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ROOMS USAThe Illinois state capital, Springfield, spreads out from a neat, leafy downtown grid, 199 miles south of Chicago. Abraham Lincoln honed his legal and political skills here, and tourists flock to his old homes, haunts and final resting place. What they find is neither tacky nor pompous. The sites portray the life of the sixteenth president of the USA and, as well, the uncertainty and turmoil of a nation on the brink of civil war. Twenty miles northwest of Springfield on Hwy-97, Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site marks where the future president first came to live in this area in 1831. In this backwoods clearing he clerked in a store, volunteered for the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster and failed in business before taking up legal studies and moving to Springfield to pursue his political career. Today the authentically re-created village features simple homes, workshops, a store and a tavern. The visitor center hosts a worthwhile exhibit on pioneer lifestyles (March-Oct daily 9am-5pm; Nov-Feb daily 8am-4pm). On summer weekends the park presents Abraham !, a musical that dramatizes Lincoln's New Salem years. Hotels in Springfield |
