Abraham Lincoln & the I&M Canal Exhibit travels to Springfield

The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition in collaboration with the Old State Capitol State Historic Site is hosting the Canal Corridor Association’s Abraham Lincoln and the I&M Canal exhibit during the month of February. The exhibit explores Abraham Lincoln’s connection to the Illinois & Michigan Canal from his early days in Illinois and the creation of the Illinois & Michigan Canal to his desire to expand it during his Presidency. The Illinois & Michigan Canal is a 96-miles hand dug canal that stretches between LaSalle and Chicago, Illinois. When completed in 1848, the Illinois & Michigan Canal was the final link in a national plan to connect different regions of the vast North American continent via waterways, linking the waters of the Illinois River (and ultimately the Mississippi River) with those of Lake Michigan.

The exhibit is on loan from the Canal Corridor Association, the coordinating entity for the I&M Canal National Heritage Area. The exhibit is located on the first floor of the Old State Capitol and will be on exhibit during normal operating hours during the month of February.

The Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition is the coordinating entity for the 42 county Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area which is a partnership of organizations and individuals dedicated to enhancing the communities and landscapes of central Illinois through recognition and support of their significant natural, cultural and historical legacies. Few individuals have so profoundly influenced American history as did Abraham Lincoln. Millions around the world are inspired by the story of Lincoln’s rise from humble beginnings to the presidency, his qualities of integrity and courage, and his decisive leadership which carried a fragile nation through on of its most trying periods.

For more information about the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, go to www.lookingforlincoln.com.