The Last Stop: Lincoln and the “Mud Circuit” provides the reader insight into the early political and legal career of Abraham Lincoln as he rode the Eighth Judicial Circuit of central Illinois. The author and historian, Alan Bower, also examines Lincoln's formative years in the Illinois General Assembly as chairman of the highly influential Committee on Counties. During this period, Lincoln oversaw the creation of more than 25 counties in Illinois. The citizenry of one county, Christian County, vehemently rejected Lincoln's personal choice of naming the county “Dane”. Highlights include: * The attempts of Lincoln’s friend and client to defraud the Illinois General Assembly in a land speculation deal involving Lincoln's committee. * A study of Lincoln attacked from all sides by friends and archrivals on his plan in dividing up his own beloved Sangamon County. * Examination in detail of some of the 108 cases at the “last stop” of Mr. Lincoln's during his days of riding the “Mud Circuit”. Recent reviews... Eileen Mackevech, Executive Director of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, said: Midwest Book Review tells their readers: Book TV announces: Lincoln historian and author Frank Williams adds “The Last Stop: Lincoln and the Mud Circuit” to his recommended reading list of Lincoln books. ---Map courtesy of Guy C. Farker Between 1837 and 1852, Lincoln honed his political and legal skills by riding the Eighth Judicial Circuit… known by its participants as the “Mud Circuit”. Beginning in 1837, he traveled the counties adjacent to his Sangamon County practicing law. By 1843, Lincoln he was covering most of the circuit, except Macon County, along with a small entourage of lawyers and a judge. This enclave rode the circuit twice a year for about 12 weeks in spring then repeated the circuit again in the fall...always ending at Taylorville in Christian County, Illinois…the last stop. Eventually, the circuit was expanded to 14 counties with the round trip totally 440 miles until it’s restructure in 1852. Mr. Lincoln continued on the circuit until 1858 when he ran for the U.S. Senate against his archrival Stephen Douglas.
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Original Courthouse Still Stands
Lincoln and his law partners had 108 cases in this courthouse built in 1839. He was one of two lawyers to christen this new building. One was James Conkling, a good friend and constant companion on the circuit but sadly one of Mary Todd’s pallbearers. This building heard Lincoln ask Judge David Davis for a “Writ of Quietus” to summon the sheriff to quiet the hogs during their porcine serenade underneath the shade of the building. The hogs’ ruckus drowned out the voice of Lincoln while he was presenting a case. His Presidency was the culmination of all the skills and lesson’s learned in the heartland of America. Monument to Lincoln The statue on the cover of “The Last Stop”, located in Taylorville, Illinois, is a monument to that case. It stands as the only statue dedicated to Lincoln's great sense of humor and wit. Real Cases Examples of actual, yet some humorous, Lincoln's cases on the mud circuit from “The Last Stop” include: * The Watermelon Patch Caper * Ol Black Kate * “Young Bills” * The Case of the Missing Nails * And the famous “Writ of Quietus”
Meet the Author
The author/historian is a sixth generation Illinoisan whose pioneer family arrived in Kentucky along with Daniel Boone with some relocating to central Illinois in 1828. This is Mr. Bower’s third book, his first work involving an in-depth history of a place and time. Now retired from his financial services career, he devotes his writing skills to the study of America’s pioneers on the frontier of Illinois. His interest in history and the events that create it continues as he is currently working on another book on a segment of Illinois frontier history.
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