Catch up on Day 1 of the ohRV!
I think I’m up for an ohRV update today! It’s been kinda cukoo-crazy around here. I don’t know why…does it just get crazy in general when school is about to start? I’ve got so much to do lately that I’ve been getting up even before my #hellomornings to get work done! (Y’all. BEFORE MY HELLOMORNINGS! I’ve been up at 5am the past few days. Whew.)
OK. But back to the RV. After our quick stop in Kentucky, we drove to New Salem, Illinois. Every heard of it? Somewhere in the recesses of your mind? It’s the town where Abraham Lincoln lived as a young man. Before he was President or even married, he lived in New Salem as a business owner and soon to be lawyer.
It’s interesting because New Salem fell apart after only 12 (or so) years! It was a small village of about 20-30 families (including four churches, I think!) and when bigger towns started developing, the craftsmen left and the town just fizzled out. Isn’t that weird?
Anywhoo, the town has been recreated and you can visit homes, the schoolhouse, the stores and see what life was like in the 1830’s. There were lots of people dressed up to tell you more details and stories about the town (My favorite part? They hung chairs on the wall when they weren’t eating because they had so much work to do they NEVER SAT DOWN ALL DAY.)
I’m just so intrigued by the Civil War era and the Industrial Revolution (and the turn-of-the-century, while we’re at it) because in one way, it’s not that long ago. I just read that the last Civil War veteran died in 1956. How can you be in the Civil War with hoop skirts and slaves and then be alive in 1956 with Elvis and TV? It boggles my mind!
I could have read every single sign and looked at every single piece of every single house. I love to imagine the people living there, what their lives were like and how I would have been in their shoes. (See how much I loved it? I tried to take a picture of myself in front of one of the gardens. It didn’t go so well…)
The kids were really into it, too as it’s also very much the same time period as Laura Ingalls. They recognized many of the tools and housewares from the Little House books.
To help us get to know Abraham Lincoln a little more, before we arrived I read them Abe Lincoln’s Hat, an easy reading book about Abraham Lincoln’s life–with the fun tidbit that Lincoln put important papers inside his trademark hat. So, we wrote encouraging notes to each other and put them inside our hats. It was so fun to see the little notes the kids wrote, “You make me laugh.” or “I love you.” and they really kept them in their hats!
{I also bought Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books at New Salem and it is a great book!}
After leaving New Salem, Aunt Brandy (Y’all know she’s not my aunt, right? She’s my sister-in-law. I’m just trying to keep everyone straight for you. *grin*) set the kids up to make their own log cabins with grooved craft sticks in the RV.
This is right up Asa’s alley, as evidenced by his little concentrating tongue.
We loved New Salem and could have stayed there so much longer–but we have places to go! people to see! So, we were off to Iowa that night. We let the kids watch an Abraham Lincoln movie in the back “bedroom”, then tucked them into the bed above the cab so we could pull into an insane campground with about a billion people up at 11pm including two Harley Davidson-riding folks who thought it would be fun to ride around the campground.
Next ohRV adventure: Amana Colonies, the Fourth of July and the disappointment in my GPS.
So, have you ever been to New Salem?
I’ve just learned so much from this post! (1) That’s fascinating that the last Civil War vet died in 1956. He must have been a very young soldier or a very old man, or more likely both. I’m going to have to look that up. When my parents were visiting we were talking about my dad’s grandfather who was born just after the Civil War, or maybe before, anyway, it made me want to study history in light of our own family history. If that makes sense. Like study the civil war and say your great great great grandfather fought in the civil war and stuff like that. I think something important in the Revolutionary War happened near a relative’s house in New England too. I need to look into that.
(2) I’ve heard of New Salem but we’ve never been. It can’t be that far so I need to look into doing that this year I wonder if it’s closer to us than Springfield? Hummm…
(3) I never knew those sticks could be used for building! I just always thought they were fancy for no particular reason. I love it!
(4) Asa is looking so grown up! (I didn’t really learn that, it’s more of an observation.) 🙂
Just checked, it’s farther away but looks so cool!
You are cracking me up! Yes, I’m the same way…I hear things and want to KNOW and look it up and see how it connects to me!
a
I live within driving distance of New Salem. In the fall they have an evening where the place is glowing with candles and the artisans are in costume to play the fiddle, give you a sample of warm cider, and tell about the ppl who lived in the cabins. It is delightful.
I’m so glad you found this little jewel of history.
Awww, how cool! I would love to go back for that!
a
SO fun. Cannot wait to read the rest of the OhRV installments!
Oh my! Asa looks like a teenager sitting on the wagon wheel!!! So grown up!!!
No! No teenagers!!! *sob*
ps–I emailed you some kindle books today. Did you get ’em?
Yes I did!!! Thank you!!! Perfect for vacation!! I appreciate it!!
Thanks for sharing the trip and this visit to the Lincoln site. We missed this site three years ago, but instead did Springfield on the way up to Chicago. I have a few blog posts about the Presidential museum and library there. We also went out to the cemetery where his memorial lies. That’s where we got to “rub Abe’s nose”. The kids remind me of it often. Love these kinds of trips!
http://mundanemagic.com/?s=springfield