Great Western Depot

On February 11, 1861, in dismal gray weather and a chilling drizzle, President-elect Lincoln arrived at the Great Western Depot in Springfield at 7:30 A.M., where hundreds of well-wishers waited in the rain. Inside the depot he shook hands, then shortly before eight he returned outside, walked through respectfully parting onlookers to a train car a few yards north of the depot, and from the rear platform delivered his last address to the people of Springfield. The Illinois State Journal said it had known him for many years but had never seen him so profoundly affected or heard him speak with such simple and touching eloquence. The entire event lasted no more than thirty minutes. Lincoln's inaugural journey to Washington, D.C., came amid secession, the formation of a new southern government, arms gathering for war, rumors of plots to seize the capital, and death threats in Springfield. Although Secretary of State designee William Seward urged him to travel by surprise without announcement, Lincoln chose a dramatic public journey, beginning a twelve-day roundabout itinerary through seven states with overnight stops in nine major cities, a kind of pre-inaugural trip not seen since George Washington traveled from Mt. Vernon to New York City in 1789; historians speculate that he hoped it would rally support for the Union.

Springfield, Illinois · United States