Today we crossed the Mississippi River. We truly are on the last leg of our adventure. Wayne is missing the traffic free roads and Peggy is missing the wide open spaces of the west!
We decided to again change our itinerary and break up the drive with a detour to the Springfield IL home of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. In 1877, Robert Lincoln donated the home to the state of Illinois who preserved it until it was created as a National Historic Site in 1971. The Lincolns purchased the one and one-half story cottage in 1844 and gradually added to it as their family grew. The major change occurred in 1855 – 1856 when they added a second floor.
It was wonderful to see their home with the original furnishings and to get a glimpse of the private side of President and Mrs. Lincoln.