Springfield was home to the Lincoln family, Abraham and Mary and their four sons, Robert, Edward, William and Thomas, from 1842 until 1847 when they moved to Washington D.C. when Lincoln became a U.S. Representative. He was laid to rest in Springfield when his service to God and country was so suddenly ended in 1865 and Mary, his widow, lived there the rest of her life. The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum are located near the Old State Capitol in Springfield.
We visited the Lincoln Presidential Museum for the second time and learned even more than the first. Inside, we watched both theatrical productions, "In Lincoln's Eyes" and "Ghosts of the Library" which shed light on the tough situations and decisions Lincoln faced as the first Republican president of a country then divided and at war. We also walked through the "Team of Rivals" exhibit and were amazed by the diversity of his first cabinet and how polar they were about each issue.
Besides the visiting exhibit and productions, we walked through the Pre-Presidential Years display of his early home life and political aspirations.
Then we went through the White House Years display. We entered the exhibit through a mock replica of the White house. Inside, the especially touching and poignant parts included the corridor of harsh and critical political cartoons, Willie's bedroom as he lay dying of typhoid fever, tributes to soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, and a wall of photos of Lincoln each year of his presidency showing how the cares and concerns so completely aged and wore him down. The most sobering part is the last room. Music quietly plays, and you walk past Lincoln's closed casket lying in state inside the Representatives Hall in the Old State Capitol in Springfield as if you're paying your last respects too. I can't describe this fully or give it justice. The heaviness, pride, gratefulness and respect that swelled and the appreciation for Lincoln was amazing. This was the scene which really made him so real.
Later in the weekend, we went to Oak Ridge Cemetery to see Lincoln's Tomb. We parked the car and walked past signs requesting everyone's silence and respect while on the grounds. The light breeze whispered through the trees, rustling the leaves. We walked down the path, hand in hand, and drank in tomb's majesty and details as we got closer with each hushed step .
Signs below the tomb gave details about the construction and significance of key parts. The statues on each of the four corners representing the four branches of the Civil War military (infantry, artillery, cavalry, and navy) were cast in part from 65 cannons donated by the U.S. government.
We followed the path around the tomb to the back. This grate protects the stained window on the rear side.
The path continued down a hill behind the tomb. At the bottom of the hill is the vault where Lincoln's funeral was held and his body laid while construction plans for the tomb above were put into motion.
"The temporary vault held the bodies of President Abraham Lincoln and his sons Edward and William from December 1865 until September of 1871, when they were moved to the partially completed tomb. A granite market indicates the site of the temporary vault." - John Carroll Power, 1889 (Custodian of the Lincoln Tomb, 1874-1894)
We walked back up the hill and then strolled towards the car, occasionally looking back at Lincoln's Tomb, still walking hand in hand, never talking, never saying a word. We got back into the car, lost in our thoughts.
Jamie later commented, "It's amazing to think as soon as Lincoln finished serving the monstrous task God had placed him here on earth to accomplish, He took him (Lincoln) home, so quickly and so soon. Just like that. Who knows what He has in store for each of us here and when each of our tasks will be complete and God calls us home."
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Springfield - be sure to go to the Lincoln Presidential Museum and visit Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The experiences are beyond words and so worth trip. And when you're there, be sure to give thanks for the sacrifices others before us have made so we can enjoy the freedoms and lives we live today.
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