The Last Stop ~ Lincoln and the Mud Circuit

Lincoln had 108 cases in this courthouse built in 1839. He was one of two lawyers to christen this new building. The other was James Conkling, a friend and sadly one of Mary Todd’s pallbearers. This building listened to Lincoln when he asked the judge for a “Writ of Quietus” to summon the sheriff to quiet the hogs having a porcine serenade under the shade of the courthouse. The hogs’ ruckus was drowning out the voice of Lincoln while he was presenting a case.

The statue on the cover of “The Last Stop,” located in Taylorville, Illinois, is a monument to that case and the only monument or statue dedicated to Lincoln's great sense of humor and wit.

	Author and historian Alan Bower's book, The Last Stop: Lincoln and the "Mud Circuit" allows the reader to ride the Eighth Judicial Circuit with Mr. Lincoln and visit "the last stop" before heading home to Springfield. In addition, Bower provides insight into Lincoln's membership and position as chairman of the Committees on Counties during his formative years in the Illinois General Assembly. He discusses his involvement of creating over 25 counties in Illinois, including Christian County, whose citizens rejected Lincoln's choice of "Dane" for this new county. 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 Sangamon County * Examination of 108 cases of Mrs. Lincoln's during his circuit-riding days	Lincoln had 108 cases in this courthouse built in 1839. He was one of two lawyers to christen this new building. The other was James Conkling, a friend and sadly one of Mary Todd’s pallbearers. This building listened to Lincoln when he asked the judge for a “Writ of Quietus” to summon the sheriff to quiet the hogs having a porcine serenade under the shade of the courthouse. The hogs’ ruckus was drowning out the voice of Lincoln while he was presenting a case. The statue on the cover of “The Last Stop,” located in Taylorville, Illinois, is a monument to that case and the only monument or statue dedicated to Lincoln's great sense of humor and wit.
	* 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 Nail And the famous “Writ of Quietus”
A sixth generation Illinoisan whose pioneer family arrived in Illinois in 1828. This is Mr. Bower’s third book, his first work involving an in-depth history of a place and time. His interest in history and the events that create it continues with “The Last Stop.” Now retired from his financial services career, he devotes his writing skills to the study of America’s pioneers on the frontier of Illinois. He is currently working on another book on a segment of Illinois frontier history.		---Map courtesy of Guy C. Farker
An early reader says... "...a snapshot of life on the frontier as Lincoln lived it – with greedy land speculators where politics was king – and a barbecue the scene of rowdy entertainment and substantive ideas. This is a good read. I enjoyed it." Eileen Mackevech, Executive Director of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission		Between 1837 and 1852, Lincoln practiced his trade by riding the Eighth Judicial Circuit called the “Mud Circuit” by its participants. Early in his career, as all new lawyers did, he rode part of the circuit in counties adjacent to Springfield. By 1843, Lincoln began riding most of the circuit, except Macon County. The circuit eventually covered 14 counties totally 440 miles round trip until it was restructured in 1852. Mr. Lincoln continued riding the circuit until 1858 when he ran for the U.S. Senate against Stephen Douglas. Lincoln, with one or two other lawyers and a judge traveled the circuit twice a year for about 12 weeks in spring then repeated the trip again in the fall...always ending at Taylorville in Christian County, the last stop.