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Beardstown, IL
by Tebrinke

Beardstown is one of Illinois' older towns, first settled in 1819. The City's founder, Thomas Beard, was from Ohio, and with his friend General Murray McConnel of Edwardsville, they arrived at an Indian Mound Village in 1819, located just below Mascouten Bay. French explorers had named the site "Beautiful Mound Village" because the Indian camp was at the base of large Indian burial mounds. As a young man, Abraham Lincoln was chosen to lead the Sangamon County company of soldiers during the Black Hawk War in 1832. He was installed as Captain on a spot near the Illinois River located in Schmoldt Park at the North end of Wall Street in Beardstown. The square is where Abraham Lincoln gave his "a house divided cannot stand" speech in 1858. Lincoln acquitted Duff Armstrong in the famous Lincoln Almanac Trial on May 7, 1858 in the court house that is sitll in use today as the Chamber of Commerce, meeting place for the Beardstown Ladies Investment Group and the Lincoln Courtroom and Museum.
http://www.beardstownil.org/

Updated Sep 30, 2010