Jack LeChien, the Belleville historian and co-chairman of the Gustave Koerner House Restoration committee, had heard people speculate for decades on whether Abraham Lincoln had slept in the city during his 1856 visit. If so, where?
It’s been well-documented that the future U.S. president arrived by train, spoke at political rallies and rode in a torchlight parade on Oct. 18, 1856.
The historical society in Belleville, Illinois, and other preservationists are discouraged by the city’s demolition of neglected landmark homes and other buildings.