This early view of the Lincoln Tomb was taken before its reconstruction in 1901. Pictured in the lower right hand corner is the temporary vault that held Lincoln's body until the monument was completed.

Keeping Lincoln's Memory Alive

Jamie Pestein
Washington School, Peoria

Upon the sudden death of Abraham Lincoln, plans for his tomb were started. Location and design of Lincoln's Tomb were greatly debated. Springfield, Illinois, was chosen for his tomb because he spent a great deal of time there. Mrs. Lincoln wanted the tomb to be in the quiet place of Oak Ridge Cemetery. However, the tomb committee wanted the tomb to be put on the Mather Block in the middle of Springfield, but Mrs. Lincoln considered this site too public. After the location had been determined, a contest followed about the design. Two hundred fifty thousand dollars was needed in funds to build the tomb, and a contest helped to raise the money. The design of Larkin G. Mead, of Brattleboro, Vermont, was chosen, and he received one thousand dollars for the winning design. Mead also sculpted the statue of Lincoln and the statue representing the four military groups; both of these are on the outside of the tomb, which was erected in 1874.

The tomb was dedicated in an elaborate ceremony. Thousands of people, including prominent figures such as President Ulysses S. Grant, Vice President Henry Wilson, and several English nobles took time out of their schedules to come to the dedication. At the dedication on October 15, 1874, a forty-five-minute-long parade traveled through a route decorated with arches, flags, flowers, and Japanese lanterns. Problems ensued not long after

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the dedication day; the tomb shifted, and people began to complain that the obelisk was not in proportion with the rest of the tomb. In 1901 the tomb was reconstructed. Following the second reconstruction, public access was provided to the burial chamber. People could see the statues of Lincoln sculpted by artists Daniel Chester French, Leonard Crunelle, and Lorado Taft. They could also view the bronze plaques, which bear Lincoln's most famous speeches. Edwin M. Stanton's quote, "Now he belongs to the ages," was also inscribed on the wall.

Lincoln's actual coffin has not always been secure, so it was relocated within the tomb several times. Although the casket was first placed in a marble sarcophagus on the floor of the tomb, thieves attempted to steal it. On November 7, 1876, an unsuccessful robbery occurred. Naturally, the coffin was buried deep within the tomb, marked by a large stone engraved with the words, "Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865." Surrounding this marker were the flags of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, the United States, and one bearing the presidential emblem.

Besides the tomb itself, there were two other small monuments on the tomb. Italians sent the Servius Tullius bust, which came from a wall built around Ancient Rome. Servius has often been compared to Lincoln. Both were ordinary people who became great leaders; both freed the people, and both were assassinated. Another small monument was a bronze bust of Lincoln cast by Gutzon Borglum. Millions of people have rubbed its nose, making it shiny, because legend has it that it brings good luck to do this.

Lincoln's tomb was a wonderful monument for President Lincoln. It paid tribute to his leadership. Plaques, statues, and even the location told a bit about him. Even though President Abraham Lincoln has long been dead, his tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery has helped keep his memory alive.— [From F. L. Bullard, Lincoln in Marble and Bronze; D. Davenport, In Lincoln's Footsteps; J. Hunter, ed., "A Day to Remember," The Living Museum (Jan.-Feb. 1975); Henry Horner, Ceremonies Incident to the Placing of the Servius Tullius Stone in the Tomb of Abraham Lincoln; Illinois Department of Conservation, "Lincoln's Tomb."]

22 ILLINOIS HISTORY / FEBRUARY 1998