President's Weekend Seminar Sheds Light on Lincoln's Legal Career

Submitted by Patrice Roche.

Elmhurst, IL - For 23 years, Abraham Lincoln rode Central Illinois’ Eighth Judicial Circuit, building his law practice and his political base through his relationships with the circuit lawyers and their judge, David Davis.

A team of lawyers, led by Davis, gained the Republican nomination for Lincoln at the Convention in Chicago in May of 1860. The split of the Democratic Party made the nomination tantamount to election. The circuit, with its leaders and its lawyers, was truly Lincoln’s “ladder to the presidency.”

In honor of President Lincoln and in celebration of President’s Day, the Elmhurst Historical Museum presents an in-depth seminar on Saturday, Feb.13, entitled “Lincoln on the Eighth Judicial Circuit.”

The Lincoln seminar will feature Mr. Guy Fraker, a Bloomington attorney who has made an avocation of following in Lincoln’s footsteps during Abe’s two decades as a circuit-riding lawyer in Downstate Illinois. Fraker is the author of Lincoln’s Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit, and he has presented numerous programs throughout the state on Lincoln’s legal career and political climb.

This special presidential learning opportunity takes place at the Elmhurst Historical Museum’s Education Center, located at 120 E. Park Ave. in Elmhurst from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The cost is $25 for members of the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation and $30 for non-members. Registration is available online at elmhursthistory.org (in the Adult Programs section). Lunch and coffee will be provided.

Bring your notebook and prepare to dive deep into this fascinating — and often overlooked — period of the intriguing president’s biography. For reservations and more information, visit elmhursthistory.org or call (630) 833-1457.