Classroom

James Jaquess was a Methodist Preacher whom came to be the first president of MacMurray College, or the Illinois Conference Female Academy as it was referred to then. The home was built by John Henry between 1848-1853, but MacMurray College did not possess the building until 1925. From 1925-1929 it was used as a dorm building for girls at the college, but then became the home of President Jaquess. Lincoln and Jaquess first met in Petersburg. For a Methodiest Church Jaquess rode the circuit, and Lincoln was on the Eighth Judicial Circuit at the time as a lawyer. They became better acquainted when they both came to reside in Jacksonville,&nbsp;Jaquess was here as a minister and Lincoln was a lawyer at the time.&nbsp;<br><br>During the Civil War, James Jaquess joined the Army.&nbsp;Due to him and many other ministers their unit came to be referred to as the "Preacher Regiment". Lincoln gave Jaquess various missions throughout the war, and trusted Jaquess to carry them out. Jaquess met with Confederate Leader Jefferson Davis and discussed peace options. Jefferson stated that the South demanded they be able to stay independent&nbsp;or they would not accept peace. Jaquess relayed the information back to Lincoln. Jaquess traveled a lot for his missions, and Lincoln claimed he would pay him back for the expenses, but he was assassinated&nbsp;before he could do so. Jaquess was however paid back an amount of roughly $6,719 by the U.S. on what would have been Lincoln's 64th birthday. Jaquess had also given multiple speeches to aid in the reelection of Lincoln in 1864.&nbsp;<br>

The Looking for Lincoln sign located outside of the house.

Learn more about the missions that Lincoln gave Jaquess here!

More Info

This is the previous home of Methodist Minister and first MacMurray College President James Jaquess

James Jaquess House

The companion tour for "Looking for Lincoln's" wayside exhibits in Jacksonville, IL.

<b>Early IC History</b><br>Whipple hall, as you see it today, was built in 1882 for a cost of just $7,000. Whipple Hall, however, was not always Whipple Hall. It all started in 1869 when the Trustees of Illinois College thought that there was a need for a preparatory school for upcoming students&nbsp;that were planning on attending Illinois College, but were not quite ready for college yet. The first Whipple Academy was built on the Jacksonville square. This was funded by a man named Dr. Samuel L. Whipple, who donated $10,000 to the Whipple Academy project. This man is from whom Whipple Hall earned it's name, as you probably guessed.<br><br>Inside of Whipple Hall you will find some interesting things, such as the congressional hall of fame, and the Paul Findley museum. The congressional hall of fame is a tradition within Illinois College where they will hang a picture up of any student that ever attended the college who became a US senator or representative. The Paul Findley museum is a section of the building that has been dedicated ti Paul Findley, a former congressmen and graduate of Illinois college. Within the museum there are various items from Findley's history and life. However perhaps the most interesting one is a couch made from horse that is believed to have originally belonged to Abraham Lincoln himself.<br><br><b>IC Ghost Stories</b><span><p>Whipple Hall&nbsp; serves as a meeting place for the Alpha Phi Omega and Pi Pi Rho literary societies. It was during a Pi Pi Rho event that a ghostly encounter supposedly occurred. A woman withdrew from the event to find a personal&nbsp;item on the Alpha Phi Omega floor, which is in the upper part of the hall. As she ascended the stairs, she noticed a man dressed completely in grey waiting in the middle section of the staircase. Upon closer examination, the woman noticed his face was missing, and this specter became known as the “Gray Ghost” across campus (Taylor and Horton).</p><div><br></div></span>

Whipple Hall was built in 1882, and is named after Dr. Samuel L. Whipple. Whipple hall was originally called Whipple academy, and was used as a prep school for students wishing to attend Illinois College.

Whipple Hall

<div><b>Early IC History</b><br>Plans for the construction of Beecher Hall began in 1829, and it became known as the state’s first college campus building when it was completed in 1830. The building was named to honor Edward Beecher, the first president of Illinois College and an anti-slavery activist. Beecher was a member of a notable abolitionist family, and his sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, penned the popular anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (“Beecher Hall”). Edward Beecher travelled to Jacksonville, Illinois after earning a degree from Yale and leaving a pastoral position at a church in Boston.Beecher and other Illinois College faculty members established an anti-slavery sentiment throughout the college campus, despite the varied beliefs of the Jacksonville community during this time period. In 1837, Edward Beecher assisted Elijah Lovejoy, an abolitionist printer, with the establishment of the Illinois Anti-Slavery Society (Rammelkamp, 109). When Lovejoy was shot and killed by pro-slavery supporters in Alton, Illinois, Illinois College students and faculty upheld their anti-slavery beliefs, even though the college’s “radical” views caused funding and enrollment cuts. Students often expressed their anti-slavery views in the classrooms of Beecher Hall, and some even went as far as to assist slaves on their journeys to freedom. Because of their actions, the National Parks Service recognized Beecher Hall as an official Underground Railroad site (“Beecher Hall”).</div><div><br></div><div>The first medical school in Illinois was housed in Beecher Hall from 1843-1848. Although it was rather successful, there is no definite proof as to why the medical school closed in 1848. Some say medical students obtained cadavers from the local hospital, which caused great controversy. Others speculate instructors were not satisfied with their compensation for leaving their private practices (Rammelkamp, 100). Beecher Hall has also served as a dormitory, library, and meeting place for college organizations. It is still used by the Sigma Pi and Phi Alpha literary societies today, which were founded back in 1836. Lincoln came to deliver many a speech there, as he was an honorary member of the society, thanks to his association with Dr. William Jayne, one of the founders of the society, and Julian Sturtevant, the president of the college at the time.</div><div><br></div><div><b>IC Ghost Stories</b></div><div>Members of the Sigma Pi and Phi Alpha literary societies have reported hearing peculiar footsteps on the upper floor of Beecher Hall. Literary society members claim that a person can hear footsteps from the adjacent room, even if one follows the sound to another room. Many students believe the footsteps are created by the “ghost” of William Jennings Bryan, a great speaker and politician who was a member of Sigma Pi at IC. However, another account claims the body cadavers used by the medical school were stored in the attic of the building, which could possibly be the cause of the phantom footsteps (Taylor and Horton)</div>

Beecher Hall is a building of firsts for Illinois. It was the state's first college campus building, and it housed the original medical school in Illinois. Beecher Hall also represents Illinois College's anti-slavery roots. 

Beecher Hall

<p>Between the years
of 1852-1854 David A. Smith purchased this estate and built a house on it for
an estimated cost of $15,000. This Federal-style two story house has the
original construction from 1854, which was designed by David A. Smith himself.
This house was made from a foundation of stone and brick, walls of wood, and an
asphalt shingle roof. The Federal style architecture includes symmetrical,
elegant, and simple characteristics. The grand porch on the front of the house
is Greek Revival Style because it has an ornate design, and a few columnns. The
house included 16 rooms for residence, 6 staircases, and 11 fireplaces. A
walnut staircase is featured in the foyer. This estate also included orchards,
pastures, smokehouses, and outbuildings that went south to the Mauvaisterre
Creek.</p>

<p>David A. Smith
was an attorney in the city of Jacksonville, and he was also a great friend of
our sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln had
legal business in Jacksonville, he used Smith’s law office as his headquarters.
There are records that indicate that Lincoln and Smith were associated with 68
cases as either co-counselors or opposing attorneys.</p>

<p>Today, The David
A. Smith house is still in use on Illinois College’s campus. The Federal-style home houses the three women’s Literary
Societies, the Gamma Deltas, the Chi Betas and the women of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
There is a parlor for all of them to use, but the Delts use a room on the main
floor while the Betas and the Sig Phip’s have rooms on the second floor. The
attic is used by all the groups but there is also a dining room, a kitchen and
an apartment at the back of the house that are also in use by the societies.</p>

<p>In
2013 Smith’s great-great-great granddaughter Carolyn Lansden Whittle donated a
portrait of her grandfather along with a letter from President Lincoln to Smith.
Smith was an abolitionist and a former trustee of Illinois College. The oil
painting had been hanging in Whittle’s home in Westchester County, NY for more
than 40 years and includes a brass plaque stating “David A. Smith, 1804-1865.”
Whittle believes it was painted around 1840 to 1850, and the artist of the
portrait is unknown. </p>

<p>Rumor
has it that the David A. Smith house is also one of the most haunted sites on
Illinois College’s campus. The story goes as follows: </p>

<p>There
are several versions of the historic legend of the ghost in the David A. Smith
House, but all of them claim that she is the daughter of the original owner and
that her name was Effie Smith. Effie was being courted by a young man from town
and they eventually became engaged. When he proposed to her, he gave her a
diamond ring and she was said to have scratched the diamond against her bedroom
window to see if it was real. When Effie realized that the diamond was not fake,
she then etched her signature into the glass and her name remained for years
after. The original window has been removed recently and the small and unusual
piece of history has been lost forever. The story begins to take different
paths after the first legend had been told. In one version of the story, David
Smith did not approve of his daughter’s new fiancée and he literally locked
Effie into a closet one day when the man came looking for Effie. Fearful of her
father, the young man hid himself in a small room that was only accessible from
the attic. The man then nailed himself in the room to try and escape from David
Smith. He later died in the room. Per students who have been in the attic, the
nails are still visible today. They are nailed from the other side of the door.
When Effie learned that her lover had passed on, she then threw herself out from
an upstairs window and died during the fall. </p>

<p><span>In
the second version of the story, Effie’s young man had left the area to fight
in the Civil War. Every day, Effie climbed up to the attic and watched for him
to return. When she later learned that he had been killed in battle, she had committed
suicide by once again, jumping out of the window.<br>
<br>
Another story of the legend is that after Effie was neglected by her lover and
she again committed suicide. Regardless of what happened, the story says that
she had killed herself and has since then returned to haunt the house.<br>
<br>
Effie’s rocking chair is still located in the attic. The chair faces the window
looking out where she had “sat” waiting for her lover to return from war.
Legends say that if you move the chair away from the window, leave the attic
and then come back, the chair will have returned to its original position. This
window is in a storage area for the Chi Beta literary society and, every year
they test the chair and discover that the story is true. A past Illinois
College student walked into the room one day and the door suddenly slammed
closed behind her. It is also not uncommon for cold air to suddenly fill the
room in the attic. Even though for years the windows were painted shut, it was
said that ice cold wind would often come from the window with Effie’s name
etched on the glass.<br>
<br>
Another interesting feature in the David A. Smith house is the tunnel that once
exited from the dirt basement. This tunnel was once supposed to have been connected
to other buildings on campus and was said to have been used during the years of
the Underground Railroad. As connected with the abolitionist system there were
secrets that were always kept, and no records exist. Therefore, this legend
cannot be proved to see if the stories are true. Today, the tunnel is boarded
up and the stories continue. </span></p>

<p>The
David A. Smith adds personality to the history loving city, Jacksonville,
Illinois; but Illinois College’s campus would not function the same without it
either. </p>

The David A. Smith House has significant history to not only Jacksonville, IL, but to Illinois College. David A. Smith a lawyer, but also a trustee of Illinois College from 1842 until death do him part in 1865. His home that was built in 1854 is used today for the meeting space for the women’s literary societies at the college. It also is a popular destination for tourists and research scholars interested in studying the period of the 1850s and 1860s. In addition to being a part of Illinois College, Smith was also a colleague of our sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln had legal business in Jacksonville the David A. Smith House was where his law office was held. 

David A. Smith House

The Governor Duncan mansion is located just one mile away from the center of Jacksonville, at the corner of Webster and Lafayette. It is especially significant for being the official Illinois State Governor’s mansion, not just Duncan’s mansion, as there was no mansion in the state capital, Vandalia, at that time.  Construction began on this house back in 1833, but it would not be completed until 1835, the year after Joseph Duncan was elected Governor of Illinois. The home is of Georgian architecture with a definite Colonial design. The roof, in particular, was sourced from the American colonies from the mid-18th century. During the mid-1830’s this house was the place to be. Joseph Duncan, born in 1794, had served in the war of 1812 and had been elected to Congress in 1826 before becoming the governor of Illinois. The building’s design was inspired from the Washington D.C home of Matthew St. Clair Clark, who served on the U.S house of representatives for many years. Of course, as it was quite the spectacle, Duncan hosted many a social gathering there. These people include Daniel Webster and his wife, Alexander Hamilton, and Colonel John J. Hardin. But by far the most famous person who showed up on the Duncan doorstep was none other than Abraham Lincoln. According to the form that was submitted to the national register of historic places, Abe Lincoln became associated with the governor when he was serving as the Sangamon county representative in the Illinois legislature. They apparently became very close, with Lincoln having voted for him three times during Duncan’s career in the government. Sadly, Duncan passed away in 1844, which means that he wasn’t able to do the same for him. It also meant that he wouldn’t be able to see Lincoln when he gave his speech in Beecher hall in 1859. However, it is probable that Lincoln visited Mrs. Duncan during his visit, as she did not die until 1862. In 1865, the same year that Lincoln was assassinated, The Duncan Family rented out the property to The State of Illinois, which turned into the first Illinois Institution for Idiotic children. After that, the building got listed on the national register of historic places in 1971. It still stands as one of the most Iconic historical locations in the central Illinois area.

Governor Duncan Mansion

<span><p>In 1822, Newton Bateman was born in New Jersey. At the age of 11, his family traveled to Illinois to live. From a young age, Bateman had the desire to attend and graduate from Illinois College. Bateman entered into his profession as an educator at the age of 23. He began teaching at a private school that he started. Afterwards, he taught mathematics at St. Charles College in Missouri. Upon moving back to Illinois several years later, he became a school principal in Jacksonville. He bought this home in 1851 and expanded it in the following years. In 1859, he was elected Illinois state superintendent of instruction. He served five terms in the position. Afterwards, he was the president of Knox College from 1875 to 1893. Bateman’s work at the college helped shape the college into one of the best in the midwest.</p><p>Bateman first met Abraham Lincoln while he was attending Illinois College in 1842. During his time at IC, Bateman helped create the fraternal-literary group Sigma Phi Society. The group made Lincoln an honorary member.</p><p>Bateman was one of the people to deliver the official convention delegation to the Lincoln house in Springfield after Abraham Lincoln received the Republican presidential nomination in May of 1860. Bateman met with Lincoln and discussed his selection. The two had close contact while both working in Springfield. Bateman had a fondness for Lincoln, stating, “the very streets seemed brighter when Abraham Lincoln appeared in them.”</p><div><br></div></span>

This Gothic Revival-style home belonged to Newton Bateman in the 1850s. He was an educator and friend of Abraham Lincoln. Bateman was a principal of West Jacksonville District School, which is believed to be the first free public high school in Illinois. Bateman and Lincoln became friends after they had offices next to each other in the Illinois Capitol in Springfield before Lincoln left for Washington D.C. 

Newton Bateman House

<p>Throughout the early
1850’s, Abraham Lincoln, new to the world of politics, remained a relatively
unknown figure. It was during 1854 that he delivered various speeches across
the Midwest, criticizing slavery and the recently passed Kansas-Nebraska Act,
and his rousing speeches earned him prevalence. His well-known Peoria speech is
largely cited as what put him on the map, a scathing criticism of the
Kansas-Nebraska act. However, in spite of his growing popularity, many doubted
him and his resolve for never officially declaring himself to any of the major
political parties. As stated by his legal partner, William H. Herdon, he was
seen to “float forever about in the great political sea without compass, rudder
or sail.”</p>

<p>Surprisingly,
his eventual joining of the Republican party was not actually conducted of his
own volition, though he did recognize his need to officially declare allegiance.
In 1856, his law partner, Herdon, had signed Lincoln’s name in addition to his
own during the summons to the Republican State convention, having obtained
Lincoln’s permission by telegraph only after his name was already on the paper.
After his speech at the Bloomington convention was met with booming applause,
he quickly became one of the most requested speakers in the region, hearkening
back to his early days. Traveling all over the Midwest, supporting the
Republican party’s nominations for governor and president, Lincoln continued to
gain favor among the abolitionists of the region. One such speech was delivered
here, in the Jacksonville front of the Jacksonville Courthouse, once again
criticizing the Kansas-Nebraska act. In an unknowingly prophetic statement, Jacksonville
resident Joseph O. King, deeply inspired by the speech, proudly declared, “…and
when he came out sharp and strong against slavery, I threw up my hat and
shouted, ‘Hurray for Abe Lincoln for president of the United States.’ ” . As a speaker,
Lincoln’s success during this time led to him becoming a figurehead of the
Republican party, earning his
nomination for Illinois State Senator in 1858, and indeed, as President in 1860.</p>

One of Jacksonville's Walldog murals. This one commemorates one of Lincoln's early political speeches, delivered in front of the court house during 1854.

Mural of Lincoln's Antislavery Speech

This is the location of one of the many debates held by Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas over the 1858 senate race. The two did not debate at the same time, but rather came separately on different dates to discuss their political campaign and to attempt to win votes for the senate seat for Illinois in Jacksonville. <br><br>Stephen A. Douglas was born April 23, 1813 and became enthralled in politics very early in his life. Before running for Illinois senator in 1858, Douglas successfully was elected as state's attorney for the First Judicial Circuit, Register of the Land Office in Springfield, chairman of the Democratic State Committee, Secretary of State for Illinois, House of Representatives member for Illinois, Illinois Supreme Court Justice, along with many other notable positions.&nbsp;He&nbsp;gave one of his speeches in Jacksonville, IL three weeks before Abraham Lincoln. He was not unfamiliar with the Jacksonville area, because he lived in Jacksonville from 1833 to 1837. In that time, he became fascinated with Andrew Jackson, from whom the town had been named after, and left to pursue his legislative career in Springfield, IL. The speech given in Central Park, Jacksonville, IL was just one of 130 speeches Douglas made during this election.<br><br>On September 27th, 1858, Lincoln spoke about his political career and his applicability for the Illinois senator position.This is just one of 63 speeches Abraham Lincoln held across the state of Illinois and he spoke for approximately two and a half hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br><div><div><div></div></div></div>

The northeast side of the Jacksonville Square is the location where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas had a debate for the 1858 Senate Race.

Location of the 1858 Senate Race Debate

<span>At 453 East State Street, the former home of Richard Yates lies. He was born January 18th, 1815, and was in the first ever class to graduate from Illinois College. Throughout his career, Yates met Abraham Lincoln on several occasions and shared similar values to him. After Illinois College, Yates got a law degree and began participating in politics and became a very prominent member of the Whig party. Although Abraham Lincoln was not in the Whig party, he gave a recommendation on Richard Yates’ behalf for reelection on the congressional district. <br></span>When Yates lost the election, he focused his energy on helping Abraham Lincoln’s senate and eventual presidential campaign from 1860-1864. After Abraham Lincoln took office, Richard Yates was appointed as governor of Illinois and remained there through the American Civil War, in which he kept close contact with Lincoln. Until Lincoln’s eventual death before the end of the American Civil War, the two would remain close friends. Richard Yates is quoted as being one of the very last people Lincoln visited before his death.&nbsp;<br>

"Home of Richard Yates Civil War Governor of Illinois 1845-1873"

Richard Yates 

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;John J. Hardin first became an attorney in Jacksonville in the 1830s. He and Lincoln were both local lawyers and members of the Whig party, however actually had a rivalry as they fought for leadership among the Whigs. However, despite their rivalry, Hardin still rushed to Alton when he got word of a duel that was going to happen between Lincoln and James Shields. in September of 1842, Shields, a political rival of Lincoln, was upset about a newspaper article supposedly written by Lincoln. Shields challenged Lincoln to a duel, and they had decided to use broadswords in their fight.&nbsp;When Hardin was informed of the upcoming duel he and Dr. Revel W. English went straight to Lincoln and Shields to stop the battle. They used the friendship they had with both men to prevent the fight from happening.&nbsp;<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Lincoln and Hardin worked together on many things, but they were never actually friends. In 1843 Lincoln campaigned for Hardin as he ran for Congress, however when the time came, Lincoln did not vote for him. They experienced a decade long rivalry, but when Hardin died, and later when Lincoln became president, he looked after what Hardin had left behind. Lincoln appointed Hardin's brother-in-law to a Panama diplomatic position and made sure Hardin's widow was in good shape. Lincoln also referred to Hardin as "our best Whig," and said he was a "man of desperate energy and perseverance who ‘never backs out’ and who was ‘talented, energetic, usually generous and magnanimous." Lincoln knew that Hardin was a worthy rival of his, but was still willing to admit the good qualities that Hardin possessed.<br><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Folklore says, the Hardin family hosted a party, and John J. Hardin actually invited Lincoln to the party, knowing his cousin Mary Todd would be there. They say this party is where Lincoln and Mary Todd rekindled their romance.<br>

Whig Rivals and Friends

<p>The youngest son of two Scotch-Irish
immigrants, Benjamin Grierson, even from a young age, possessed voracious
interest in music. As his mother still held strong ties to her homeland, Benjamin
recalls being raised on old Irish folksongs, and he quickly learned an
impressive variety of instruments. By the time he had reached adulthood, he was
regularly giving music lessons to those interested, organizing his own troupe,
and even playing campaign music for William H. Harrison in 1840. &nbsp;He had also courted, and would eventually
marry, Alice Kirk, a fellow Scotch-Irish immigrant from the area. By this time,
the entire Grierson family took advantage of the economic opportunities in the
West, and moved to Jacksonville Illinois. The couple spent a few years living
in their in-law’s house, but with the birth of their first son, the two wasted
no time in purchasing their own house in Meredosia, where he started a
storefront. It would not be until later that they would return to the family
home in Jacksonville. At this time, he once again took an interest in politics.
A member of the republican party, Grierson wrote a campaign song for Lincoln’s
candidacy, and the two eventually started a correspondence. Supposedly, Lincoln
even spent a night in the Meredosia home.</p>

<p>While the
Grierson family always shared a mutual contempt for slavery, none had taken a
definite stand against it. However, as political tensions finally boiled over,
and the Civil War began, Grierson, who had fallen upon economic hardships,
began to look for work as a Union soldier to support his family. An old friend
of his, Benjamin Prentiss, had recently achieved the rank of Illinois’
Brigadier General, was quick to offer Grierson a job serving as aide-de-camp.
Over the course of several years, Grierson quickly found himself rising in the
ranks as a cavalry officer, and eventually Chief of Cavalry for the Sixteenth
Army Corps. He distinguished himself the most upon performing what would become
“Grierson’s Raid”, one instrumental in Grant’s advances on Vicksburg, and the
Union’s victory as a whole. Even after the Civil war, he still continued his military
career in the Indian Wars, commanding the US 10th cavalry regiment,
an all-Black regiment that would become more well-known as the buffalo.</p>

<p>While Benjamin Grierson himself
moved frequently due to his line of work, his wife and children were almost permanent
residents of their Jacksonville home, Alice occasionally leaving Jacksonville
to live with him for brief stints. In some cases, the older children would be
left under the care of Louisa Grierson, Benjamin’s sister. Following his
retirement in 1890, he would live between the Jacksonville home and his Texas
ranch up until his death in 1911. Land rights to the home were never
established, and was seemingly lost to the Grierson lineage following the death
of Lillian, his second wife.</p>

The long-time home of Benjamin H. Grierson. Grierson was a talented musician who wrote music for Lincoln's presidential campain, but he is more well known for his work in the military, serving as a cavalry commander during the Civil War, and the Indian Wars. Grierson was known to have been a personal friend of Lincoln.

Looking For Lincoln: Jacksonville

James Jaquess House

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information