Lincoln spent the night of August 20, 1858, at the home of his friend Judge William T. Hopkins, part of a building that housed the former Morris Lincoln Nursing Home at 916 Fremont Avenue.
The next morning, Lincoln and Hopkins went to Wash's barbershop located in the basement of what is now The Fabric Center at 301 Liberty Street.
After they left, Wash closed his shop and went with others to see the debate.
Lincoln went to Ottawa by train and rode in a horse-drawn carriage to Washington Park in the town.
George Washington "Wash" Foster died at age 95 on September 17, 1917.
So, Old Abe Really Did Sleep here/There. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
Showing posts with label Morris Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morris Illinois. Show all posts
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Lincoln Spent the Night Here-- Part 1
It would seem in most places in Illinois of any age, that either Abraham Lincoln or Al Capone spent the night there.
Such is the case in the town of Morris, a town that I very often drive through on Illinois Highway 47 on my way either to North Carolina or Route 66.
From the August 22, 2008, Morris Daily Herald "Lincoln spent night before famed debate in Morris" by Jo Ann Hustis.
George Washington "Wash" Foster, a black man, shaved Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago just prior to his debate with Douglas in Ottawa. In a newspaper article from 1917, he recalled, "I knew that he was a big man. Not as big as he was afterward, but a mighty big man to be in Morris in those days." Referring to Lincoln's fame, not his size.
The first of nine Lincoln-Douglas debates for US Senate took place August 21, 1858.
Lincoln ended up losing the election, but gained national prominence as a result.
So, Where'd He Sleep Now That We Know Where He Got His Shave? --Old B-Runner
Such is the case in the town of Morris, a town that I very often drive through on Illinois Highway 47 on my way either to North Carolina or Route 66.
From the August 22, 2008, Morris Daily Herald "Lincoln spent night before famed debate in Morris" by Jo Ann Hustis.
George Washington "Wash" Foster, a black man, shaved Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago just prior to his debate with Douglas in Ottawa. In a newspaper article from 1917, he recalled, "I knew that he was a big man. Not as big as he was afterward, but a mighty big man to be in Morris in those days." Referring to Lincoln's fame, not his size.
The first of nine Lincoln-Douglas debates for US Senate took place August 21, 1858.
Lincoln ended up losing the election, but gained national prominence as a result.
So, Where'd He Sleep Now That We Know Where He Got His Shave? --Old B-Runner
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