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53-657: The group was originally formed in 1865 by Otto Lob to perform songs while the body of Abraham Lincoln lay in state in Chicago before being buried in Springfield. When the group formally organized later that year as Germania Männerchor, Lob was elected as its first conductor. By 1868 the group had voted to make Hans Balatka , who had previously been a member and conductor of the Philharmonic Society, an honorary member. Lob and some members of Germania Mannerchor split and formed

106-577: A state historic site and is a National Historic Landmark . After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth , Lincoln's body was carried by an honor guard to the White House on Saturday April 15, 1865. He lay in state in the East Room of the White House which was open to the public on Tuesday, April 18. On April 19, a funeral service was held and then the coffin, attended by large crowds,

159-811: A Chicago mansion. With the anti-German rhetoric that accompanied American entry into World War I , the group changed its name to the Lincoln Club in 1917. It became the Germania Club in 1928. The group evolved from a choral ensemble that collected books and material relating to the German experience in America, to an almost purely social club which developed a reputation as one of the leading private clubs of Chicago. The club disbanded in 1986. Notable members have included: Funeral and burial of Abraham Lincoln#Funeral train to Springfield, Illinois After Abraham Lincoln

212-448: A business trip, a wide-eyed Willie wrote home to a friend: "This town is a very beautiful place. Me and father went to two theatres the other night. Me and father have a nice little room to ourselves. We have two little pitchers on a washstand. The smallest one for me the largest one for father. We have two little towels on a top of both pitchers. The smallest one for me, the largest one for father." When Lincoln took office as President of

265-468: A group of trusted confidants moved the coffin from its room to a secret location in the basement of the tomb. Finding the ground waterlogged, they temporarily set the coffin on the ground and disguised it under a wood pile. Moving the coffin proved difficult; it weighed some 400–500 pounds (180–230 kilograms) and Power and the members of the Monument Association were mostly in their 60s (the youngest

318-434: A pardon for his engraver (who was serving a ten-year sentence at Illinois State Penitentiary ) and $ 200,000 (equivalent to $ 5,722,500 in 2023). The plot failed when two men recruited to assist turned out to be paid government informants, and the men sent to get the body did not plan for how to remove the quarter-ton cedar-and-lead coffin from the grounds. On November 13, 1876, tomb custodian John Carroll Power and

371-522: A philosophical and thoughtful side, and it was said he was very like his father in this way. Like his father, Willie enjoyed writing and working with words. When his father's friend Edward Baker was killed in action at the Battle of Ball's Bluff in 1861, ten-year-old Willie wrote a eulogy for him that was published in the National Republican. Another time, when his father took him to Chicago in 1859 on

424-564: A receiving tomb and then in 1871 in the state tomb alongside Abraham and Willie's brother, Eddie. Tad and Mary were also later placed in the crypt of the Lincoln Tomb . The 2017 novel Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders takes place during and after Willie's death and depicts Abraham's journey through his grief. It won the 2017 Man Booker Prize and was the New York Times bestseller

477-403: A steel cage 10 feet (3.0 m) deep and encased in concrete in the floor of the tomb. On September 26, 1901, Lincoln's body was exhumed so that it could be re-interred in the newly built crypt. However, several of the 23 people present feared that his body might have been stolen in the intervening years, so they decided to open the coffin and check. A harsh choking smell arose when the casket

530-532: Is based on period photographs and etchings, as well as reporter's descriptions. The hall depicts the moment Lincoln was laid in state there, with lavish, elaborate, and sometimes odd decorations, including a replica black casket. Shortly after Lincoln's death, a delegation of Illinois citizens (later forming the National Lincoln Monument Association ) asked Mrs. Lincoln to return her husband's remains to Springfield for burial. She agreed, and

583-524: Is much better off in heaven, but then we loved him so much. It is hard, hard to have him die!"; after the burial, he shut himself in a room and wept alone. Mary remained in bed for three weeks and was unable to attend Willie's funeral or look after Tad. She never again entered the Green Room , where he was embalmed, or the Prince of Wales room, where he died. Abraham took solace in caring for and comforting Tad, who

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636-453: The White House , during his father's presidency, age 11. Willie Lincoln was born in Springfield, Illinois, on December 21, 1850. He was born just ten months after the death of his older brother Eddie , who died of tuberculosis earlier that year just shy of his fourth birthday. Along with his younger brother Tad , Willie was one of the most recognizable members of Lincoln's family. William Herndon , Abraham Lincoln's law partner, wrote about

689-432: The empty crypt in the U.S. Capitol that had been prepared for George Washington. She finally relented when her son Robert Todd Lincoln was able to persuade her to allow a Springfield burial, by promising to take Willie Lincoln's body along. Springfield wanted a prominent burial location, a location that would draw visitors into downtown Springfield. A 6-acre (24,000 m ) block, owned by the family of Col. Thomas Mather,

742-454: The Concordia music society. The two groups maintained a rivalry, producing a number of high quality productions of operas such as The Magic Flute (by Concordia) and Der Freischuetz and Stradella (by Germania Männerchor). Each of the choruses had over a hundred members. The group performed in locations ranging from the short-lived Crosby Opera House to open air productions. The group

795-545: The Oak Ridge mausoleum, located near the south gate of the cemetery. After the second reconstruction was completed, the bodies were returned to their crypts in June 1931. William Wallace Lincoln William Wallace Lincoln (December 21, 1850 – February 20, 1862) was the third son of President Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln . Willie was named after Mary's brother-in-law, Dr. William Smith Wallace. He died of typhoid fever at

848-574: The U.S. with his body and on November 8, 1890, was placed in one of the crypts in the Lincoln Tomb. His body remained in the tomb until May 27, 1930, when he was re-interred at the family plot of his father, Robert Todd Lincoln (August 1, 1843, to July 25, 1926), at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. During the first Lincoln Tomb reconstruction (1900–1901), the Lincoln family was disinterred and moved to

901-732: The United States, Willie and Tad moved into the White House with the rest of their family. To prevent them from becoming too lonely in their new home, Mary asked the wife of federal judge Horatio Nelson Taft, to allow her boys, 14-year-old "Bud" (Horatio Nelson Taft Jr., 1847–1915) and 12-year-old "Holly" (Halsey Cook Taft, 1849–1897), to play with the Lincoln boys at the White House. The boys brought their 16-year-old sister, Julia Taft , to supervise their play. In her later memoir, Julia remembered Willie as being "the most lovable boy I ever knew, bright, sensible, sweet-tempered, and gentle-mannered." Willie and Tad became very ill in early 1862 with what

954-413: The basement for another year. Finally, a group of men in their 30s were hired to move the coffin and on November 18, 1878, the coffin was moved and reburied in a shallow grave on the far end of the labyrinth. After receiving anonymous threats in the mail, the coffin was dug up two days later to make sure it was still there. In 1880, Power and his associates formed the "Lincoln Guard of Honor" to serve as

1007-557: The baton of Balatka. In 1871, Balatka left to join the Liederkranz, and was replaced by Julius Fuchs . The Concordia chorus merged back with Germania Mannerchor in 1873. In 1875, they performed a concert with Theodore Thomas directing. Henry Schoenefeld became the conductor in 1879. Of the number of choral societies in Chicago that existed prior to 1871, only the Germania Mannerchor was still in existence as of 1893. In 1889,

1060-621: The body of Lincoln's son Willie (1850–1862) was placed with Lincoln's in the Receiving Vault. Willie had been initially interred in the Carroll family tomb at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown. His remains accompanied those of his father on the funeral train to Springfield. On December 21, 1865, the two caskets were moved to the temporary vault, halfway up the hillside, where the Lincoln Tomb

1113-419: The catacomb of the tomb on September 19, 1871. They were not the first. Two months earlier (on July 17, 1871) it was Lincoln's son Thomas ("Tad") Lincoln, born April 4, 1853, who was the first Lincoln placed into a crypt in the Lincoln Tomb. Tad died on July 15, 1871, in Chicago, Illinois, aged eighteen. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln (December 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882). She was buried July 19, 1882, in one of

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1166-573: The coffin opened 5 times. The semi-circular Catacomb (or Burial Chamber) is at the north side of the base of the Lincoln Monument; on the south side (entrance) is Memorial Hall (or the Rotunda). Since the second reconstruction (1930–31) connecting corridors lead into the Burial Chamber. On May 4, 1865, (Lincoln's arrival at Oak Ridge Cemetery, nineteen days after his death) another coffin, containing

1219-513: The coffins of Lincoln and his son. New locomotives were substituted at several points. The Department of War designated the route and declared the railroads used as military roads. Only persons authorized by the State Department were allowed to travel on the train, which was limited to 20 miles (32 km) an hour for safety. A pilot train preceded it to ensure the track was clear. Five relatives and family friends were appointed to accompany

1272-522: The custodians of Lincoln's remains. Other than its members, only Robert Todd Lincoln knew of this organization. In 1882, after Mary Todd Lincoln died, Robert instructed the Guard of Honor to bury his mother's coffin wherever they kept his father's. Both coffins remained in the basement until 1887, when they were encased in a brick vault, at which time Lincoln's coffin was opened to verify his remains were still there. The original tomb, built on unsuitable soil,

1325-518: The dedication of Oak Ridge, a rural quiet cemetery, two miles (3.2 km) from the heart of Springfield). On April 28 Mary sent a message to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton , in which she stated that her decision was final, and that Lincoln's remains must be placed in the Oak Ridge Cemetery. On April 29 another message followed: "arrangements for using the Mather vault must be changed." And on May 1

1378-458: The entrance to the tomb was reconfigured to better accommodate visitors and the original, white marble sarcophagus was replaced with the red granite marker in front of the place where Lincoln is interred. Souvenir hunters destroyed the original sarcophagus, which was placed outside the tomb during reconstruction. The tomb was rededicated with President Herbert Hoover as the main speaker on June 17, 1931. Lincoln's coffin has been moved 17 times and

1431-459: The escort at the depot, and at 8   a.m. the train departed. At least 10,000 people witnessed the train's departure from Washington. The funeral train had nine cars, including a baggage car, hearse car, and the President's car, built for use by the president and other officials and containing a parlor, sitting room, and sleeping apartment. The President's car was draped in mourning and carried

1484-598: The family crypts in the Lincoln Tomb. In the night of July 21, 1882, Mary Todd's casket was secretly taken from the crypt and at Robert Todd Lincoln's (her eldest son) request, buried alongside the President. On April 14, 1887, both caskets were moved to Memorial Hall. Lincoln's teenage grandson and namesake, Abraham Lincoln II ("Jack"), born August 14, 1873, died March 5, 1890, in London and was temporarily buried in Kensal Green Cemetery , London, until his father returned to

1537-869: The funeral train: David Davis , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States ; Lincoln's brothers-in-law, Ninian Wirt Edwards and C. M. Smith; Brigadier General John Blair Smith Todd , a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln; and Charles Alexander Smith, the brother of C. M. Smith. An honor guard accompanied the train; this consisted of Union Army Major General David Hunter ; brevet Major General John G. Barnard ; Brigadier Generals Edward D. Townsend , Charles Thomas Campbell , Amos Beebe Eaton , John C. Caldwell , Alfred Terry , George D. Ramsey, and Daniel McCallum; Union Navy Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis and Captain William Rogers Taylor ; and Marine Corps Major Thomas H. Field. Four accompanied

1590-745: The group built the Germania Club Building on Germania Place in the Near North Side of Chicago. It produced a catalog of the 500 books in its library and a 1903 Yearbook in German. The club purchased German related architectural items to furnish the club, including an 18 foot tall section of Manufacturer's Building from the World's Columbian Exposition which had been made by a German porcelain company and 18 inch tall wooden panels that measured up to 11 feet long decorated with intricate carvings of scenes from Wagner's operas that had originally been created for

1643-519: The group then researched various sites in and around Springfield, selecting a centrally located, hilltop site known as Mather Block, and a temporary receiving vault was built there. However, Mrs. Lincoln selected Oak Ridge Cemetery for her husband's burial. Despite repeated attempts by the association to change the location of the burial to Mather Block, she remained firm in her decision. A large number of Illinois politicians were in Washington when Lincoln

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1696-484: The message was: "the remains of the president should be placed in the vault of Oak Ridge and nowhere else." The Oak Ridge vault was readied but work on the Mather vault continued as a "contingency." When the tomb was completed in 1874, Lincoln's coffin was placed in a white marble sarcophagus in a burial room behind a steel gate locked with a padlock. In November 1876, Chicago counterfeiter James "Big Jim" Kennally planned to steal Lincoln's body and hold it in exchange for

1749-439: The temporary vault northeast of the tomb. On April 24, 1901, the Lincoln family was removed from the temporary vault and placed back into the Lincoln Tomb. While President Lincoln was finally at rest, the remainder of the Lincoln family was moved two more times. The coffins containing the bodies of Mary, Eddie, Willie, and Tad Lincoln were removed during the second tomb reconstruction (1930–1931) from their crypts and transported to

1802-419: The times Lincoln would bring the boys to work with him: "The boys were absolutely unrestrained in their amusement. If they pulled down all the books from the shelves, bent the points of all the pens, overturned inkstands, scattered law papers over the floor or threw the pencils into the spittoon, it never disturbed the serenity of their father's good nature." Despite his propensity for mischief, Willie also had

1855-551: The train in a logistics capacity: Captain Charles Penrose, as quartermaster and commissary of subsistence; Ward Hill Lamon , Lincoln's longtime bodyguard and friend and U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia; and Dr. Charles B. Brown and Frank T. Sands, embalmer and undertaker , respectively. Governor Oliver P. Morton of Indiana ; Governor John Brough of Ohio ; and Governor William M. Stone of Iowa accompanied

1908-457: The train made several stops in principal cities and state capitals for processions, orations, and additional lyings in state. Many Americans viewed the train along the route and participated in associated ceremonies. The train left Washington, D.C., on April 21 at 12:30   pm. It bore Lincoln's eldest son Robert Todd and the remains of Lincoln's younger son, William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862), but not Lincoln's wife Mary Todd Lincoln , who

1961-402: The train passed or stopped there was a crowd to pay their respects. By 1874, several features had been added to the Lincoln Tomb , including a 117-foot (36 m)-tall granite obelisk surrounded with several bronze statues of Lincoln and soldiers and sailors. Mary Todd Lincoln and three of their four sons—Willie, Eddie , and Tad —are also buried there. Today, it is owned and managed as

2014-666: The train with their aides. Lincoln's funeral train was the first national commemoration of a president's death by rail. Lincoln was observed, mourned, and honored by the citizens and visitors at 13 stops: Washington, D.C. , Baltimore , Harrisburg , Philadelphia , New York City , Albany , Buffalo , Cleveland , Columbus , Indianapolis , Michigan City , Chicago , and Springfield : in from / until private viewing: April 18, 5:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m. April 22, 1865: 7   a.m. / 9   a.m. public viewing: April 23, 1865: 6   a.m. / April 24, 1865: 1:17   a.m. The train passed 444 communities in 7 states (Lincoln

2067-538: Was assassinated on April 14, 1865, a three-week series of events was held to mourn the death and memorialize the life of the 16th president of the United States . Funeral services, a procession, and a lying in state were first held in Washington, D.C. , then a funeral train transported Lincoln's remains 1,654 miles (2,662 km) through seven states for burial in Springfield, Illinois . Never exceeding 20 mph,

2120-617: Was 56). They were relieved to find that the seals on the coffin were intact and that Lincoln's remains had not been disturbed. The following July, Kennally or some other member of the conspiracy asked Power to bury the coffin. He said that the unventilated basement was almost impossible to enter in the summer weather and also moving the heavy coffin had been brutally hard on himself and the other aging Monument Association members. Power, who had recently celebrated his 70th birthday, said that he suffered from crippling pain for months afterward and had no desire to do it again. The coffin therefore sat in

2173-583: Was assassinated, including the Governor , Richard J. Oglesby , a close friend of Lincoln. A few hours after Lincoln's death they met in Sen. Richard Yates' room at the National Hotel , to arrange a burial in Springfield, Illinois. Governor Oglesby was selected to confer with the Lincoln family on a burial place. Informal conferences were held on April 16. Mary Lincoln was not receiving visitors, but she preferred Chicago or

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2226-464: Was covered with a yellow mold and his gloves had rotted on his hands. On his chest, they could see some bits of red fabric—remnants of the American flag with which he was buried, which had by then disintegrated: A second, major reconstruction of the tomb was undertaken in 1930–31. Much deterioration had occurred due to poor construction during the 1900–1901 reconstruction. During the second reconstruction,

2279-448: Was in constant need of repair. In 1900, a complete reconstruction was undertaken, Lincoln's remains were exhumed, and the coffin was placed back in the white marble sarcophagus. On April 25, 1901, upon completion of the reconstruction, Robert Todd Lincoln visited the tomb. He was unhappy with the disposition of his father's remains and decided that it was necessary to build a permanent crypt for his father. Lincoln's coffin would be placed in

2332-466: Was in construction at the top of the hill. The body of Lincoln's son Edward "Eddie" Baker Lincoln (three years, ten months) was already placed there on December 13, 1865. Eddie, born March 10, 1846, died February 1, 1850, and was first buried at the Hutchinson Cemetery in Springfield. The three bodies rested in the temporary vault while the Lincoln tomb was being built. The three bodies were moved to

2385-416: Was known at the time as "bilious fever," most likely typhoid fever caused by contaminated water systems at the White House. After some days, Tad began to grow stronger, but Willie gradually weakened; Abraham and Mary spent much time at his bedside. He died on February 20. The whole family was deeply affected. Abraham said, "My poor boy. He was too good for this earth. God has called him home. I know that he

2438-764: Was not viewed in state in New Jersey ). Two future presidents viewed the train, Theodore Roosevelt in New York and Grover Cleveland in Buffalo. There is an immersive laying in state exhibit in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois . The exhibit is a full-scale recreation of the Representative's Hall in the Old State Capital Building in Springfield. It

2491-411: Was opened. Lincoln was perfectly recognizable, more than thirty years after his death. His face was a gold color from unhealed bruises, a result of contrecoup (injury on the opposite side of the head from point of impact) caused by the gunshot wound, which shattered the bones in his face and damaged the tissue. His hair, beard and mole were all perfectly preserved although his eyebrows were gone. His suit

2544-519: Was part of a widespread tradition of local ethnic music and social groups across the United States during the 19th Century with ensembles of the same name existing in Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, DC, New York, Saginaw, MI, and Evansville, Indiana. The Chicago-based Germania Männerchor participated in the 1867 Nord-Amerikanischer Sängerbund held in Indianapolis, performing the works of Franz Abt under

2597-477: Was ready for use on May 24 (the day of the burial), although the work was not quite completed on the outside. The Mather Block of land was later used as the site of the Illinois State Capitol building. Mary Lincoln however recalled that Lincoln once had said that he wanted a quiet place for his burial at Oak Ridge (said to her on May 24, 1860, when Lincoln, then running for president, and Mary attended

2650-428: Was selected, a plot that could be seen from the major railroad line (Chicago and Alton Railroad), a plot in the center of Springfield on a hill. Fifty thousand dollars were donated for the purchase and the work of constructing a temporary vault started immediately. The vault was designed to be a resting place for the remains until a grand monument could be erected. By men working night and day, through sunshine and rain, it

2703-489: Was still recovering from his illness and was grieving himself for Willie's death. He also lost the companionship of Bud and Holly, whom Mary refused to allow in the White House anymore, as they reminded her too much of Willie. Willie's remains were placed in a mausoleum at Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown . After Abraham's assassination in 1865, they were reinterred at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois , first in

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2756-403: Was too distraught to make the trip. The train largely retraced the route Lincoln had traveled to Washington as the president-elect on his way to his first inauguration , more than four years earlier. The train arrived at Springfield on May 3. After the final lying in state and related services, Lincoln was interred during a ceremony on May 4, at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. In every town

2809-605: Was transported in a procession down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol Rotunda , where a ceremonial burial service was held. The body again lay in state on the 20th and on the early morning of the following day a prayer service was held for the Lincoln cabinet officials. At 7   a.m. on Friday, April 21, the Lincoln coffin was taken by honor guard to the depot. Cabinet secretaries Edwin M. Stanton , Gideon Welles , Hugh McCulloch , and John Palmer Usher , as well as, generals Ulysses S. Grant , and Montgomery C. Meigs left

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