Dedication Ceremony 9/18/2008
Residents crowded onto the grounds of the 5th District Appellate Courthouse and lined the streets surrounding the historic building to dedicate and witness the unveiling of a 9-foot-tall bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln.
“This courtroom has been continuously used by the court since its completion in 1854,” 5th District Appellate Justice Bruce Stewart said in his welcoming remarks to the crowd. “Lincoln appeared in court at this courthouse. ... It’s unique in that it is the only remaining courtroom in which Lincoln tried a case that continues to be used as a courtroom.”
“Lincoln, first and foremost was a trial lawyer,” Illinois State Bar Association President, Jack Carey, said. “It is fitting and proper that the courthouse be the place for the commencement of celebrations held throughout the state commemorating the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birthday.”
From the Mt. Vernon Register-News. Click to read the full account.
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Reader's View: A banner day for Mt. Vernon