Lincoln Marker
In 1858, amid the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, Abraham Lincoln spoke to the people of Rushville. Lincoln was running against Stephen Douglas in the U.S. Senator race and made a stop in Rushville as part of his campaign. On October 20, 1858, he was welcomed to the town square with a "shower of applause" from a crowed of roughly 2,500 and a Rushville brass band played during his arrival. At two that afternoon, Lincoln addressed the people from a stand placed in Central Park, focusing primarily on his views of slavery. At the time, he was in favor of letting slave states retain slavery and preventing new territories from instating slavery. During his speech, there were multiple interruptions from the crowded, once coming from a group of boys and another coming from a group of females who made "offensive remarks". Aside from the few rude people present, the day was otherwise "pleasant" and "successful". On June 14, 1928, a dedication was made for the marker which was placed where Lincoln addressed the people of Rushville on that day in 1858. The marker consists of a tablet set in stone and remains in Central Park to this day. It is located at the northeast corner of the Bandstand. In addition to speaking to the citizens of Schuyler County in 1858, Lincoln also visited Rushville on several other occasions. His earliest visit was most likely during the time he served as captain for the Illinois Militia. Lincoln served briefly during the Black Hawk War in 1832. During this time, Lincoln and his regiment marched through Rushville and Schuyler County. As the stone mentions, Lincoln practiced law in the area and often came to the old courthouse. |