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Sept. 27, 2006
Photos
Mount
Pulaski Courthouse & Museum Tour
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.
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