Chicago Travel Forum

My wife and I we will go to Chicago at the beginning of August.
I am still interested in Civil War history. I know there was no battle in Chicago during the Civil War but I have some questions :
1°/ What can I see on this topic visiting the History Museum ?
2°/ Abraham Lincoln lived in Chicago : is there something to see or to visit about this famous president ?
3°/ Is there something else related with Civil War in Chicago ?

Chicago doesn't have any real ties to the Civil War, as you mention there were no battles fought in Chicago. Camp Douglas, a POW camp, was located on the south side, all that is left that remembers that is a monument in Oak Woods cemetery where an estimated 6,000 confederate soldiers were buried and the Stephen Douglas Monument for whom Camp Douglas was named. Oak Woods isn't in a neighborhood that tourists go to, nor would I recommend trying to go there by yourselves on public transporation.

http://graveyards.com/IL/Cook/oakwoods/confederate.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Douglas_Tomb

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2379.html

The History Musuem has the bed that Lincoln died in plus through August 16th, they are running a special exhibit on Lincoln. If you really want to know more about Lincoln and the Civil War, you might consider a daytrip or overnighter down to Springfield Illinois where Abraham Lincoln lived and worked, it's about 3 1/2 hours by car to get there. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, his law offices, the Old State Capitol and the place where he is buried are all in that area.

To my knowledge Lincoln never lived in Chicago. Springfield, not Chicago, is the capital of the state of Illinois and that was where Lincoln's law practice was and where he served in state government.

There are a couple of statues that you might run across in your travels, there is a statue of Lincoln in Grant Park and a statue of Grant in Lincoln Park near the zoo. Ulysses S. Grant was the general of the Union Army in the Civil War and our 18th President, you may also seeing him staring up at you if you get a $50 dollar bill. There's another statue of Lincoln in Lincoln Park. Another Union General, John Logan, has a statue in Grant Park (Michigan Ave & 9th Street).

In the Chicago Cultural Center (Randolph & Michigan), there is the Grand Army Of The Republic Rotunda And Hall, the Civil War battles are etched above the doors.

Lincoln spent a lot of time in Chicago, but he lived in Springfield about 150 miles south of Chicago. The Lincoln Library and Museum is located there.
http://www.alpm.org/home.html

While you will be in Chicago there will be an extensive exhibit about Lincoln at the Chicago History Museum:
chicagohistory.org/planavisit/exhibitions/lincoln-treasures/index

Oak Woods Cemetary at 67th S.t. and Cottage Grove Ave. contains a large memorial over the graves of about 6000 Confederate soldiers, many of whom died of disease at Camp Douglas, a prisoner of war camp at what is now 35th St and Lake Park Ave. The land was owned by Stephen Douglas (of the Lincoln-Douglas debates), and he buried there under a monument that has to be seen to be believed. At Oak Woods there is also a section with graves of Union soldiers from Illinois as well as the graves of various prominent Chicagoans

http://graveyards.com/IL/Cook/oakwoods/confederate.htm

http://graveyards.com/IL/Cook/oakwoods/soldiers.html

Both previous posters gave you a good start on activities on the questions you asked. Sometimes there are civil war reenactments like the one held this weekend in my hometown, but I don't see any in the Chicago area around the first part of August. Here is a website you might want to check out regarding any Lincoln activities in Illinois during his 200th birthday. http://www.lincoln200.net/index.asp?date=8/17/2009

This may be a little far out of downtown Chicago for you, but there is Naper Settlement - www.napersettlement.org. It is in Naperville, IL. When I was growing up in in the Chicago suburbs, they use to have civil war reenactments. It's a pretty cool place to visit for 19th century history.

Dabs, in writing about 0ak Woods Cemetery, implies that its neighborhood and the trains and/or the buses one would ride to get there are not safe. I frequently ride the those trains and buses and recently I took visiting relative to Oak Woods. If you should come out there I would suggest that you might also like to see the University of Chicago Campus, about a mile further north.

Dabs also mentions the statues of Lincoln and Grant; oddly, Lincoln's statue is in Grant Park and Grant's is in Lincoln Park.

Ahh, but there is also a Lincoln Statue in Lincoln Park. Follow the link and you will see the statue.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f8615/bdc28/

While I wouldn't hesitate to send a tourist to Hyde Park or the University of Chicago campus or the Museum of Science and Industry, I sort of draw the line at sending someone unfamiliar with the city south of that area into Woodlawn into a cemetery, no less, without a car. I visit the southside a lot, have taken visitors to see the sights in Jackson Park, Hyde Park, South Shore, Kenwood and have visited Oak Woods myself. But I don't want someone to get lost after I suggested taking a bus down there and end up in a rough neighborhood to the south or west which are some of the worst in Chicago.

I thought this site run by the Chicago police was interesting, as you likely already know Hyde Park is a low crime district butting up again a whole slew of high crime districts.

http://gis.chicagopolice.org/website/clearMap_crime_sums/viewer.htm?SUMTYPE=BEAT&SUMCATA=VIOL&SUMTIME=90

You might want to pay a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, at 357 W. Chicago Ave. It's a venerable institution for Lincolnologists everywhere, and has an extensive collection of Lincoln-related publications, photographs and ephemera (I love that word!).

It's conveniently located in the River North neighborhood, close to the Loop and Michigan Ave:

http://www.alincolnbookshop.com/