Thursday Feb. 18, 2016 Vol. 3, No. 49
The Weekly Post
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Looking back at Lincoln’s visit to Farmington
EDITOR’S NOTE: The recent celebration of President’s Day seems a fitting time to look back to a local speech by Abraham Lincoln. By ROGER HIGGS
Abraham Lincoln once spoke in Farmington. That is clear. Other exact details of that visit are less certain, though we will try to spell some out here. Lincoln’s speech in Farmington in 1858 is described in the “History of Farmington,” printed in 1984. But an exact date was not given and the exact date does not appear in library resources at the Lincoln Library & Museum in Springfield, the Lincoln Archives at Knox College or at the Peoria City Library. A study of three published reports: (1) History of Farmington, 1984; (2) “The Great Debates,” 1955, and the (3) Lewistown History, published in the FarmingFor The Weekly Post
Nolan faces prison after guilty plea
ton Shopper on Aug. 17, 1955, support the conclusion that Lincoln spoke on Aug. 18, 1858, in Farmington. This writer has a personal interest in ascertaining the speech date, as his greatgreat-grandfather, Thomas Higgs of Trivoli, was taking a load of grain to the mill on that day and he and a son heard Lincoln speak and shook his hand. In 1858 Lincoln and Sen. Stephen Douglas were campaigning in Illinois for a seat in the U.S. Senate. On Oct. 7, 1858; Lincoln and Douglas had their fifth of seven debates in Galesburg as part of the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debate series. Some 10,000-20,000 people attended the Oct. 7 debate. Crowds were smaller for Lincoln’s Farmington speech. The following is an excerpt from the “History of Farmington.” Abraham Lincoln Honors Farmington It was on this type of road and by horse
and carriage that Abraham Lincoln traveled when he visited Lewistown and Farmington in 1858, when he was running for Senator against Douglas. ... Mr. Lincoln spoke at 2:00 pm; standing between the central pillars of the old court house in Lewistown, to possibly 600
Known as a gifted orator, this wellknown painting shows Abraham Lincoln delivering his Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863 – five years after he spoke in Farmington.
to 800 attentive listeners. It was here that Lincoln delivered the glowing eulogy on the Declaration of Independence which by the suggestion of the London Times has become an English classic.
HOOPS HEATS UP
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Cantu wins VFW state contest
By BILL KNIGHT
PEORIA – Nearly one year to the day after Dillon Nolan crashed his truck in rural Elmwood, killing 22-year-old Joshua Fuller of Trivoli, he’ll have a sentencing hearing before Judge Albert Purham after Nolan on Tuesday pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving a death and to aggravated DUI. The April 14 hearing will follow an agreement with prosecutors that his imprisonment won’t exceed 12 years. In court, Nolan, 22, of Hanna City, agreed with Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Fitzsimons’ summary of facts surrounding the accident discovered last April 16: that Nolan was driving a Chevrolet truck about 70 mph on McClellan Road between Brimfield and Elmwood with Fuller as a passenger, that
By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
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ELMWOOD — Deanna Cantu believes veterans should be valued more than popular entertainment figures. Others obviously agree. A speech Cantu wrote and recorded on that same topic recently won first place out of Cantu more than 3,000 entries in Illinois for the annual VFW Voice of Democracy Contest. This year’s theme was “My Vision for America.” Cantu’s selection was announced last Saturday at a banquet in Springfield. “I was very surprised and pleased,” said Cantu, a senior Weekly Post Staff Writer
The prep basketball postseason is heating up for girls and will start on Monday for boys. Here Brimfield senior Kennedy Dura drives to the basket during Monday’s Class 1A sectional win over Mendon Unity. The Brimfield girls play for a sectional championship tonight (Feb. 18) at 7 p.m. in Brimfield against Liberty. Photo by Collin Fairfield.
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