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State Fish & Wildlife Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area Office: 10149 County Highway 11 Chandlerville, IL 62627 217-452-7741 Sanganois State

Fish & Wildlife Area Office: 3594 CR 200N Chandlerville, IL 62627 309-546-2628

This is one of the few state-owned refuges and public hunting areas along the Illinois River. Before the state acquired it, the lands and waters within Sanganois were owned and operated as private duck clubs. The largest was the Sanganois Gun Club, for which the area was named. This club contained 2,700 acres and was purchased in 1948. Other purchases were made in later years, adding to the total acreage. Both the Illinois and Sangamon Rivers contribute to the ecology of the area. Swimming Pools The Almanac Trial If you visit Beardstown, you can see the actual courtroom where Abraham Lincoln won the famous Almanac Trial. Lincoln came to Beardstown back in 1833 when he volunteered for service in the Black Hawk War. He marched from New Salem to Beardstown. In what is known today as Schmoldt Park, Lincoln was sworn in as captain of his company. The approximate site is marked in the park. After his military service, Lincoln became a lawyer. The courthouse building where the case was tried was built in 1844 by the city’s founder, Thomas Beard. The courtroom is upstairs, and it is the only courtroom where Lincoln once practiced law that is still in use today. In this very courtroom, Lincoln tried many cases, but his most noteworthy case was the Almanac Trial.

Virginia Swimming Pool 701 South Morgan Street Virginia, IL 62691 217-452-3004 For More Information Beardstown Chamber of Commerce 217-323-3271 Cass County Economic Development Office 217-452-3226 Jacksonville Area Visitors & Conventions Bureau

The 24-year-old defendant was facing murder charges stemming from a nighttime brawl. Lincoln used an 1857 almanac to support his defense. He argued that it was impossible for the state’s witness to see Armstrong kill the victim because, according to the almanac, there was no moonlight on that night. Furthermore, the witness was too far away from Armstrong when the alleged crime occurred, making it impossible for the witness to see that far in the dark. Lincoln’s defense proved successful, and Armstrong was acquitted of the charges on May 7, 1858. On August 12, 1858, Lincoln appeared in Beardstown’s city park to speak as the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. His opponent, Stephen Douglas, spoke the following day. A plaque across from the courthouse marks the site. Later that month, the famous Lincoln- Douglas debates officially began.

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