Heart of Lincoln Land

The new "Wearing Lincoln Apparel" page on lincolnapparel.com allows you to submit a photo of you or your friends wearing a Lincoln Apparel T-shirt!

The past month I’ve been busy selling my Lincoln Apparel T-shirts at the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market, at Springfield Novelties and Gifts, and dealing with website orders (I had an order of 8 T-shirts just a few days ago!). The response to Lincoln Apparel has been overwhelmingly positive, and even though it can be a lot of work at times, it’s a lot of fun and I enjoy doing it – I finally feel like Lincoln Apparel and the message of Lincoln and his legacy is getting out there through my artistic Lincoln T-shirts. And that of course, is what I want to happen – for people to see my colorful Lincoln art on somebody’s T-shirt and get reminded of Lincoln and his legacy.

One of the things I’ve done in the past month is add, and code in, some new features on the Lincoln Apparel website. Much of this was done around late June/early July. I’ve added:

• a newsletter where you can sign up to receive updates on new Lincoln Apparel designs, find shows and retail venues Lincoln Apparel will be at, and more;
• a Wearing Lincoln Apparel page where you can show off your cool new Lincoln Apparel T-shirt, or Lincoln Apparel T-shirts your friends/family/other people you know may be wearing – I’ve got a couple photos on that page already that Lincoln Apparel fans have sent me;
• a Lincoln Apparel Local page, where you can find information on physical retail stores our T-shirts are available in, as well as shows we’re going to be at;
• a Lincoln Apparel product RSS feed, that will get updated whenever I post new shirts.

"80s Abe" has been the most popular Lincoln Apparel T-shirt so far this year.

Be sure to check out the new features on my website! I’ll be at the artisan area in the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market again this Saturday, July 24th, from 8 to 12:30, so be sure to stop by. The artisan area is located at the southeast corner of 4th and Adams, in historic downtown Springfield. I’ll be in the shadow by the building on the east side of the artisan area, where it’s cool in the morning, with some cool 80s music playing on some little portable speakers I got a couple weeks ago, that I can hook up to my portable CD/MP3 player (I’m still working on the tent).

I’ll also be coming out with my new “Wide Awake Club” Campaign 1860 Lincoln T-shirt soon. All I have to do is take pictures of it and put it up on my website. I’ll make another post about about the T-shirt and the story behind it (it involves a lot of Lincoln history) when it’s up!

I’m also going to get "80s Abe" reprinted, since it’s been a very popular design and I’m sold out of a lot of them. In addition, my Lincoln Bicentennial shirts – the poignant, serious "Equality" and the fun, colorful "Back to Springfield" – are beginning to sell out. No more of these designs will be printed – so if you love them, be sure to pick them up soon, as eventually they will be replaced by new designs!

"Equality" (left) and "Back to Springfield" (right) are both starting to sell out. These Lincoln Apparel designs will not be reprinted, so if you like them, be sure to pick them up soon!

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My display at the downtown Springfield farmer’s market on June 5th, showing my Lincoln T-shirts. That’s me wearing the blue "Back to Springfield" T-shirt.

Last month, my Lincoln Apparel T-shirts were accepted into the artisan area at the downtown Springfield farmer’s market. I was, and still am, excited! I’ve never done in-person shows like this before, only selling online and to local shops, so I never really get to see the customers who buy my T-shirts. Now, I have a chance to see how local residents and tourists react to my T-shirts, tell them how I make them, and maybe a little about Lincoln in the process.

June 5th was my first day at the market. I didn’t know what to expect, since I’d never done it before. In the week prior, I looked around for things I could use to create a display. It had to be lightweight, since I’d be doing this myself. So I went to some stores within walking distance of where I live, and got a table and chairs, a drying rack to hang samples of the T-shirts from, and posterboard to make a sign. I got some notecards to make little signs to put on the display T-shirts so people could see how much they cost and what sizes were available, and a little cooler so I could bring drinks. I didn’t get a tent because I didn’t want to add too much weight and because I didn’t think I’d need one for a show that was only 5 hours long, but now I’m rethinking that, particularly with the weather last Saturday. I can always upgrade my display though, if I feel the need.

You can see the display in the picture above (along with me, the Lincoln Apparel artist, wearing a blue "Back to Springfield" T-shirt). I took the picture (and the other pictures you see here) with my cellphone, since I forgot to bring my camera, so that’s why they look a little washed out. The posterboard didn’t quite work out, so I’ll need to find something stronger for the next time (I ended up taping the sign to the table since I couldn’t get it to stand up correctly). I might get a little boombox with a CD/MP3 player in it eventually so I can have some cool 80s music to listen to while I’m there.

The State Capitol as visible from my space at the downtown Springfield Farmer’s Market on June 5th. You can see some of the other artisans there.

The morning of June 5th was gray and humid, with clouds threatening rain, but I pressed on anyway. I was excited to do my first market. Most of the time it was dry, but every now and then a few sprinkles fell and it started to rain for about a half hour at 10. I’m thankful I got a tarp to cover up all the T-shirts in case that happened. My sign got all wet though, which ruined it because I used my printer to print it and inkjet ink is water-soluble. I think I’ll put mailing tape over the whole sign the next time, since that’s what I did for the notecard signs on the T-shirts and the ink didn’t run on those.

There weren’t as many people at the market as I’ve normally seen, probably because of the damp and rainy weather. It appeared that some of the other artists didn’t come, so I was kind of an island on the east side of the parking lot near the buildings on the south side of Adams Street. However, I did get plenty of people looking at my T-shirts, and many people remarked at how colorful and complex they were. When I told people who were looking that I love Lincoln and that I designed these T-shirts including the artwork, they seemed very impressed. I had many people ask me when I was going to be at the market next; I wish I had made up some cards with my schedule on it.

I did end up selling two of my T-shirts to one person. Not quite as many as I thought I would, but I attribute that to the rain keeping people away. The T-shirts were "Immortal Words at Gettysburg" and "Purpose". Hopefully the next time, the weather will be better and more people will be there.

It was a great experience, though. I enjoyed talking to people in person and seeing their reactions. It’s so much more enjoyable than just selling on the Internet. It’s interesting noting how customers interpret my artwork, and seeing which shirts they like the best. It’s neat to see what kinds of people my T-shirts attract, and they attracted what seemed to be a rather diverse group of customers. And the customers seemed to enjoy it too, since they can touch, see, and feel my T-shirts instead of just looking at a picture on a web site. The hardest part is just setting it up and taking it down, and transporting it (I got a dolly to help with that), which I’ll practice more in the future before my next day at the market, which will be June 12th.

I will also be at the downtown Springfield farmer’s market on July 3rd, August 7th, September 4th, and October 2nd. I’m thinking of adding additional days in between, particularly during the rest of June, July, and August, when tourist season is at its peak and people are looking for T-shirts. I hope to see you there sometime!

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"Campaign 1860" Lincoln T-shirt design by Lincoln Apparel. This is a mockup; I’m working on getting this printed soon!

Today is the 150th anniversary of the day that Lincoln was nominated to run for President. I’ve designed a new T-shirt (pictured to the right), styled like a campaign banner or poster from the era, to commemorate this and Lincoln’s subsequent run for President. It isn’t printed yet, but I’ll have that done soon.

Lincoln secured the Republican Party nomination for President on May 18, 1860, during the Republican convention in Chicago. He secured the nomination on the third ballot. Because candidates did not actively campaign during Lincoln’s time, Lincoln was not present at the convention, instead he was at home in Springfield monitoring the activities at the convention and the results of the balloting.

Unlike today, there were also no formal primaries during Lincoln’s time. Candidates were chosen via a system of state and national conventions; Lincoln’s nickname, “The Rail Splitter”, came from the state convention a few weeks earlier in Decatur. The name was the brainchild of Richard J. Oglesby, a friend and political ally of Abraham Lincoln, and a future governor of Illinois (he was governor when Lincoln was assassinated, and during the latter years of the Civil War). At the Decatur convention, Lincoln’s mother’s cousin John Hanks recalled that Lincoln had split rails in the area 30 years earlier, and carried rails supposedly split by Lincoln into the convention. Between the two rails a banner was stretched, reading:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The Rail Candidate
FOR PRESIDENT IN 1860
Two rails from a lot of 3000
made in 1830 by Hanks and Abe Lincoln
whose father was the first pioneer
of Macon County.

When the rails and the banner were brought in, the crowd in Decatur went wild for Abraham Lincoln, and he went on to the national convention in Chicago.

There were three cities – Indianapolis, Chicago, and St. Louis, that the Republican Party in 1860 thought of holding the national convention. The cities were chosen because anti-slavery sentiment was strong in them, and they were located in states Republicans wanted to pick up in 1860 after losing them in 1856. St. Louis was quickly eliminated because it was located in a slave state; Chicago was later chosen since it was easily accessible via rail, had enough hotel rooms for the convention, and was located in a state the Republicans wanted to win in 1860.

For the convention, a giant temporary structure, called the “Wigwam”, was built in Chicago. It was located at the corner of Lake Street and Market Street (now Wacker Drive). (There is a historical marker there noting the location now.) It was like a temporary stadium – it was to hold the 466 delegates, hundreds of newspaper reporters, and perhaps up to 10,000 spectators, with over 1,000 of them on an upper balcony. Just imagine how loud it would be in there – and it was, since supporters of candidates basically had to yell, since there were no microphones back then. Delegates were seated in different sections based upon the state they represented; like conventions today, the number of delegates per state was proportional to the size of the electorate. It took a majority vote of the delegates to secure the nomination, so Lincoln needed 234 votes.

William H. Seward

Senator William H. Seward of New York was the front-runner for the nomination in 1860. Many people considered Lincoln, who was lesser known, to be a second choice. However, because Lincoln was considered more moderate on the slavery issue than Seward, he was more popular in states in the lower North, like Pennsylvania, Indiana, and his home state of Illinois. The Republicans felt that they would have a better chance of winning if they could get a candidate that could carry these important states. However, they had to avoid angering Seward strongholds like New York (which had the largest number of delegates) and Michigan. Salmon P. Chase was popular in his home state of Ohio, so Lincoln couldn’t necessarily count on votes from that state either. There was a lot of competition at the convention to become the Republican nominee.

The convention was held from May 16-18, 1860. While Lincoln sent his friends and supporters, he did not attend himself, as that was not the custom of the day. He eagerly awaited the voting results here in Springfield, frequenting the telegraph office on the north side of the square (where Pease’s Candy Shop now is) and the offices of the Republican-aligned Illinois State Journal newspaper (just north of the square on 6th Street, across from where the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is now). (The Illinois State Register was a Democratic-aligned paper; they later merged with the Journal in the 20th century to form today’s State Journal-Register).

On the first ballot, no one reached 234 votes, however, Seward led with 173 1/2 votes, and Lincoln came in second with 102 votes. (Lincoln predicted he would receive no more than 100 on the first ballot). Seward carried New York, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, while Lincoln carried Illinois and Indiana, picking up votes from other states as well along the way. This established Lincoln as a serious contender.

On the second ballot, Lincoln came back much stronger – 181 votes to Seward’s 184 1/2. New Hampshire voted strongly for Lincoln this time around, and Vermont became the first state to abandon its native candidate and go for Lincoln instead. More importantly, Pennsylvania chose to switch its votes to Lincoln from home state candidate Simon Cameron. Ohio still remained committed to their native, Salmon Chase. Nobody won, but Lincoln proved to be a formidable contender, and gained significant ground against Seward.

Finally, on the third ballot, Lincoln picked up additional votes from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Kentucky. More importantly, Chase delegates from Ohio began to switch their votes to Lincoln, eventually pushing Lincoln’s total past 234. At that point, cheering erupted and a cannon on the roof of the Wigwam was fired, and a photo of Lincoln was pulled from the committee room and carried through the center of the Wigwam as the crowds celebrated Lincoln’s nomination.

The 100 block of North 6th Street in Springfield today. The building on the left at the corner is where the telegraph office was located in 1860, and further down this block on the left is where the State Journal offices were located.

In Springfield, shortly after noon on Friday, May 18th, Lincoln went to the telegraph office on the north side of the square, awaiting the results. He decided after the second ballot to go to the offices of the State Journal. Officials from the paper went over to the telegraph office to wait for the results of the third ballot to come in. When the message arrived from Chicago that Lincoln had secured the nomination with 354 votes, the jubilant officials went back to the office to tell Lincoln he had won the nomination. Celebrations began as Lincoln walked out into the street. A hometown candidate had won the Republican nomination for President, something that did not seem likely before the convention. The celebrations continued on into the night.

Thus began Lincoln’s run for President in 1860. Symbols like the “Rail Splitter”, “Honest Old Abe”, and grassroots pro-Lincoln groups like the Wide-Awakes were formed. I’ll leave these elements (which I combined into my Campaign 1860 T-shirt design you see above) for more blog posts later on as the 150th anniversary celebration of Lincoln’s election continues this year.

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Buck’s Building

Every year since 2000, in early May, Downtown Springfield, Inc. hosts a tour of beautiful downtown spaces you can’t normally see. I feel it is a wonderful way to showcase downtown living and the interiors and exteriors of the many beautiful buildings we have in our downtown. As you may know, I live near downtown, and I believe there is no better place in Springfield to be.

I’ve been on each Upper Story since 2004. Featured buildings and spaces in the past have included the dome of the Old State Capitol, apartments above Augie’s on 5th Street, Lincoln Place Condominiums on 4th Street, and the Shutt and DuBois houses in the Lincoln Home neighborhood. The featured buildings are different each year, and buildings are usually not repeated in subsequent years. Sometimes, featured spaces are “raw” spaces under renovation, and in other cases they are finished spaces. Residential, commercial, and even normally inaccessible areas of public buildings have been featured. Both historic Lincoln-era and modern (and everything in between) spaces have been featured. In most of the years I’ve done the tour, I’ve made it to all of the buildings on the tour. Each year, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the views of (and from) the downtown spaces showcased.

St. Nicholas Hotel

This year included two spaces that have been shown before – one of the Lincoln Square Apartments (facing 6th Street), and Buck’s Building on the north side of the square. It also included an 11th floor apartment – and the penthouse – in the St. Nicholas Hotel, an apartment on the 21st floor of the Hilton (I actually didn’t even know there were apartments in the Hilton until this tour), the bishop’s residence at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 6th and Lawrence, and the Bunn-Sankey House on the 1000 block of South 6th Street (near Clay Street). The tour of Buck’s Building, a Lincoln-era building on the north side of the square, offered a good before-and-after perspective of the building on this tour, since the last time it was featured – in 2004 – it was a raw space under renovation. It’s neat to see it finished.

While I was on the tour, I brought my camera since I know there would be good views. I took 96 pictures, about 40 of which can be seen here in the tour on my blog (the others didn’t turn out well enough). The pictures are of 4 of the 6 buildings on the tour, since you (sadly) couldn’t take pictures inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and I ran out of pictures on my memory card before I got to Lincoln Square (the last space I toured). I will tell you that both spaces were very beautiful, though – from the gorgeous 1928 interior of the bishop’s residence, to the more modern, but still fancy, interior of Lincoln Square, which is inside a section of the apartments facing 6th Street that was built in 1868 (the main section of the apartments visible at 5th and Monroe was built in 1984). All in all, it was a great tour, and a great day to walk around and explore downtown.

You can explore four of the buildings, too, via the photographs I took of them. Simply click a link below to take a virtual tour of that specific building. These tours are separate pages on my blog, and you will always be able to access it from the Downtown Springfield Upper Story Tour 2010 link under “Pages” in the sidebar. Have fun!

Tour Buck’s Building on the North Side of the Square>>	Tour the Bunn-Sankey House, 6th Street and Clay Street>>
Tour the Hilton Hotel, 7th Street and Adams Street>>	Tour the St. Nicholas Hotel, 4th Street and Jefferson Street>>

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Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum (Photo Copyright © 2009 Chris Umhoefer)

Today, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, my favorite museum in the country, is officially 5 years old. (What other museum would a Lincoln fan have as a favorite?) It opened on April 19, 2005, at the end of a 4-day log celebration, and I was there for much of it. I still remember the light show a couple nights before it opened (it was one of the most awesome things I’ve seen), and the crowd of 25,000 or more people (much of it standing room-only) watching the dedication, where then-President George W. Bush and future president Barack Obama both spoke. I was actually one of the lucky people who got a seat, though I had to sit pretty far back (about in the middle of what is now Union Square Park).

After the dedication, I took my first tour of the museum. It took me over 6 hours to go through it all. (I still find it hard to believe that the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau recommends 2 hours – it takes at least 3-4 hours for the average person to go through the museum, based on my observation). I read everything in the Museum that I could, and looked at all of the lifelike exhibits, staring and wondering with awe in many cases. Of course, I visited both of the Museum’s theaters that day (both of which feature incredible special effects), saw the temporary exhibit “Blood on the Moon” (about Lincoln’s assassination), and looked with awe (again) at the actual Lincoln artifacts scattered throughout the Museum and in the Treasures Gallery. (Man, these were the actual things Lincoln wrote and touched, I told myself as I could feel Lincoln’s spirit coming over me.)

Lincoln would be proud!

That day, the museum had its first 3,500 visitors, and today the museum remains by far the most visited Presidential museum in the country – with over 2.2 million visitors thus far, and about 400,000 to 500,000 visitors each year. The visitors come from places far and wide – all 50 states, and every continent – and as a volunteer there for 5 years so far, I’ve met people from England, France, Japan, China, and Brazil.

I feel lucky to live in Mr. Lincoln’s Hometown, within walking distance of his wonderful museum (and many of the other Lincoln sites). It has helped bring additional tourists to Springfield, brought greater vibrancy to our downtown, and most importantly, has introduced additional people to the Lincoln story. I highly recommend visiting it, whether you’re from Springfield and haven’t visited it yet (come on, you know you have to), or you’re from another state or country and you’re looking for something fun and interesting to see. Of course, make sure you see the other Lincoln sites too – like his Home and Tomb, and the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices – all iconic places that contribute greatly to the Lincoln legacy.

Today, beginning at 10:30, there will be a ceremony at the Museum celebrating its 5th anniversary, and cake will be served. It looks like it will be a wonderful day in Springfield, like the day the museum was dedicated. I hope you come see it soon!

(By the way, if you follow the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on Twitter or fan the ALPLM on Facebook you can win a neat prize! I’m already a fan and a follower, of course.)

Some pictures from the dedication in 2005:

President George W. Bush speaks to a crowd of over 25,000 people during the dedication ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on April 19, 2005.

A Lincoln presenter at the Old State Capitol during the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, April 18, 2005.

A Lincoln presenter performs a re-enactment of Lincoln's Farewell Address to a crowd of several thousand during the dedication ceremony of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, April 18, 2005.

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Here’s a schedule of events being held for Lincoln’s 201st Birthday in Springfield. I plan to be at as many of them as I can!

I normally attend the Painter Lectures at the Lincoln Home and the Lincoln Symposium at the Old State Capitol. This year I’m definitely attending the special artifact display at the Museum on the 11th, and possibly the penny unveiling earlier that day. The discussion on the 14th at the Hilton also sounds interesting since it involves emancipation, a Lincoln subject I have always been interested in. I’ll probably be at the discussion at the Lincoln Home on the 13th as well.

I’ll be wearing my Lincoln T-shirts throughout the celebration (one of which is pictured above, which is a limited edition T-shirt for the Bicentennial). You can find them at the Lincoln Apparel website and at Springfield Novelties and Gifts in historic downtown Springfield on 6th Street, between Monroe and Adams.

Happy Lincoln’s Birthday!

Thursday, the 11th (Lincoln’s Birthday Eve):
* Unveiling of the new, redesigned Lincoln penny at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, beginning at 9:30 in the morning. Thousands of collectors are expected. The penny is being redesigned for the Lincoln Bicentennial; tomorrow is the last day Lincoln will be 200 years old.
* Artifact Vigil at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum: Several Lincoln artifacts will be on display, including a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, the inkwell Lincoln used to write his First Inaugural Address, the original clock from the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, and more. Admission to this special event will be free after 5:30. There will also be presentations in the Union Theater at 6:30 and 8:15. The event will run until 10:00 pm.
* At the Vachel Lindsay Home at 6, Marc Aronson, author of "A History Beyond Black and White", will be giving a presentation.

Lincoln’s 201st Birthday, Friday, February 12th:
* This year’s theme for the annual Painter Lectures at the Lincoln Home is "Election of a President". It runs in the morning from 9 until noon. It is free.
* There will be a luncheon at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (costing $25) featuring author Richard Fox at noon.
* The annual Abraham Lincoln Symposium at the Old State Capitol will be from 1 to 4 in the afternoon. This year’s theme is "Lincoln’s Critics". This event is free.
* The annual banquet will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. It will be easier to get into than last year, when President Obama attended. It costs $85, and Harold Holzer will be the speaker.
* At Lincoln Land Community College, John Lupton will give a talk at 9 on Lincoln forgeries. It is free.
* Also at Lincoln Land, there will be an exhibit of Lincoln posters.
* There will be children’s storytelling programs (featuring Springfield Lincoln presenter Fritz Klein) at the Old State Capitol at 10 and at the Lincoln Home at 1.
* A time capsule featuring items from the Lincoln Bicentennial will be filled at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum during a brief ceremony at 1.
* The annual American Legion pilgrimage to the Tomb will be at 10:30.

Saturday, February 13th:
* The VFW will hold a pilgrimage to the Lincoln Tomb at 2:30.
* There will be a presentation entitled "Working for the Father: Lincoln’s Hired Help and Faith Communities" at the Lincoln Home at 1. It is free.

Sunday, February 14th:
* There will be a presentation at the Hilton entitled Emancipation and the Dream of Freedom: From Slavery to the White House at 1.

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