Becky Schieber proudly showed her young daughter and son the old restored log courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law in Decatur.
"I remember the log courthouse when I was little. And I would always tell my daughter about it because she loves Lincoln," said Schieber, who now lives in Kansas.
She was in town recently visiting her parents, who still live in Decatur, and made a stop at the Macon County History Museum.
Her daughter, Emma, 6, seemed fascinated by the one-room log courthouse, wandering around inside, and eyeing the replicas of the judge's desk and chair, a few old benches, a court reporter's desk and a picture of Lincoln taking part in a court case hanging on the wall.
Schieber and her family, however, have another connection to the 16th president of the United States.
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Her grandmother was a Hanks and a relative of Dennis and John Hanks, who lived in Macon County.
John Hanks was a cousin of Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln.
Dennis Hanks was Lincoln's first cousin.
Lincoln at age 21 came to Decatur in 1830.
His humble beginnings of practicing law started in Macon County's first courthouse.
The log structure was a story and half, 18 by 24 feet, with a clapboard roof and puncheon floor and was built in 1829, according to written history documents at the Macon County History Museum.
The courthouse was used for public gatherings, social affairs and church services.
It was Lincoln's cousin, Dennis Hanks, who helped to chink and daub the courthouse.
By 1838, the city of Decatur had outgrown the old log courthouse and decided to build a new brick courthouse.
For the next few years, the old courthouse continued to be used as a meeting place in town.
The outdated courthouse then was bought by Robert Allen, who moved it to his farm on the east side of Decatur. He used it as a home and corncrib.
The Allen Farm was bought by J.M. Clokey. He saw the importance of the building and historic connection to Lincoln and gave it to the Old Settlers Association.
Soon the courthouse was moved to Riverside Park in 1894.
It was relocated again to south side of Fairview Park in 1895.
The Stephen Decatur Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution decided to take charge in restoring the fossilizing log courthouse in 1908.
They had the courthouse completely restored in 1958 and moved it to Fairview Park.
During a meeting of the Decatur Daughters chapter, the sight of 'Old Glory' waving from the top of the towering flag staff, the sound of patriotic airs, in the quietness of the park, beautiful in its scene and one that will long remain in the memories of the Daughters and their friends, was written in a newspaper article and kept, said Cheri Hunter, the District III Director and chapter's Webmaster.
"The Stephen Decatur Chapter would hold their meetings in the old courthouse," Hunter said on how the group revered the courthouse's historic value.
She added the local chapter also donated money and dedicated a marker for the restoration of the roof of the courthouse in 2006. "And we still have a continued interest in the courthouse."
In 1992, the Macon County Historical Society took ownership of the courthouse and had it moved to the Macon County History Museum complex grounds.
Now, only three courthouses where Lincoln practiced law are still in existence - Macon County log courthouse, Illinois old courthouse in Metamora and Illinois courthouse in Mt. Pulaski, said Pat McDaniels, executive director of the Macon County History Museum.
"I want to stress this being Lincoln's 200th birthday that we don't forget Lincoln and how Decatur and Macon County were an important part of Lincoln's life," he said. And how the museum is open all year long for those wanting to stop by to see the famed log courthouse.
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