Abraham Lincoln and Decatur

Decatur, Illinois is the site of many firsts for Abraham Lincoln. In March of 1830, Lincoln and his family came to Decatur and built their first Illinois home here. It was in Decatur that same year when Lincoln mounted a stump by Harrell’s Tavern and made his first political speech. In 1860, during the Republican Convention, Mr. Lincoln was nominated by John Palmer as a candidate for the presidency of the United States. At that
same event he was given the campaign nickname of “The Rail Splitter” candidate.