Jacksonville is a community rich in historical treasures, with thriving arts, education, and culture, and wrapped in Midwest hospitality. Centrally located between St. Louis and Chicago, and near Springfield, Jacksonville offers an excellent place to live, work, and visit.
From the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln connections, to the modern businesses of today, the area offers something for everyone. There is a small-town friendliness mixed with a vibrancy from a richness of natural sites, intellectual institutions, and businesses. Jacksonville is home to many Looking for Lincoln sites, connected by an extensive historic district, and excellent interprative materials available from the local Convention and Visitors Bureau. Many sites have a related audio tour guide that is available from the website, or on compact disc at many local hotels or at the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Learn more about the area at www.jacksonvilleil.org
For more information:
Jacksonville Convention and Visitors Bureau
310 East State Street
Jacksonville, IL 62650
217-243-5678
http://jacksonvilleil.org/
Location
Legend
8th Judicial Circuit
Courthouse
Friends of Lincoln
Good for Kids
Guided/Self-Guided Tours
Historic House
Historic Site
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Museum
Passport Site
Recreational
Route 66
Top Destination
Underground Railroad
Visitor Information
Wayside Exhibit
Nearby Sites
Woodlawn Farm
1463 Gierkie Lane Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
The showcase homestead of Jacksonville's extensive Underground Railroad network. Former slaves were ushered through this home on their way to freedom. This Farm, five miles east of Jacksonville, was established in 1824 by Michael Huffaker. Michael and his wife, Jane, rode by horseback from Kentucky, bought land east of Jacksonville, and built a cabin for their growing family and…
1858 Senate Race
NorthEast Corner of Central Park Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
On Monday September 27th Lincoln arrived in Jacksonville by train from Springfield and was met by large delegations from Morgan, Cass, and Scott Counties. They moved from the depot to the square where Lincoln made one of his sixty-three speeches he had done across the state, contesting for the U.S. Senate. Lincoln was said to have spoken for two and a half hours.
Beecher Hall
1199 West College Ave Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
Beecher Hall is on the south side of the McGaw Fine Arts Center parking lot. The wayside exhibit is located directly north of Beecher Hall on College Avenue.
Beecher Hall, which was built in 1829-30, is one of the few structures remaining on the Illinois College campus that would have been familiar to New Salem…
David A. Smith House
1061 Grove Street Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
David A. Smith, a Jacksonville attorney and colleague of Abraham Lincoln, had this two-story, Federal-style house built between 1852 and 1854. When Lincoln had legal business in Jacksonville, he used Smith’s law office as his headquarters. Records indicate that Lincoln and Smith were associated with 68 cases as either co-counselors or opposing attorneys.
General Benjamin Grierson Mansion
852 East State Street Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
Civil War hero General Benjamin Grierson once called this large brick house home. In the mid-1850s, while living in Meredosia, Grierson joined the new Republican Party and became friends with one of its leaders, Abraham Lincoln. In 1860 Grierson, an accomplished musician, wrote campaign music for Lincoln’s first presidential campaign. The following year found Grierson answering…
