It's arguably the most famous speech in American history, and from November 13th through November 26th, you can check out one of 5 surviving copies of the Gettysburg Address (handwritten by Abraham Lincoln) at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.
How's that for a teaser? Who is Illinois' 2nd most famous resident? And, for that matter, who is the 1st most famous? And really, being Illinois, "went to prison" could mean a lot of different famous people.
Abraham Lincoln, a long-time Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals season-ticket holder, used to show up at both Wrigley Field and Busch Stadium Cubs-Cardinals games in disguise to avoid a violent reaction from either team's fans should the crowd think Lincoln was choosing one squad over the other. Deep down though, Honest Abe bled Cubbie blue.
If you've never taken the trip down to Springfield to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, you've been missing out on one of the coolest museum experiences that Illinois has to offer. And, now that experience just got a little more interesting.
Having just returned from a trip to Washington, DC, I can tell you that you learn a lot about our nation's 16th president and Illinois' favorite son, Abraham Lincoln, just by walking around. The fact that Lincoln had a inventor's mind comes as news to some people.