Last Spring, Sylvia's grade went to the McLean County Museum of History on a field trip. She was so excited about it when she came home, and has asked several times this summer if we could use the family free pass they gave her and go as a family. The kids and I had a great time there today!
Around the Bloomington area, there are 12 stations that are part of the Looking for Lincoln Story Trail. We stopped at a couple of them without really realizing that there are more--215 around the state. We are always amazed, though, learning about things that Lincoln did in the area where we now live!
The museum is in a beautiful building that was Bloomington's 4th courthouse.
We learned about how and why different peoples came to McLean County from around the country and world.
We even heard a few recorded conversations from some important Bloomington folks.
There were several old instruments throughout the museum that I found very interesting--like this melodian.
Sylvia loves to imagine living in different time periods.
A few years ago, while geocaching near our home, we learned about the Kickapoo Native American Indians who once lived in our area and how they were driven out. The kids were so touched by the story and are fascinated with the Kickapoo. Today we learned that at one time their leader created an entire religion for them and they were known as "The Praying Kickapoo." A part of the Kickapoo that now lives in Kansas still practice this religion.
Caeden looks a lot too happy about being locked in jail, doesn't he? And, I don't know how comfy that big chair is for Annah...
There are many, many interesting local artifacts displayed in the museum!
There used to be a music store in our tiny neighboring town, Saybrook!
The State Farm exhibit was interesting to us, since it is the company that has provided Jeremy work for over 15 years now.
This cider press looks a lot like the one my Uncle Earl has!
The doors and their doorknobs in this building are huge and beautiful! They remind us a little of the ones at home--or are at least probably from about the same time period.
We read a lot about Asahel Gridley today! He was a banker, an Illinois state senator, responsible for bringing the railroad through central Illinois, an investor, and hired Abraham Lincoln to be his lawyer. He was largely responsible for the success of Bloomington, Illinois in the 1800's.
While the kids were interested in the weapons in the wars exhibit, I was nearly overwhelmed by reading some of the stories.
Note the top line. The [German} editor described violence against his newspaper in the article in German, and all the other articles are in English.
Of course, there are several statues and busts of Lincoln in the museum. This one, we kind of chuckled to learn, had originally been in a furniture store as a representation of honesty. (I found this quite ironic, since Jeremy and I were just discussing this week how the furniture salespeople we've been dealing with don't seem honest or caring!)
And, of course, we had to rub Lincoln's nose for luck.
There's a little airplane in the basement of the museum right now. It's so small! I certainly wouldn't want to fly in it, but the kids said they would!
There are 3 stories and a basement in the building.
On the third floor is a beautiful courtroom! We were the only visitors to the museum today (that we noticed), so the kids spent a few minutes "holding court." They traded places as judge, called witnesses, and had a lot of fun hollering, "Objection!" and "Overruled!"
One of the temporary exhibits right now is about planning a trip back in time to Mexico. The kids got little passport books and as they went around the exhibit, they could stamp their books when they learned about each place. We saw an interesting travel planning guide from the 1950's, which included travel packages by train to Texas from major U.S. cities, then car rental from Texas to Mexico.
Caeden did a craft about the Dia de los Muertos.
And the girls and I each made a God's Eye.
FINALLY, we made it to the hands-on Discovery Room, where the kids could play and pretend about pioneer life.
The painting on the rotunda ceiling, we were told, was painted on canvas, then installed. (No Michaelangelo in Bloomington, Illinois, I guess.) There is a net under it right now, because pieces sometimes fall from it and there isn't enough money for restoration yet.
These two ladies were most helpful to us today, and gave us lots of interesting facts. When the kids took their Mexico travel books to them, they gave them each a little prayer charm!
We thanked Abe for his great influence on our county, state, and nation.
He said he was glad we came to learn about McLean County.
