History buffs bemoan landmark closures

Abraham Lincoln is turning 200 in February, but there won't be much partying at three historic sites related to the famous son of Illinois if state budget cuts remain.

Illinois Senate President Emil Jones is steadfast in his refusal to call the Senate back to consider restoring nearly $600 million of the $1.6 billion in cuts imposed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich last month. (The House already has voted for the restoration.)

That means more than a dozen historic sites, including three directly related to Abraham Lincoln, are likely to close Oct. 1.

The timing makes it especially painful for history lovers, said Terry Buckaloo, director and curator of the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society, "because there's been a lot of planning going on ... a lot of time and money planning for Lincoln's 200th anniversary. It's very embarrassing that the state of Illinois spent all this time and money."

Buckaloo said he's not as worried about enthusiasts like him, who already are grounded in history and won't feel the loss as much as the state's youngsters.

"It's a struggle to keep history [accessible] for the students, and the state of Illinois isn't helping the whole issue," he said. "If we're going to know about our heritage and about when and where we came from, the state closing the sites isn't going to behoove the education system."

Drew VandeCreek, a project director at Northern Illinois University who specializes in Lincoln history, said that academic impact easily could outweigh the potential savings from closing those sites.

"How do you quantify the declines in civic or historical consciousness? That's a very abstract thing, but it is something that matters."

Although many of the sites facing closure are in less-well-known parts of the state, students' visits alone should justify their operation, VandeCreek said.

"There's nothing really quite like learning about the past like actually going to the place where the events happened," he said. "Now that's not possible ... Our state's putting the burden on private [money] to keep these places going, when these paces are essentially public."

Losing Apple River Fort in Elizabeth, for example, would be particularly devastating, he said. A young Abraham Lincoln and his militia company arrived the day after the battle of Apple River Fort ended, so it represents yet another token of Lincoln history.

But, as the site of a key battle of the 1832 Black Hawk War - a battle in which Black Hawk himself actually fought - the fort also signifies an increasingly rare piece of Native American culture.

"There really aren't that many sties in the state that deal with Native American history, so that would be a pretty big loss."

Tim Keller, 66, of Sterling, volunteers at the Manahan home, a house in Sterling where Abraham Lincoln once slept that's being restored.

He said he feels relieved knowing that the home is funded entirely by donations and so won't be affected by the cuts.

Still, it's frustrating to think that legislative leaders would close other sites that Lincoln made famous so close to the former president's bicentennial, he said.

"It's kind of pathetic when you think about it. Here we're supposed to be promoting this kind of thing, and the other side of the state is undoing it."

In addition to the fort, the other Lincoln-related sites on the legislative butcher block are the Lincoln Log Cabin near Charleston, the old State Capitol building in Vandalia.

Other sites include the Hauberg Indian Museum in Rock Island and the birthplace of Carl Sandburg in Galesburg.

Keller said it would be difficult to single out any one site as an exceptionally tragic loss.

"Individually, probably not. But you put them all together and they become a piece of the puzzle. You just wonder what's going to happen down the road."

Lincoln losses

These sites are three of 13 in danger of closing Oct. 1 if state budget cuts are not restored:

The Vandalia State House

The fourth Illinois statehouse served as the capitol from 1836 until 1839; it is the oldest surviving capitol building in the state. It is significant for its association with Abraham Lincoln, who served there in the House of Representatives. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. According to its Web site, www.vandaliaillinois.com, more than 31,000 people a year tour the building.

Lincoln Log Cabin

On the Lincoln Highway 8 miles south of Charleston, it preserves the site of the last home and farm of Lincoln's father and stepmother, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, who moved there in 1837. It has nearly 83,000 visitors a year. Learn more at www.lincolnlogcabin.org on the Web.

Apple River Fort, Elizabeth

It was the only fort attacked by Black Hawk during the 16-week Black Hawk War. On June 24, 1832, settlers at the fort turned back about 200 Sauk and Fox warriors led by Black Hawk. The war ended the threat of Indian attacks in the area and opened the region to further settlement. It has nearly 25,000 visitors a year.

Many notable men participated in the war, including Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and Gen. Winfield Scott.

Source: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

Also slated to close

The other 10 historic sites to be shuttered, and their annual number of visitors:

- Dana-Thomas House, Springfield, 41,045

- Black Hawk, Rock Island: The Hauberg Indian Museum, 138,668

- David Davis Mansion, Bloomington, 49,468

- Fort de Chartres, Prairie du Rocher, 38,100

- Bishop Hill Museum, Colony Church and Bjorklund Hotel, 19,551

- Carl Sandburg, Galesburg, 8,598

- Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia, 8,414

- Bryant Cottage, Bement, 5,176

- Jubilee College, near Brimfield, 72,780

- Fort Kaskaskia and Pierre Menard Home, Ellis Grove, 23,086

Source: Landmarks Illinois, www.landmarks.org