Illinois - The Prairie State
We spent two weeks in the fall of 2005 visiting three states because they are in close proximity to each other: Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. We flew into Chicago, made a large circle, and flew out of Chicago two weeks later. Chicago was a great starting place because…well, because it is Chicago, a magnificent city! The first day, we walked from our hotel to Millennium Park, which is located on the Loop. It was quite new then, having opened in July of 2004. We loved the monumental contemporary sculptures, especially The Bean which was inspired by liquid mercury. It reflects the famous Chicago skyline and the surrounding green areas as well as the sky. It was a warm day and Crown Fountain was full of children splashing around, having a blast.
We met friends that afternoon who took us to lunch and explored the Art Institute of Chicago with us. Founded in 1879, it is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. It was helpful to go with our friends, Jane and Bruce McLagan, because they lived in Lake Forest and had visited the museum many times. It is so huge, we would not have known where to start, but they showed us some of the most renowned works of art, including American Gothic by Grant Wood.
The following day we took public transportation (the El) to Oak Park, where we learned all about Frank Lloyd Wright, his work as well as his private life. We took a tour during which we visited several of the homes he built, including his own. While living in Oak Park, he was able for the first time to create a complete environment in which all elements – architecture, interior design, furniture, concealed heating and lighting – work together. By all accounts, he was a difficult, arrogant man, but a genius as well. A guided walking tour, we found, was the best way to learn about him and his work.
Before leaving, we wanted to learn more about Chicago’s world-famous architectural feats, so we took a River Boat Architecture Tour. Wow! It was a great experience. We learned about the designs, people and innovations of the distinctive buildings that make up the Chicago skyline. That evening, we went to Buddy Guy’s Legends, considered by some to be “the premier blues club in the world.” We had dinner there and enjoyed a couple of acts, although Buddy was not performing that night. Nonetheless, it was a good way to cap our time in Chicago.
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site was fun to see. We all study about Abraham Lincoln in school, but it was here that we learned about his early life in Springfield. For example, we were shocked to learn that he was to participate in a duel with someone named James Shield in 1842. Fortunately, it was called off by friends on both sides at the last minute. The Lincoln home was built in 1839 and when the Lincolns bought it some years later, they paid $1500 for it. Another fun fact: Lincoln’s largest collected legal fee was $5000 for successfully defending the Illinois Central Railroad. Unfortunately, the railroad did not want to pay him, so he had to sue them! Imagine!
The best place in Springfield, however, was the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. We were very lucky because this museum had only been open for about two months when we arrived. It is one of the three best museums I have ever visited. It contains life size dioramas of various locations and settings in Lincoln’s life, including the presidential box at Ford’s Theater. What we found most fascinating was the detailed account of the assassination plot, including those involved in the planning and the other people who were targets of the plot (William Seward was savagely stabbed but somehow survived), as well as the fate of the perpetrators. It was visually and auditorily portrayed enabling us to realize the complexity of this event in an emotionally impactful way.
We also visited the Ulysses S. Grant Home in Galena, a charming city in northeast Illinois. Grant and his family moved to Galena in 1861 when he went to work for his father. Julia and the children stayed there in a rented home when he went off to the Civil War in 1861. When he returned as the victorious general in 1865, the citizens bought an Italianate style home for him in gratitude for his service to his country. We found it interesting that in those days, presidential candidates did not necessarily attend conventions. In fact, General Grant was at home in Galena when he learned that he had been nominated for president.
One of the most interesting places we explored in Illinois is the city of Nauvoo, on the Mississippi River. I had never heard of it, but it has a fascinating history. Joseph Smith, founder and leader of the Mormon Church, and his brother Hyrum were killed by a non-Mormon mob in nearby Carthage where they awaited trial. How this came about is a long story, but Joseph Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo at the time of his death. In 1844, Nauvoo had a population of 12,000, rivaling the city of Chicago at that time. Most of the residents were Mormons. (In the 2010 census, the population was 1,149.) On the highest grounds of the city lies the LDS Temple as well as a museum, garden and other historical sites of the Mormon Church. When we drove into town, we went to Hotel Nauvoo Historic Inn and Restaurant for dinner. It was a Saturday evening, and the restaurant was crowded with families waiting in line for the buffet. We asked our waiter, after we sat down with our food, if we could order some wine. He seemed surprised and brought someone else to our table who explained that they only had one kind of wine. She brought us a bottle of what looked like white Zinfandel. It was completely undrinkable, and we realized we were among people who did not drink alcohol and certainly did not know wine!
After dinner we drove to a motel and checked in. As we walked down the hall to our room, we noticed that all the photos on the hallway walls were religious, mostly pictures of Jesus Christ and (we later learned) the angel Moroni. We had never encountered this before in what otherwise appeared to be a regular motel. The next morning, we decided that we would go to Mass. Andy and I were raised Catholic and we usually attended Mass on Sunday when we were traveling. As it happened, the Catholic Church was next door to the LDS Temple. It was completely outsized by the huge white Temple, leading us to recognize which religious group was most important in Nauvoo! After Mass, we drove back to the motel to have breakfast in their restaurant, where we discovered that they served only decaffeinated coffee. Andy doesn’t need coffee in the morning the way I do, but I was afraid I might not survive if I couldn’t have my cup of Java. We were given directions to the one restaurant in town that served regular coffee, so we drove there, only to find a long line of people. I was reassured to know I wasn’t the only coffee fiend in Nauvoo! After breakfast, we took the Temple tour and walked around the other beautifully maintained historic sites. It was from Nauvoo that Brigham Young, successor of Joseph Smith as the leader of the Mormon Church, led the LDS Saints to Salt Lake City.