AFF Neoowslerrtte r ottf thhe Aeebra h aPmP Lieencoooln Appssoclliaeteion V ol ume 8, Numb er 1 Spr i n g 2006 Spr i n g f i el d, I l l i n oi s Lincoln’s Springfield The Underground Railroad By Richard E. Hart The colony was representative of what was then called Farmington, now or a number of years I have been the New England strain of early Illinois Farmingdale, near Springfield. My curious about the possible pres - settlers who in the 1830s and 1840s father, as well as myself, helped many Fence of the Underground Rail - settled in a random pattern of dots fugitives afterwards.” 6 road in Lincoln’s Springfield. As a child across the central and northern Illinois Two years later, Willard, who was on Sunday afternoon drives west of prairies. Their customs and culture then a student at Illinois College, suc - Springfield, my parents pointed out the contrasted sharply with that of the ear - cessfully assisted a fugitive slave move small village of Farmingdale and told lier settlers in Central Illinois, who had along the Underground Railroad from me that there had once been an Under - come from the upland South. In addi - Jacksonville to Farmington. His writ - ground Railroad station there. I later tion to being farmers, some of them ten account, “My Second Adventure learned that in the nineteenth century, were teachers, ministers, abolitionists, with a Fugitive Slave: And How It was Farmingdale was known as Farming - and conductors on the Underground Won,” told of secreting runaway slave ton 1 and that indeed its reputation as an Railroad. In September 1837 seven - Jack out of Jacksonville and on to the active station on the Underground teen men of the colony 3 expressed their Farmington underground railroad sta - Railroad could be documented. strong opposition to slavery by signing tion. The story of the Underground Elijah P. Lovejoy’s call for Illinois’ first Railroad at Farmington began on antislavery convention to be held at A few days later the conductors of the October 25, 1833, when a colony of Upper Alton on October 26. Four of Under-Ground R.R. were ready. Lewis fifty-two New Englanders, many of the Farmington signers attended the knew the way to Laurie’s so I went with them abolitionists, arrived at Spring- convention. 4 At least four of the him one night to take the negro over the field after a ten-week journey from St. colony, Dr. John Lyman, Stephen next stage. We had to come back to the Lawrence County in upstate New Child, Luther Ransom, and Reverend Movastar bridge, and then to take an York. The Sangamo Journal reported Billious Pond, and several of their oblique course across fields thru groves and on their arrival: “Emigrants are com - neighbors, Jay Slater and Reverend thickets to a certain school-house a mile or ing by thousands into Illinois and from Thomas Galt, became active conduc - more east of the town, on the old railroad all quarters of the Union. On Friday tors on the Underground Railroad at track and near the high road to Springfield. last fifteen large wagons from St. the Farmington station. On the way Jack sighed and said, “it’s a Lawrence County, N. York, loaded In 1841 Samuel Willard, 5 a twen - long way to Canada!” We assented. Once a with emigrants, arrived in our village, ty-year-old Jacksonville, Illinois, aboli - little noise in the bush near us startled him: and drove up in front of the market tionist, had his first experience in out came his pistol and I heard the click of house, in grand style. These emigrants assisting a runaway slave move north the cocking. When we struck the railroad, had been about ten weeks on the jour - on the underground railroad. Willard’s we were near the rendezvous: there were ney, and enjoyed good health during written account of that adventure, my father [Julius A. Willard ] and [William ] the time. They design to settle in Sang - “My First Adventure with a Fugitive Chauncey Carter 7 on horses, leading a third amo County—to which we bid them Slave: The Story of It and How It horse for the negro: he was soon mounted welcome.” 2 Failed,” acknowledged that he was not and the trio were on the way to Farming - The day following their Spring- familiar with the Farmington station ton; while two over-tired men trudged field arrival, the colony moved eight on the Underground Railroad at that back to College, but I had to meet my miles west to the Sangamon River vil - time. “It seemed to my father [Julius ] classes next day as usual. 8 lage of Sangamo Town. They spent the that the easiest thing for us would be winter there and in the spring moved a to take her [the fugitive slave ] to some As a result of this activity, Samuel few miles west to an open prairie where one on the line of what was known as was arrested and charged with assisting they settled, purchased farmland, and the Under-Ground Rail-Road. But we in the escape of a runaway slave. His established the community of Farm - knew nothing about it. In later adven - case went to the Supreme Court and ington. tures of this sort we went direct to continued on page 4 2 For the People Lincoln Birthday Events Culminate with Doris Kearns Goodwin Address he Abraham Lincoln Associa - the time for photographs. Throughout from her book in which she detailed tion celebrated the 197th the course of the two days it is estimat - how Lincoln’s abilities and character Tanniversary of Lincoln’s birth ed she signed over eight hundred outshined those of his fellow Republi - in grand fashion. The theme of the books. Her banquet address was drawn can rivals for the 1860 presidency. Mark your calendar now for the 2007 events. The symposium theme is “Lincoln in the 1850s,” and the ban - quet speaker will be Newsweek colum - nist Jon Meacham, author of the recent book American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. Shown above are the Lincoln symposium organizers and participants: (l to r) Old State Capitol superintendent Justin Blandford, Gerald Prokopow - icz, Catherine Clinton, Joshua Wolf Shenk, Daniel Mark Epstein, and Kim Matthew Bauer. symposium was “The Lincoln Family,” Richard Norton Smith with thought-provoking papers from Catherine Clinton, Daniel Mark Epstein, and Joshua Wolf Shenk, and commentary from Gerald Prokopow - icz. Lincoln curator Kim Matthew Bauer presided over the symposium for the final time as he leaves for a position as Lincoln heritage coordinator for the city of Decatur, Illinois, where he resides. Paper topics included “Wife v. Widow: Clashing Perspectives on Mary Lincoln’s Legacy,” “The Road to Washington, 1847,” and “Lincoln’s Emotional Life.” Doris Kearns Good - win, the banquet speaker, spent most of February 11 and 12 signing copies of her best-selling book, Team of Rivals. She graciously signed every copy presented to her and even took Outgoing President Roger D. Bridges Doris Kearns Goodwin For the People 3 THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN ASSOCIATION RICHARD E. H ART President President’s Message BARBARA HUGHETT ROBERT J. L ENZ By Richard E. Hart tinued to hone her skills on many a ROBERT WILLARD ebruary 12, 2006, will be summer afternoon at Boston’s Fenway Vice-Presidents remembered as one of ALA’s Park by telling her three sons about THOMAS F. S CHWARTZ Fmost popular celebrations of their grandfather, who died before the Secretary Lincoln’s birth. Doris Kearns Good - boys got to know him. ROBERT A. S TUART JR. Treasurer win arrived in Springfield on Saturday The ALA has two big events in the ROGER D. B RIDGES evening and began a whirlwind of near future. In 2008, we will celebrate Immediate Past-President speaking engagements and signings of the one-hundredth anniversary of the MARY SHEPHERD her best selling book, Team of Rivals- Abraham Lincoln Association, and in Executive Assistant The Political Genius of Abraham Lin - 2009 we will participate in the national Board of Directors coln. On Sunday afternoon prior to the celebration of Lincoln’s two-hundredth Kenneth L. Anderson Molly M. Becker Symposium, Doris signed her book at birthday. The ALA’s Bicentennial Com - Michael Burlingame the Old State Capitol. Admirers mittee has started planning for both Brooks Davis arrived early and formed a line from events and the preliminary plans are Rodney O. Davis Robert S. Eckley the first floor, up the grand stairs, exciting. If you have any thoughts or Allen C. Guelzo around the second floor rotunda, and ideas on how to best celebrate these Kathryn M. Harris into the room where Doris was gra - important events, please e-mail them to Earl W. Henderson Jr. Fred B. Hoffmann cious to every signature seeker. So not me at [email protected]. If you prefer David Joens to interfere with the Symposium, the mail, you can write to me c/o Abra - Ron J. Keller Doris and her team of fans moved ham Lincoln Association, 1 Old State Lee McTurnan Richard W. Maroc down the street to the Abraham Lin - Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701. Myron Marty coln Presidential Museum where she We all thank our past President, Richard Mills finished the signings. It is estimated Roger Bridges for his service not only Susan Mogerman Georgia Northrup that she signed well over eight hun - as President, but also for more than Phillip S. Paludan dred books. three decades of Abraham Lincoln James W. Patton III Symposium attendees packed the Association leadership.