In Lincoln’s Shadow A Walking Tour of Historic Urbana, Illinois In Lincoln’s Shadow Abraham Lincoln spent nearly twenty years of his life practicing law here, making friends and gaining political allies. This is not a tour of sites that he visited, The shadow of Abraham Lincoln still but rather a look at the connections between the lingers over downtown Urbana, Illinois. Urbana of Lincoln’s era and the historic buildings of On this informative walking tour, today’s downtown. t Visit the Champaign County Courthouse and learn you’ll find the connections between about Lincoln’s legal career in Urbana. our sixteenth president and the historic t Find out about the connection between Lincoln buildings found in today’s city. and the University of Illinois at the Griggs House. t Compare the accommodations of the 1850s with the Tudor-style hotel named after the 16th president, built in 1924. About the Pastcast Tour Pastcasting brings story and place together, using new technology to offer on-demand, self-guided video walking tours to visitors at For more information contact: historic sites. Now you can see City of Urbana images and hear sounds from Community Development Services the past on the actual spot where 400 South Vine Street history was made. The pastcasts Urbana, IL 61801 are available to download as audio or video to your personal 217-384-2440 device. MP3 video players are www.urbanaillinois.us/pastcast also available for loan. For more information, visit www.urbanaillinois.us/pastcast. City of Urbana Lincoln Legacy Committee Lincoln was Lincoln & Urbana welcomed into many homes in Urbana during the twenty years he shadow of that he traveled TAbraham Lincoln here. In 1859, still lingers over down- Whitney (a Lincoln biogra- “Henry Clay Whitney, West the editor of the town Urbana, Illinois. pher) and Joseph Cunning- Urbana, Illinois” registered Central Illinois President, Lincoln signed He visited this city often ham (later a Champaign as guests. When Lincoln Gazette described one such the Morrill Act on July 2, from 1841 to his last visit County Judge and histo- became President, he visit, saying: “We had the 1862, opening the door for in October 1859, only eight rian). His clients included appointed Judge Davis to pleasure of introducing state land grant schools, months before his nomina- some of the wealthy and the U. S. Supreme Court. to the hospitalities of our including the University of tion for President. In the influential citizens of the But it was not all work. sanctum, a few days since, Illinois. 1850s he attended every community, and he served Lincoln enjoyed the com- the Honorable Abraham Following his inaugu- court session of the Circuit as an attorney for the Illi- pany of his companions and Lincoln. Few men can make ration, Lincoln kept in Court, absent only during nois Central Railroad, the friends in Urbana. Moses an hour pass away more touch with his associates the fall of 1858, at the peak state’s largest corporation. Harvey, a local agreeably.” in Urbana. If there was one of his senatorial campaign In the absence of Circuit contractor, He also found time for person who kept alive the against Stephen Douglas. Judge David Davis, Lincoln wrote down politics, often speaking special relationship between Abraham Lincoln As in other counties, would occasionally pre- at campaign rallies in Urbana and our sixteenth Taken by Samuel Alschuler Lincoln most often repre- side over cases. He wasn’t Champaign County. While president, it was Joseph in Urbana in 1858. sented ordinary citizens the only attorney to do so, in town for a special court Cunningham (below). with their divorces, land but did it far more often session in 1856, he received title disputes, and contested than any other attorney, word that he had come debts. He worked with local especially in in second on an informal attorneys like Henry Clay Champaign ballot for Vice-President County. Davis at the Republican National and Lincoln were Convention. That same close friends, often travel- year, after a speech for ing together and the Republican ticket, the Urbana Union declared, in his “Before him the sophistic account ‘little giant’ Douglas quaked Champaign County generally sharing the same book on and others of his party fly Courthouse room at inns. May 12, 1851, like a flock of birds.” 1841–1858 The guest register of “Seen Abe Lincoln’s impact on He spoke often about his Urbana’s American House Lincoln run a Urbana continued well past friendship with Lincoln, and for June 3, 1855 (above) foot race with his Illinois years. You could his estate provided funds shows the signatures of, Samuel Waters make a strong case that for Lorado Taft’s statute, “David Davis, Blooming- from Mane St. Abraham Lincoln made Lincoln the Lawyer, that ton, Illinois,” “A. Lincoln, to Walnut St. in front of the the city what it is today. As stands today in Carle Park. Springfield, Illinois,” and courthouse. Abe beat.” In Lincoln’s Shadow: Historic Urbana, Illinois 1 The Urbana Free Library 8 Champaign County Courthouse Lowenstern Building, at the southwest corner of Main and 210 W. Green Street 101 E. Main Street Race streets, where the Busey Bank stands today. The Urbana Free Library Champaign County built a new courthouse — its fifth — in was founded in 1874. Need- 1900 and hired twenty-seven year-old Joseph Royer to design B Tiernan’s Block ing a permanent home, the the new building. Completed 115 W. Main Street city turned to Mary E. Busey, for $150,000, it was done in This block was constructed who donated $35,000 for the the Richardsonian Roman- in 1871 by Frank Tiernan as construction of the library as a memorial to her late husband, esque style that was popular a three-story brick building. Samuel Busey. This outstandingNeoclassical building, built for public buildings at the Sold to the local Masonic of Bedford limestone, was designed by local architect Joseph time. Hallmarks of the style lodge in 1889 and used for Royer. Dedicated in 1918, the building was expanded in 1974- include the rusticated red their meetings, they hired 75, and again in 2003-05. sandstone and mottled brick Joseph Royer to design “an en- exterior, the tall clock tower, and the arched windows. The tire new modern front” with a 2 Griggs House clock tower and Seth Thomas clock works were restored in white-glazed terra cotta facade 505 W. Main Street recent years. in 1914. Businessman and civic leader Clark Robinson Griggs built this home in 1871 as a wedding gift for his son. While serving 9 Urbana Lincoln Hotel C Knowlton & Bennett Building in the state legislature, Griggs’ 209 S. Broadway Avenue 130 W. Main Street efforts helped to secure the In an effort to boost local tourism and attract conventions, Beginning in 1871, this corner was used for a drugstore. In University of Illinois for his a group of local businessmen invested in a new hotel for 1926, following the death of his brother-in-law and business hometown. The house is a fine downtown Urbana. They rejected architect Joseph Royer’s first partner Everett Knowlton, George M. Bennett erected this example of Italianate architec- plans as “bordering on the building to expand their ture, with its paired brackets, commonplace” and he came drug and bookstore. De- wide eaves, and tall windows. back with a superb Tudor signed by Joseph Royer in Revival design. The hotel the Collegiate Gothic style, it 3 Marriott, Yearsley, and Wahl Houses opened its doors during the features wire-cut buff bricks 506-508-510 W. Main Street 1923 University of Illinois (later painted brown), terra These three homes were built in 1892 on property formerly Homecoming Weekend. cotta ornaments, and poly- owned by Samuel Busey. Louis Wahl (510 W. Main) was a lo- chrome shields. cal saloon owner, while brothers-in-law Emmett Yearsley (508 11 Podcast Stop Other Historic Sites W. Main, left) and Frank Mar- D Lincoln Square riott (506 University Avenue 201 Lincoln Square W. Main) Lincoln Square was one of the E were farm- first downtown fully-enclosed ers and malls in the United States, built real estate in 1964. It was designed from specula- plans by Victor Gruen, one tors. When Railroad of America’s most influential completed, the Champaign County Herald architects of the mid-20th cen- proudly declared, “On West Main Street 6 tury. One key element was the incorporation are three homes that would do honor to e of the Urbana Lincoln Hotel into the overall u Chicago or any other city.” 3 n plan for the mall. e v A y 4 First Christian Church a Leal Park 2 Street McCullough E w Water Street 404 W. Main Street 4 d University Avenue a o Race Street Central Avenue Central The First Christian Church, organized in r Leal Park became an Urbana City Park Main Street B 1883, decided to build a new sanctuary in 1903. The Greek Revival Cottage, built 5 in 1909, hiring Joseph 7 around 1854, was originally located some- Main Street Royer as architect. His where in the A C B striking Prairie School 8 vicinity of design was one of the Broadway first local buildings to Elm Street in Urbana, Elm Street use concrete block. In 1 9 where there 1978, it became the are similar home of Canaan Baptist Church. F Lincoln Square Mall cottages. The Green Street D owner came from Urbana in Champaign Cedar Street Cedar 10a 5 Courier Building County, Ohio, as did many other local set- 111 N. Race Street H 10b tlers.