Looking For Lincoln

Interested in a closer view of the upper deck of the Lincoln Tomb?

From our partners at State Historic Sites at Springfield, IL: Wednesday evenings offer a special opportunity for you to explore the Lincoln Tomb in more detail - join us for Freedom Night at Lincoln Tomb.

Tours including the tomb's upper deck are offered at 5:00, 6:00 and 6:45 pm. Through August 5, the Liberty Brass Trio will perform in front of the tomb at 5:30 pm each Wednesday the program is offered. View upcoming tour times and make a reservation at https://LTFreedomNights.eventbrite.com

Learn more about visiting the tomb at:
https://visitspringfieldillinois.com/LocationDetails/?id=Lincoln-Tomb

Images: Group stands on the upper deck of the Lincoln Tomb, looking at the statuary representing the United States Infantry; Lincoln statue and eagle plaque on top of the Lincoln Tomb

THIS SATURDAY! Don't miss the Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 on Saturday, July 18 in Springfield, Illinois.

Big Boy 4014 is the largest steam locomotive ever built.

This historic locomotive is set to arrive at 10:45 a.m. CDT and
Depart 11:15 a.m. CDT at the Amtrak station at the Washington St. crossing in downtown Springfield, IL.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, which creates and names Union Pacific. The act directs Union Pacific and Central Pacific to construct the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. In 1863, depicted in the attached image, Lincoln designated Mile 0 of the Union Pacific Railroads.

Twenty-five Big Boys were commissioned exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. These massive locomotives were built to haul heavy equipment in support of the war effort, normally operating between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Big Boys are 133 feet long and weigh 1.2 million pounds.

Due to their great length, the frames of the Big Boys are “hinged,” or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves. They have a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which means they have four wheels on the leading set of “pilot” wheels to guide the engine; eight drivers on the first engine; another set of eight drivers on the second engine; and four wheels trailing that support the rear of the locomotive.

No. 4014 was retired in Dec. 1961 after traveling 1,031,205 miles. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad's Completion.

Photo are from Union Pacific, and proud sponsor of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area.

Learn more about this historic train at:
https://www.up.com/about-us/history/steam/big-boy-4014

THIS DAY IN LINCOLN HISTORY On July 11, 1861, Abraham Lincoln authorized the creation of the Union Army Balloon Corps, an aerial surveillance group.

The Union Army Balloon Corps was a branch of the Union Army during the American Civil War, established by presidential appointee Thaddeus S. C. Lowe. It was organized as a civilian operation, which employed a group of prominent American aeronauts and seven specially built, gas-filled balloons to perform aerial reconnaissance on the Confederate States Army.

A month previous, Lowe met with U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on 11 June 1861, and proposed a demonstration with his own balloon, the Enterprise, from the lawn of the armory directly across the street from the White House. From a height of 500 feet (150 m) he telegraphed a message to the President describing his view of the Washington, D.C., countryside. Eventually he was chosen over other candidates to be chief aeronaut of the newly formed Union Army Balloon Corps.

The Balloon Corps with a hand-selected team of expert aeronauts served at Yorktown, Seven Pines, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and other major battles of the Potomac River and the Virginia Peninsula. The Balloon Corps served the Union Army from October 1861 until the summer of 1863, when it was disbanded following the resignation of Lowe.

Photo is of the Intrepid balloon being cross-inflated from Constitution balloon in a spur-of-the-moment attempt to get the larger balloon in the air to overlook the imminent Battle of Seven Pines during the Civil War.

Learn more at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Army_Balloon_Corps

Info and photos from Wikipedia.