By LYNDSAY MACH, NEWS3 Reporter
MACOMB, Illinois – The Macomb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is working on ways to bring more tourists into Macomb. One highlight that they have implemented is the Looking for Lincoln Self Guided tour.
The bureau has worked with other historical organizations to put the tour together. The tour has 13 stops and provides the history of Abraham Lincoln’s two visits to Macomb. Stops include the courthouse, Randolph house, Oakwood Cemetery, the University Archives and Blanding House.
Each stop has a plaque or sign and a QR code that takes you to a video that explains the significance of the site. A Lincoln impersonator named Michael Krebs stars in these videos.
Some believe that the famous “Freeport question” from Lincoln’s debates with Stephen Douglas was thought of while Lincoln visited the Randolph house in Macomb.
Macomb also has a lot of other historical points that the bureau is working to highlight. One is the story of Lizzie Magie, the Macomb native who invented the game of Monopoly. The bureau is currently working to get approval to create a life-sized Monopoly board on Macomb’s downtown square.
The bureau is also working to get a mural and a center dedicated to C.T. Vivian and his part in the Civil Rights Movement.
For more information on the history and tourist destinations in Macomb, visit the Macomb Area Convention and Visitor Bureau website: https://www.visitforgottonia.com/.
