World's Largest Abraham Lincoln Statue - Ashmore, IL - Roadside Attractions on Waymarking.com

More from the Roadside America site:
"The World's Tallest Lincoln was created in 1968 to mark the 110th anniversary of a Lincoln-Douglas debate in nearby Charleston. He was built skinny, reportedly because he had to be driven hundreds of miles from his assembly point in St. Paul, Minnesota, and "wide load" trucking restrictions compelled his creator to think thin.

From the beginning, Skyscraper Lincoln had problems. He arrived too late for the 110th anniversary, and a proposed Abraham Lincoln Memorial Park that was supposed to be built around him failed to materialize. "That statue stood out there in the middle of a field for years," recalled David Kirsch, operations officer for Lincoln Springs Resort. "And there were definitely bullet holes in it."

In 1978 Abe was trucked three miles east to Ashmore. He was set up in a private campground, at the bottom of a wooded hollow. It's a strange place for a giant statue, possibly a "no free peeks" zone that forced people to pay to see all of Abe. Only his arm and face can be glimpsed from the road, above the treetops.

The campground closed in 1996 and Abe was again abandoned, eventually earning our title of the World's Ugliest Lincoln as well as the Tallest. Forlorn and forgotten, his paint flaking, Abe stood with his upraised index finger blown off (either by lightning or shotgun) and his cheek ventilated by a large-caliber bullet hole. "There were birds and all kinds of animals living inside it," Kirsch said. "Luckily, the owner saved the finger and put it in a basement of one of the buildings."

Kirsch's company bought the property in 2002, and in 2004 Abe's restoration began. Lincoln was repaired where he stood, with the aid of technicians on telescopic lifts (coincidentally, Abe is surrounded by lifts elsewhere in Illinois). The bullet holes were patched; spots and wrinkles were removed. Abe was given a fresh coat of paint, and his finger was hauled out of the basement, hoisted to the summit, and reattached."

But the World's Tallest Lincoln is now the shiny-clean symbol the Lincoln Springs Resort, whose cartoon mascot is a grinning, running Abe with the same upraised finger. "Honest fun for everyone!" he yells. Visitors can visit him for free."


Well, it doesn't look like the park is open anymore. And Abe is once again somewhat forlorn. I was able to drive right up to the statue, but perhaps one does this a their own risk.

Thanks to the book "Lincoln in Illinois" by Ron Schramm and Richard Hart for bringing this to my attention.

Price of Admission: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Roadside Attractions Website: [Web Link] Weekday Hours: Not listed Weekend Hours: Not listed Location Website: Not listed

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