Wake Up Lincoln! - Decatur, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 39° 50.490 W 088° 57.270
16S E 332773 N 4411993
A marker relating the story of Abe taking a nap while the local Republicans were agreeing to nominate him. Another of the Looking for Lincoln series.
Waymark Code: WMCEWW
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/30/2011
Views: 2
Summary of the sign text - On May 10, 1860 the President-to-be was found napping at a local jewelry store while the Illinois Republicans were meeting at their convention in Decatur, agreeing to nominate him at the upcoming national convention. Although he preferred to stay put and sleep, he eventually returned to the convention and accepted the nomination pledge with "the affection gratitude of his heart."
There is more to read when you visit the marker.
This corner still has a jewelery store on it today. A relief sculpture of Lincoln reclining is adjacent to the marker against the store.
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 fifteen of these in Decatur, placed in 2009. See (
visit link) for a map of all of Decatur’s Looking for Lincoln markers.
From a City of Decatur newsrelease at (
visit link)
“Few people know that Decatur has more Lincoln history than any other city in Illinois outside Springfield. Mr. Lincoln lived in Macon County when he first came to Illinois, practiced law, made his first political speech and was first nominated for President in Decatur and the surrounding area, among other things.”
Decatur abounds in Lincoln and other historical markers and monuments.
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