Since I did a lookup on ILL Capps last night I though I would include this
from my files...I thought this was interesting- It mentions Lincoln being taken
to a platform in front of the "Old Capp's House'.
The History of Farmington, IL
Information in this article was taken from the 1984 Farmington
Sesquicentennial Book, originally written by Delores Saunders, Don and Amber Lercher,
Linda
Coulter and Fern Taylor.
EXCERPT:
Abraham Lincoln Honors Farmington
It was on this type of road and by horse and carriage that Abraham Lincoln
traveled when he visited Lewistown and Farmington in 1858, when he was
running for Senator against Douglas.
At Lewistown, a committee headed by Major N. Walker and John W. Proctor
went to meet him. There was a delegation of 78 horsemen and 17 wagons and
buggies. Mr. Lincoln spoke at 2:00 P.M., standing between the central pillars of
the old court house in Lewistown, to possibly 600 to 800 attentive listeners.
It was here that Lincoln delivered the glowing eulogy on the Declaration
of Independence which by the suggestion of the London Times has become an
English classic.
As he was escorted on to Farmington, it was noted that the delegates from
Farmington were: A. Marchant, E. Marchant, G.W. Gooch, A.G. Pinegar, Eli
Crawl, Silas Babitt, M.L. Hoffman, William Finley, and A.H. Montgomery.
Upon arriving in Farmington, he was taken to a platform beautifully
decorated in red, white, and blue, which was located in front of the old CAPP'S
House and here he delivered another of his well-remembered campaign speeches.
During his speech, Thomas Higgs and another young man were taking a load of grain
to the mill and decided to stop and listen. They were not impressed with
this ungainly towering figure until they listened further, and they, like the
rest of the townsfolk were held spellbound.
Following his speech, he left the podium to shake hands with the people,
and noticing a little three year old girl, he picked her up and kissed her.
This child was a daughter of Ahira Jones, and this gesture was never forgotten
by Farmington.
Mr. Lincoln spent the night on East Fort Street, in the home of his old
friend, Rev. John Wilkinson, Pastor of the Episcopal Church.
The little town of Farmington went to sleep unaware they were entertaining
the future sixteenth president of the United States.