You Can't Fool the People / Lincoln at Work and Play, Looking for Lincoln — Clinton, IL
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member adgorn
N 40° 09.165 W 088° 57.623
16T E 333030 N 4446553
Commemorates Lincoln's memorable speech and the agreeing to the Lincoln Douglas debates in Clinton, Illinois in 1858 as well as Lincoln's other feats of skill. Another of the "Looking for Lincoln" series.
Waymark Code: WMC9G2
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/12/2011
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Corp Of Discovery
Views: 2

This marker has information on both sides. Thanks to the THE HISTORICAL MARKER DATABASE entry (visit link) for transcribing the inscriptions:
"[ Top Section ]
In the summer of 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas began the campaign dance for the Senate seat from Illinois that was to lead to the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. The Republicans’ initial strategy called for Lincoln to follow Douglas around Illinois, with each candidate addressing the crowds individually. Lincoln, the lesser-known of the two, in a brilliant political maneuver, formally challenged Douglas to a series of debates in a letter sent from Chicago on July 24. Douglas had not yet received the letter when he came to Clinton to speak at a rally here on July 27, 1858."

[Bottom Section]
“You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” To confirm or deny Lincoln’s utterance of the epigram, the Chicago Record Herald, dated January 12, 1905, published results of their inquiry from Lincoln’s contemporaries.

Although none of them, by then aged, could certify its origin, a letter from Lewis Campbell, a prominent Clinton citizen who procured a box from his dry goods store for Lincoln to stand upon while delivering that 1858speech, was published in the February 17, 1905 issue of The Clinton Register. It expressed Campbell’s clear memories of Lincoln’s speech including the now famous phrase. Campbell wrote, “Though nearly half a century has passed, these acts and sayings are indelibly fixed upon my memory.”

There is more to read when you visit the marker.

The Looking for Lincoln series comprises a total of 220 of these exhibits in 47 Illinois communities to help them more vividly tell their own unique Lincoln story. There are nine of these in Clinton.

The marker resides at the east central side of the square, which is dedicated to Lincoln and features numerous other Lincoln related markers. The square was formerly called the City Courthouse lawn.

I had no idea when I arrived that this was the location of the "You can fool all the people..." speech and I found it very moving to be in the place where such profound words were spoken.
Location Type: Historic Marker

Property Type: Public

Date of Event: 1858

Location Notes:
Located Mr. Lincoln's Square Park, south of Washington Street, Clinton, Illinois 61727


URL for Additional Information: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Enjoy your visit, tell your story and post a picture.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Abraham Lincoln
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.