Historical day-tripping in the Land of Lincoln

Central Illinois offers an array of unusual museums and historic attractions near the capital city. If you’re looking for diversion on roads less traveled, and you have the time, we recommend these curiosities.

Abraham Lincoln’s Long Nine Museum

Traveling from New Salem to Springfield, Abraham Lincoln often stopped at Col. Matthew Rogers’ general store and post office. Here Lincoln and eight other Illinois lawmakers celebrated the move of the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. Because the nine legislators averaged more than six feet in height, the group became known as the “Long Nine.” The building where they met and where Lincoln once visited with Col. Rogers is now known as the Long Nine Museum and features an audio diorama that describes the meetings of the Long Nine. In the basement of the building is the fireplace that originally sat in Rogers’ home.

The Long Nine Museum is at 200 S. Main St. in Athens, just seven miles east of the New Salem Historic Site. Open June 1-Sept.1, Tue.-Sat. 1 p.m.-5 p.m., and by appointment. 217-636-8755. Go to www.abrahamlincolnlongninemuseum.com.

Allis-Chalmers Museum

Dale Haymaker of Paris, Ill., has a treat for those fascinated with the Persian-orange farm equipment. Haymaker’s museum, located on his farm, is devoted to all things Allis- Chalmers. Three buildings make up the museum. One houses a 1950sera Allis-Chalmers dealership dis play, filled with hundreds of stock parts, plus minibikes, generators, electric motors, a golf cart, a Terra Tiger, several snowblowers, power units and lots and lots of memorabilia and literature. A room in a second building features more than 100 Allis-Chalmers toys. A third building holds Haymaker’s collection of 60 Allis-Chalmers tractors, from 1914- 1957, including several rare models.

The Allis-Chalmers Museum is at 9688 North 2200 Street – just off U.S. Highway 150, about seven miles east of Paris. Open year-round by appointment only. 217-275-3428. Go to allischalmersmuseum.com.

The Anderson Mansion

Built in the late 1850s, the two-story Anderson Mansion in Carlinville is filled with antiques and collectibles and now serves as the home of the Macoupin County Historical Society. The home offers miniature displays, depicting life in mid-America during the 1800s, military memorabilia, medical practices of the time and details on Macoupin County history. On the grounds is a blacksmith shop, an old one-room schoolhouse, a country store and a newly constructed print shop. Recently a large display building was constructed to house the vehicles and farm machinery collected by the Macoupin Agricultural Antique Association. There are three major events each year: the Spring Festival, the Arts and Crafts Fall Festival, and the Christmas Show.

The Anderson Mansion is at 920 W. Breckenridge St. in Carlinville. Open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wed. Group tours by appointment. Admission: $3 adults, $1 children. 217-854-2850. Go to www.macsociety.org.

C.H. Moore Homestead and Museum

C.H. Moore was a friend and legal colleague of Abraham Lincoln’s. Originally built in the 1850s, the house was purchased and renamed The Homestead by Moore in 1880. The mansion in Clinton features a two-story library with a vaulted ceiling and four-season windows. Here Moore shared his extensive collection of more than 7,000 volumes with friends and family. Uniquely designed round bookcases are still in place in the library. In the dining room is a parquet floor consisting of five different woods and surrounded by a brocade border. The basement houses the Kent Museum, which includes a chronicle of the early history of DeWitt County, World War I weapons, Indian artifacts, historical pictures, clothing and local artifacts. Large farm buildings behind the house hold antique farm equipment, a telephone exhibit, antique carriages and buggies and an operational blacksmith shop. At the fall Apple and Pork Festival, Sept. 24, 25, 2011, sample mouthwatering apple and pork treats – from pork chili, BBQ ribs and pig ears to apple fritters, taffy apples, cider and, of course, apple pie! There’s also live entertainment, hundreds of crafters and a flea market with more than 300 vendors. The home is open at that time and the festival offers a great outing for the entire family.

The Moore Homestead and Museum is at 219 E. Woodlawn St. in Clinton, 217-935-6066. Open from April until December, museum hours are 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tue.-Sat.; 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Adults $3. Children 12-18 $1. Go to www.chmoorehomestead.org.

Homestead Prairie Farm

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996 and part of the Macon County Conservation District, this site began life in 1850 as a one-room log home. Joseph Trobaugh, a farmer and sawmill operator, bought the property from the original builder, whose identity is now unknown. Trobaugh and his wife, Elizabeth, added to the home. Civil War veteran Emanuel Good and his family were the next to live there. The home is filled with items reflecting the rural lifestyle on the prairie during the years just before the outbreak of the Civil War. Graced by heirloom-variety roses, an herb garden and an heirloom-vegetable garden, The Homestead is frozen in time. Public programs are offered on the first and third Sundays of the month, June- October.

The Homestead Prairie Farm is at Rock Springs Nature Center, 3939 Nearing Lane in Decatur, 217-423- 7708. Free tours are offered June- October from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Special tours and programs may be scheduled by appointment at other times for students or various groups. Go to www.maconcountyconservation.org/historic.php.

Governor Oglesby Mansion

Gov. Richard J. Oglesby, who was a friend and political ally of Honest Abe, lived in this historic mansion he built in 1874. It is operated by the Macon County Historical Society. Elected governor three times, Oglesby was also a U.S. senator and made a small fortune in the California gold rush. He served in the military, fighting in both the Mexican War and Civil War, ending his military career as a general. The Italianate style of the mansion is accented by period furnishings with several items actually owned by the Oglesby family. In 1880, Ulysses S. Grant stopped to see the governor.

The mansion will be open for tours every Wednesday and Saturday from 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. in June, July and August and the last Sunday of the month from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. from March through November. Call 217- 429-9422. Admission is $2. More information can be found at www.oglesbymansion.org.

Hieronymous Mueller Museum

For something truly different, stop in the Hieronymous Mueller Museum in Decatur. It holds examples of the more than 500 patented inventions Mueller created. He was known as a pioneer in the development of the automobile, and he and his family invented the water-cooled radiator, the spark plug and variable speed transmission, along with plumbing and gas equipment.

Open Thursday-Saturday from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults and $1.50 for children. The museum is at 420 W. Eldorado, Decatur. 217-423-6161. Go to www.muellermuseum.org.

J.H. Hawes Grain Museum

Built in 1904, the state’s only wooden grain elevator operated until 1976. It was purchased by the city of Atlanta in 1988 and restored in 1993. A museum inside the elevator demonstrates the unique systems used to empty horse-drawn wagons and later unload grain trucks. The museum also includes a brick engine house and a wooden scale house/office.

The elevator is open for public tours 1-3 p.m. each Sun., June-August. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. The J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum is at 301 S.W. Second Street in Atlanta – just one block off Rt. 66. Call 217-648- 574 for tours. Go to www.haweselevator.org.

Southwestern Farm and Home Museum

John Stampe, a retired farmer, built a living memorial to farmers in Shipman, 70 miles south and west of Springfield. Inside his museum are items depicting farming in the past and giving visitors insight into rural life. Antiques on display include a grinding stone, reaper, wagon, horse drill, bobsled and household items. Although Stampe is gone, niece Carol Barnett and her husband, Wayne Barnett, and other volunteers continue to operate the museum and a nearby one-room schoolhouse. The highlight of the site’s year is the Labor Day Weekend Fall Festival and Quilt Show.

The Southwestern Farm Museum is at Shipman Community Park, Route 16 and Park Street, in Shipman. Open April-Nov. Fri.-Sun. Admission: $2 per adult and $1 per child. 618-729-3278.