When I awoke in the morning, I was ready for some more of Norma’s fine home cooking. Today’s morning repast was a dish of oranges, blueberries, and strawberries, French Toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Once again I enjoyed a blissful breakfast while continuing to read my Sherlock Holmes mystery and keeping myself up to date with the daily news.
I was dedicating today to the exploration of several historic sites around the area. The first two were in or just outside of Petersburg and they were the grave of Ann Rutledge at Oakland Cemetery and Lincoln’s New Salem Historic Site.
Ann Rutledge is widely considered to be the first love of Abraham Lincoln. Nobody is entirely certain of the extent of their relationship. What is known is that Lincoln was devastated after her death. So hard did he take it that a friend of his took away his pocketknife because he was afraid Lincoln would hurt himself.
Ann Rutledge’s Tombstone
Lincoln had lived in New Salem for about six years. It was considered a turning point in his life because he was a little lost when he first arrived, but discovered his calling to politics while in this town. When he left town to pursue this calling, the town folded up shortly afterwards. It was almost as if it had come into existence solely to inspire the future president.
The site is not without some features of interest with an exhibit hall that tells of Lincoln’s time in New Salem and holding some of his surveying equipment, but the village is a pretty good reproduction of the actual town and a few of the buildings are original. Still I thought the site lacked a certain oomph and I quickly made my way through it.
From there, I returned to Springfield where I visited the Dana-Thomas House, a construction of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright designed the house for Susan Lawrence Dana. She had been the daughter of the mayor of Springfield and when her father and husband perished in rapid succession, she opted to use her $3 million inheritance (modern day equivalent nearly $80 million) to have the family home completely redesigned. She wanted a place that could serve as a home, a place for the arts, and a place for entertaining people.
Dana-Thomas House
The house is actually a marvel in architecture, but I was disappointed that pictures inside the house were disallowed. It featured stain glass windows with a butterfly motif, murals with a sumac motif, a bowling alley, a ballroom, an intercom system, and even a doorbell alert system due to the numerous doors of the estate. It is free (donations encouraged) and certainly worth a look around.
Afterwards I visited the tomb of one of the greatest men in the history of our country (possibly even in general history). The mausoleum is certainly an awesome sight. In front is a giant bust of Lincoln and people often touch its nose for good luck. The path to the tomb is peppered with statues of Lincoln along with various quotations of his. His tombstone is massive and there was a certain weightiness to knowing that the man who saved our country lay 10 feet under my feet. Across from Lincoln’s tombstone lay the remains of Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and three of their sons. The fourth is buried in Arlington, VA at the request of his wife.
I certainly felt humbled as I left the tomb and returned to Branson House to begin writing my articles. At 4:10 it was time for church.
St Peter Catholic Church
I attended services at St Peter Catholic Church and went through a rather speedy service (it was finished in 40 minutes and that included a full contingent of hymns). Even with the quicker than normal service, I did get a rather fascinating sermon from either a deacon or a visiting priest. It was a very humble homily talking about how nobodies are still somebodies in the eyes of God. The speaker was quite honest about feeling like a nobody in his youth until he realized the simple truth.
When services ended, I decided to eat dinner. I was weary after the multiple round trip visits to Springfield and decided to eat in town. I visited Los Rancheros which proved to be an excellent choice. I chose the Rancheros Burrito which came with a side of Spanish rice and refried beans.
With another relaxing meal under my belt, I decided tonight would be a good night to write, organize photos, and just put my feet up in general. And I did just that before calling it a night.
After a hot shower and shave, the next morning, I was greeted with a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, oranges and cream, and egg bake filled with cheese, sausages, and onions. I ended up having a great conversation with John about my adventures and he gave me a little history on the town.
Alas, the time had come for me to head for home. But if you’re in the neighborhood, give Branson House Bed and Breakfast a visit. It’s nice and comfortable in a quiet little town and you can experience a lot of history in the area, especially in Springfield.
Until the next time, happy travels.
Chris' Corner 