Abraham Lincoln

In 1913, the Illinois State Art Commission was authorized to secure a new statue of Abraham Lincoln for Illinois’ centennial. The 10-foot, 6-inch bronze statue and large granite base and backdrop, engraved with Lincoln’s “Farewell to Springfield” speech, cost about $50,000. The statue was dedicated on Oct. 5, 1918, the centennial of the first meeting of the Illinois General Assembly. Lincoln biographer Lord Charnwood (William Arthur Smith Benson) gave the keynote address, and Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay recited his poem, “When Lincoln Walks at Midnight in Springfield.” Sculptor: Andrew O’Connor, 1918