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New Lincoln Exhibit at Museum in Springfield Features Agriculture
Lincoln and farming go together in a new exhibit starting Monday at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield. "How Vast and How Varied a Field: The Agricultural Vision of Abraham Lincoln" runs through the end of August 2010.

State historian Tom Schwartz says two philosophies emerge: the Jeffersonian notion of many self-sustaining farms, and the Whig (later Republican) ideal of agriculture co-existing with industry. Lincoln favored the latter.

Ian Hunt, one of the exhibit's organizers, says Lincoln was an early proponent of steam energy, modern transportation, and even the creation of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

But Schwartz says Lincoln took advantage of the fact he could have a career that used his mind, not his muscles. "While he appreciated what his father did for a living, he always joked his father taught him to work hard, but not to like it," Schwartz said.

Exhibits include an 1853 plow made by John Deere and given to a Henry County farmer, a letter from George Washington discussing gardening at Mount Vernon, and an oral history of Illinois agriculture.

(Illinois Radio Network)
06 13 09 by Newsroom
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