"Dear Leigh, to paraphrase A.E. Housman a bit, 'Terence, this is splendid stuff.'  You don't have to be a history buff -- which I am -- to enjoy the smooth flow and fascinating tidbits you've come up with. . . .  And just so you know I'm not stretching any truths, I am known as a cold-hearted S.O.B. when it comes to literary stuff.  Which is why I loathe anything having to do with that sappy crap . . . ."

     -- Unsolicited testimonial for this Web site from William Childress,  retired columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, author of three books, 30+ stories, 200+ published poems, and freelance writer (from email correspondence, March, 2003).  He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 and 1986 (dust jacket of Out of the Ozarks).

     "A marvelous job--well written, thoughtful, telling. I will be re-reading and re-reading it. Other towns should be so lucky. Very impressive!"

     -- Unsolicited testimonial from Curt Johnson, friend and colleague of Lincolnite Author Robert Wilson (LCHS Class of 1946), editor and publisher of December Magazine and December Press since 1962, novelist (Song for Three Voices), nonfiction writer (Wicked City Chicago), and editor of milestone literary publications, including Green Isle in the Sea: An Informal History of the Alternative Press, 1960-85 (from letters to DLH, November and December, 2003).

     Online reviews of this Web site: Lincoln Courier's Capturing Lincoln on the Web by Nancy Rollings Saul and Lincoln Daily News.com's Websites: Gateway to the World by Jan Youngquist. The site map presents the Peoria Journal Star's "Lincoln online" by John O'Connell.

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In this central Illinois, historic community of 15,400, American democratic values and institutions have flourished since its founding in 1853:
 

     Like the statue below of Lincoln, the Student, on the Lincoln College campus, the city of Lincoln may be seen from various angles.  Both statue and city grow more distinct with the passing of time.
 

Merrell Gage's Bronze Statue,
Lincoln, the Student

     The picture postcard photo above was taken soon after the statue's dedication on May 27, 1961 (Lindstrom and Caruthers, Lincoln:  The Namesake College, p. 114).

·   A rich cultural and literary heritage;
·   Civic pride;
·   Effective mayoral-city council government;
·   Excellent public elementary and secondary schools, private elementary school, and secular and religious higher education;
·   Social and religious diversity;
·   Wide range of businesses, agriculture, and small industry;
·   Dedicated professionals in education, law, medicine, the ministry, real estate, and social services;
·   Traditional and contemporary neighborhoods;
·   Distinctive memorials, truly unique museums, tree-shaded parks, and four-seasonal recreation; and
·   Commuting distance to Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, and Springfield (the state capital). 

     The combination and balance of these elements distinguish this community, the seat of Logan County.

     Lincoln lies about mid way on I-55 (formerly Route 66) between Chicago and St. Louis and about mid way between Bloomington to the north and Springfield, the state capital, to the south.

     Three major American historic and cultural phenomena have enriched Lincoln, Illinois: Abraham Lincoln, Route 66, and an extensive body of published history and creative writing about this community. 

     Lincoln, Illinois, is the only city named for Abraham Lincoln before he became famous.  Mr. Lincoln christened the city, practiced law here, engaged in politics, and owned property.  His clients included the railroad company whose expansion led to the founding of this town. 

     Route 66 was formed from the alignments of Illinois Route 4, an early highway that paralleled the railroad, running between Chicago and St. Louis (see IDOT map above at the right).

     Lincoln is rich in remnants of historic Route 66. 

      This Web site presents four original maps to guide your exploration of historic Lincoln, Illinois:

·   A detailed map showing an overview of Route 66 throughout Lincoln, Illinois, including more than 40 sites;
 

Another Early View of
Lincoln, the Student

     Time and source unknown.

Lincoln, the Student, Today

Leigh Henson photo, 7-01

·   A map showing Routes 4 and 66 through the business district and neighborhoods of Lincoln, Illinois;

·  A detailed map of the Logan County Courthouse Square Historic District, including 51 additional sites; and

·  A map with 28 locations of the Routes 4 and 66 region south of the city, where they crossed Salt Creek and crested Cemetery Hill.

     These maps may be printed for reference in exploring the Route 66 remnants and other historic sites of Lincoln.  

     The photo below shows piers from a 1920s-era Routes 4 and 66 bridge over Salt Creek, just south of town and near Cemetery Hill. 
 

The Statue Captures the
Man's Determination to Succeed

 Leigh Henson photo, 6-02
 

Piers of 1920s Route 66 Bridge Over
Salt Creek at Lincoln, Illinois
 
(Leigh Henson photo, 12-01)

     For more photos and other information about this area, see link in the left-panel navigation bar:  12. Route 66 Map & Photos Showing Salt Creek & Cemetery Hill, Including the Highway Bridges, GM&O Bridge, Madigan State Park, the Old Dam, & the Pig-Hip Restaurant Museum in Broadwell.

The Public Affairs Purpose of This Web Site

     This Web site has been created by a native Lincolnite as a "distance" public service to educate viewers about the rich heritage and promising future of Lincoln, Illinois.  This project has used the resources of Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU) for online research.  The central mission of this University is to promote public affairs, and this Web site is intended to foster community development by strengthening civic pride and increasing heritage tourism. 
 

The Audiences, Content, and Scope of This Web Site

     This site's audiences range from those who have never heard of this city to those with a strong interest in it.  Readers include future residents and tourists as well as former and current Lincolnites, especially students. The aim of this site is to increase anyone's interest in Lincoln, Illinois, and so an attempt is made to offer various kinds of content. 

     Some material here is serious, some humorous. Some of the content is derived from dozens of published sources about the life of Abraham Lincoln and the history of Lincoln and Logan County, Illinois, including railroad and highway history.  As an educational source, this site attempts to follow fair-use practices and credit sources accurately.  Individual Web pages have citations for online and printed sources used or recommended for additional information.

     In choosing and developing the content of this site, I am attempting to be accurate and fair.  Yet I admit to a favorable bias toward Lincoln, Illinois, because my childhood and adolescent experiences there were essentially positive. In an effort to provide an honest, balanced account, I speak candidly about how I worked through some of my own youthful "mixed" views of my hometown (see About Lincoln, Illinois; This Web Site; & Me); and I quote other writers who express social criticism (see 4. Introduction to the Social & Economic History of Lincoln, Illinois).

     For added "human interest" and to suggest the basis for my favorable view of Lincoln, many pages in this site include brief memoirs and family history.  I have created a separate Web site concerning my years at Lincoln Community High School, and that site is titled For Remembrance, Understanding, & Fun (link located in the left-side navigation panel of each page).

     Another "human interest" feature of this Web site is memoir from more than two dozen mid-20th-Century alums of Lincoln Community High School.  For the last two years, they have used email to exchange stories and photos relating to their youth in Lincoln, Illinois; and I have placed some of their messages and photos in appropriate places throughout this site.  These contributors are among those named under Acknowledgments below.  Some of these alums have "always" lived in Lincoln; others are scattered throughout the United States, as you will see in this site where I have identified them and their locations.
 

     The writings of William Maxwell set in Lincoln, Illinois, are essential to an understanding of this city's place in American life.  A significant portion of Maxwell's writing relates to people, places, and experiences from his childhood in Lincoln, Illinois.  While reporting the history of Lincoln, Illinois, throughout this Web site, I sometimes quote passages from Maxwell's work concerned with Lincoln (eleven short-story length works, four novels, and a book-length family history). Additionally, I supplement with photos and commentary on his Lincoln settings and characters.  A separate page in this Web site discusses Maxwell's portrayal of society (5. Social Class, Race, and the Question of Universality in William Maxwell's Writings Set in Lincoln, Illinois). 

     The aim of my treatment of Maxwell's work is to improve a reader's understanding of

·   The history of Lincoln, Illinois;

·   The culture of small-city Midwestern life in the early 20th Century; as well as

·   Maxwell's artistic methods and development. 
 

William K. Maxwell

     Photo from front cover of Wilkinson's My Mentor:  A Young Man's Friendship with William Maxwell.  Photo credit:  Alfred Knopf and the University of Texas at Austin.
 

     For these reasons, this site may be of use to students of William Maxwell and American literature. Most importantly, my hope is that this Web site will encourage more people to read his stories and novels, especially those set in Lincoln. 

      As this Web site attempts to show, William Maxwell's readers discover and enjoy complex and believable characters, moving scenes, and perceptive insights into human nature and American life.  Maxwell's works are readily available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. 

     The need for more recognition of writers associated with Lincoln, Illinois -- Lee Gurga, Langston Hughes, William Maxwell, and Reinhold Niebuhr --  is discussed in an article titled "Dream Deferred" by Maureen Foertsch McKinney published online by Illinois Issues (December, 2001):  http://illinoisissues.uis.edu/features/2001dec/lincoln.html.  Mr. Lincoln, Route 66, & Other Highlights of Lincoln, Illinois, helps to meet that need.  Besides offering information about Maxwell, this site also briefly discusses Langston Hughes (see 4.  Introduction to the Social & Economic History of Lincoln, Illinois, and 8. Route 66 Overview Map of Lincoln with 42 Sites, Descriptions, & Photos) and Reinhold Niebuhr (see 21. Churches).  This Web site also presents other creative writers and historians who published material using Lincoln, Illinois, as subject matter. 

      Thus, Lincoln, Illinois, has the distinction of being one of the most extensively written about communities in Illinois outside Chicago.  The information about these writers presented in this Web site will be of interest to students of American literature. The published creative writing about this community is significant for various authors' use of local color; realism vs. romanticism; use of the past; themes of universal significance such as identity, conformity vs. alienation, love, death, etc.; as well as literary styles.
 

Audience Participation Invited    

     My sincere wish is that you will find these Web pages worth while and that they will spark additional interest.  If you have lived in Lincoln and have stories or photos relating to the history of this city, please consider sharing them to help expand this Web site.  Simply use the email link below to let me know, and we will work out the details.

     If you have not spent time in Lincoln and central Illinois, I hope these Web pages will help persuade you to visit and explore these areas so you can see firsthand how they help make our country great.
 

The Organization and Navigation of This Web Site

     The left margin of each page presents various topics that span most of this community's history.  The topics are used as links to their own Web pages.  By placing these topics in a navigation panel on each page, I am trying to prevent readers from getting lost in this book-length Web site. 

     In these topics, we see the past living today and offering the promise of future growth and development -- a central theme of this Web site.  For this reason, many (not all) of the photos in this Web site depict places and things of the past remaining today.

     At first, it might seem that writing history is as simple as following chronology, but chronology is not appropriate as the only organizing principle for the extensive material that I used. Besides accommodating the Lincoln history material, I sought to formulate an organization that would encompass links to external Web sites, including links to Web pages that I composed prior to my Lincoln history Web site. Thus, I organized the overall material by dividing it into five categories, each consisting of several Web pages. The first category concerns topics that are unique to Lincoln, Illinois, for example, the town's connections to Abraham Lincoln and Route 66. The second category consists of topics that are common to any community, for example, factories, government, and museums and parks. The third category consists of Web sites or pages I have created that relate to my autobiography, for example, those about my childhood, my high school class, and my professional life. The fourth category relates to the writing of other Lincolnites. This category consists of Web pages I created about Lincoln's published writers and Web sites created by other native Lincolnites about their hometown and high school classes. The fifth category consists of external Web sites about Lincoln, for example, those of the chamber of commerce, online newspapers, and nonprofit tourism organizations.

     Web pages in the first two sections are numbered. Topics 1, 2, and 3 focus on Abraham Lincoln's activities in this vicinity. Topics 4 and 5 provide overviews of social history.  Topics 6, 7, and 8 relate to the railroads and highways that were essential to the development of central Illinois. Topics 9 and 10 portray the life of both sets of my grandparents, whose homes were on Business Route 66 and whose lives were affected by this highway.
 

     Topics 11 and 12 focus on the part of Route 66 immediately southwest of Lincoln, an area that includes historic bridges, cemeteries, and parks. Topics 13, 14, and, 15 relate to Business Route 66 near the business district and the Logan County Courthouse Square Historic District, now on the National Register of Historic Places.  Topic 16 concerns another building on the National Register of Historic Places in a traditional neighborhood near the business district.  The remaining numbered topics -- or, chapters -- cover other key facets of the history of Lincoln, Illinois, and are given roughly in alphabetical order.  Chapter 37 depicts the 1953 Centennial Celebration of the city of Lincoln -- a touchstone event that lives in the memory of many "Lincolnites at heart" who have contributed to this Web site.
 

Leigh Henson, June of 2003
 
Photo by his wife, Pat Hartman

     Some pages in this site offer substantial visual and verbal content, and their loading time requires a little patience.  I suggest reading while the images load.

     About external links:  I have checked and re-checked external links, but Web sites change as often as the weather in the Midwest.  External links are keyed to open separate windows so that when you close a page by clicking the x in the upper-right corner, you will return to the previous page and not lose the site.
 

Contemporary Signs on Old Route 66 Greeting Visitors to the Namesake City

Lincoln, Illinois:
a 2001 Tree City

     Honored by the National Arbor Day Association & the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for its ongoing community forestry program

Lincoln, Illinois: Member of the
Illinois Main Street Program Since 1994

      A national program "to improve all aspects of downtown areas. . . entrepreneurship, community cooperation, and civic concern"

Community sign photos by Leigh Henson
 

               
  Site publicly announced July 4, 2003.  Latest revision/expansion: June 23, 2004.

Acknowledgments: I am grateful for the research assistance of my stepmother, Judy Henson; the historical knowledge and experiences shared by my father, Darold Henson; and the patient support, advice, and photographic contributions of my wife, Pat Hartman.

     At the risk of errors of omission, I also thank the following:  LCHS 1960 classmate the Honorable Judge-Writer Bob Goebel for helping me to discover William Maxwell, to other LCHS alums (many listed in the directory of For Remembrance, Understanding, & Fun) for encouraging me to do this Web site, and especially to these Lincolnites at heart for their photos, memoirs, and/or other historical information:  Historian Herb Altman, Postville Historian Willie Aughton, Professor Paul Beaver, Realtor-Writer Linda (Sparks) Barrick, Counselor-Writer-Sage Fred Blanford, Poet-Writer William "Chilly" Childress, Teacher Dorothea (Rich) Costa, Entrepreneur-Technologist Brad Dye, Historian Nancy Hatfield Eichelberger, Historian J. Richard (JR) Fikuart, Humorist Jeff Fults, Professor Dan Gaydosh, Author Nancy Lawrence Gehlbach, Beloved Cousin-Writer-Humorist Jerry Gibson, Writer-Thinker Vic Gibson, Author Paul Gleason, Photographer-Canoeist Mike Hamilton, Postville-Historian Chris Huff, Lincolnite-at-Heart Sylvia (Handlin) Husted, Archivist-Historian Francine Jereb, Teacher-Archivist Dave Johnson, Jazz Musician-Writer Lynn Kavelman, Professor-Museum Curator Ron Keller, the Honorable Judge-Writer Jim Knecht, Multi-talented Gwen (Lisk) Koda, Beloved Cousin-Memoirist Keith Leesman, Vintage Picture Postcard Collector Ron Lessen, the Honorable former state of Illinois Senator Bob Madigan, Professor Joe Miller, Photographer Mary (Baldin) Moore, Beloved Sister and Helicopteress Linda (Henson, Nelson) Perry, Teacher-Technologist Norm Schroeder, Author Stan Stringer, Journalist John Swingle, Postville Historian-Proponent of Social Justice Les Van Bibber, Professor Joe Webb, Innkeepers-Lincolnites D.D. and Bonnie Welch, Beloved Uncle and Writer Gilbert (Gib) Wilson, Historian-Technologist Stu Wyneken, and Archivist Leon Zeter.  Other contributors and copyrighted sources are credited throughout this site.  (Let me know if I've missed your name, so I can add it -- Web publication allows for easy revision.)

Deep gratitude goes to several special sources:  Fred Blanford (fred) and Stan Stringer for the rare, prolific stories and photos they have generously contributed; Mike Hamilton for the remarkable photos he took as a teenager in the 1950s; the Courier in its various names; the G. Bradley Publishing Co. of St. Louis for permission to use copyrighted material from Paul Gleason's Lincoln, Illinois:  A Pictorial History (1998) and from Paul Gleason and Paul Beaver's Logan County Pictorial History (2000). 

     These publications of the G. Bradley Publishing Company contain many more photos and information in captions than I have used from these works in this Web site.  Throughout this Web site, I include information about contacting the G. Bradley Publishing Company, including its Web site address, so you can see the range of wonderful books offered, and  I encourage you to inquire about obtaining some of these publications. 

     I am also most grateful to Village Profile.com, Inc., of Elgin, IL, for permission to use selected photos and text from the Lincoln/Logan County Illinois Chamber of Commerce Community Profile & Membership Directory.  Material borrowed from this publication has been credited where used, and the Web site address of Village Profile.com, Inc., is given in these citations.

     Artist-Historian David Alan Badger of 202 S. Plum St., Havana, IL 62644-1318 has generously given permission for my use of several of his marvelous architectural descriptions and artistic drawings of houses in Lincoln, Illinois, from his self-published book titled The Badger Collection Featuring Lincoln of Illinois (1987).  Material borrowed from this publication has been credited where used, and Mr. Badger's Web site address is given in these citations.

Dedication:  This book-length Web site is dedicated to my father, Darold Henson, in his 84th year (b. September 17, 1918) and to the memory of my mother, Lydia Jane (Wilson) Henson (1921-1978), both native Lincolnites and proud, life-long citizens of their hometown.  The following link provides biographical information about Darold Henson, including the article written by Ken Goodrich when Darold was recognized as the Lincoln Evening Courier "Man of the Month" in May, 1977, upon his retirement from Lincoln Community High School:  http://lincolnhigh1960.tripod.com/autobios/darold_henson.html.

Disclaimer:  This Web site does not attempt to express the policies and positions of any public or private organization affiliated with Lincoln, Illinois.  The author of this Web site wishes to be accurate and fair and will correct or refine content according to reasonable requests.
 

Promotion of Mr. Lincoln, Route 66, & Other Highlights of Lincoln, Illinois

     This Web site was the subject of a feature story by Nancy Saul in the Courier of Lincoln, Illinois (July 5, 2003):  http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/03/07/05/d.asp.

     Link placed on the homepage of the Lincoln-Logan County Chamber of Commerce by Director Bobbi Abbott (link below) (July 7, 2003)

     Link placed on the Lincoln Research Web site by Founder Roger Norton (under Lincoln Links) (July 7, 2003): http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln2.html.

     Launch announcement and Internet address posted to the message board of Yahoo's Route 66 Group of 600+ members (July 15, 2003):  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/route66/

     Link placed on the "Services/Links" page of the Courier: http://www.lincolncourier.com/links/links.asp (July 22, 2003) through the efforts of Journalist Nancy Saul and Managing Editor Jeff Nelson.

     Collaboration established with Mr. Richard Sumrall, Director of the Lincoln Public Library (A Carnegie Library) and link to Mr. Lincoln, Route 66, & Other Highlights of Lincoln, Illinois, placed (10-15-03) on the Lincoln Public Library Web site at http://www.lincolnpubliclibrary.org/.

     Link placed on the Springfield Today page of Princeton Professor William Howarth's Web site for his Springfield High School, Class of 1958: http://www.princeton.edu/~howarth/SHS/, thanks to the effort of Dave Johnson of the LCHS Class of 1956.
 

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Mr. Lincoln, Route 66, & Other Highlights of Lincoln, Illinois,
was created with an education
that began in Lincoln, Illinois;
a curiosity about this hometown; and
the following technology:

Fuji QuickSnap photos;
Adobe Photoshop graphics editing;
IrfanView graphics file management;
Extensis PhotoFrame;
Microsoft Paint;
Microsoft Word;
FrontPage 2002; &
Ipswitch FTP; and

the Internet for
research of commercial databases for printed information,
email solicitation of information from friends and relatives,
 Web site publication, and
Web site promotion
(think locally; act globally).

Viewable in Mozilla, Netscape (later versions), and Opera;
but Internet Explorer is the recommended browser for this Web site.

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