Jacksonville

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 four cabins for free black families who helped Michael raise cattle, horses and crops. In 1840 he built the two story brick home which stands to this day on the property. Michael and his family were members of the Antioch Christian Church founded by Barton Stone.

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 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 friends of Abraham Lincoln, several of whom, including David Rutledge, William Berry, Harvey Ross, and William and Lynn Greene, attended Illinois College in the 1830s. In its early history, the building contained a classroom, library, chapel, and dormitory. In 1888, Beecher Hall was named after Edward Beecher, the first president of Illinois College.

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.

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 President Lincoln’s call to service in the Civil War