courthouse
Tour
& Court Room Program
|
| 3:00
- 3:30 pm |
Visit
Historical Museum
& Shops |
|
3:45
pm |
Departure
|