Lincoln's Eighth Judicial Circuit - Bloomington-Normal Hub
200 N. Main St., Bloomington, IL 61701
Historic Sites
The home of two of Lincoln’s greatest friends and supporters, Jesse Fell and Judge David Davis, Lincoln spent a great deal of time in Bloomington-Normal, making this an important stop along your journey.
Abraham Lincoln was away from Springfield riding the Eighth Judicial Circuit for nearly six months of the year, three months each spring and three months each fall. At its peak from 1841 to 1847, the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Illinois consisted of fifteen counties. From this, there developed a dynamic interaction between the circuit itself and the communities in which these legal proceedings and peripheral events between great men played out. Stories, artifacts, and connections abound between Abraham Lincoln, the great men of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, and the communities in which this magnificent history was staged.
The Bloomington-Normal hub tour includes sites in the historic downtown where Lincoln practiced law, the building where Jesse Fell suggested that Lincoln make a run for the presidency, and other sites. The accompanying booklet includes photographs, tour directions, maps, and commentary. Special tour markers are placed at the designed stops on the tour.
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