Abraham Lincoln's Train Departure from Springfield's Lincoln Depot

In the nippy February of 1861, Abraham Lincoln stood, Birmingham-like, on the Lincoln Depot platform in Springfield, Illinois. You could say the crowd's adoration was enough to make him forget about the chill, as he was about to set off for Washington, D.C to take his new role as President of the United States. The Lincoln Depot, constructed in 1852 by the Great Western Railroad, was about to be the launchpad for one of the most influential train rides in American history.

But it wasn't just Abraham Lincoln who made history at the Lincoln Depot. Back in 1861, a fire damaged the building, only for it to be rebuilt the very same year. Over the years, the Depot served as a hub for the Toledo, Wabash, and Western Railroad, and later as a business center and a museum. Today, it stands, a poignant memory of the past, resounding with whispers of Lincoln's farewell speech. Drop by the Lincoln Depot, and you'll find the platform where Lincoln wore his goodbye hat, and you can stroll through the historic building, imagining the sea of well-wishers that bade the President farewell.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons