Ashmore, Illinois: World's Largest Lincoln Statue

Closed....for sale. Can't really get close but can still see it....kinda.

Ok. It was kind of uneventful. Also, the resort is now closed. The only reason we got in was because some people were mowing inside the resort. Sadly... It isn't very great anyways.

Local Powers That Be raised and spent a lot of money to have the statue built. Originally it was supposed to be located on or near the courthouse square in Charleston. However, when they saw the statue for the first time, they were so appalled and disappointed by its poor quality and tacky appearance that they decided instead to relegate it to a cornfield east of town.

Teenagers and EIU students used to love to hold beer-kegger parties at his feet. Many a young Coles County resident later used Abe's finger for target practice, which is what happened to the finger. After enough successful target practices, there just wasn't much left of it any more.

When the statue was relocated to Lincoln Springs Resort and refurbished, the workers mistakenly put the finger on backwards (and still a little too much to the center, if you ask me). Because of the difficulty and expense of removing and repositioning the newly misplaced finger, they decided to just paint a new fake fingernail on the (now) front side (which used to be the back). If you look carefully you can see another fingernail on the back (used to be front) of the middle or pointer finger.

I wanted to update you, as a resident of Charleston, IL. The Abe Lincoln was given a facelift because it will be the centerpiece of a new campground called Lincoln Springs Resort, which will open some time in 2007. I find it amusing because it is so very tacky. Further, the statue is actually known about town as the "50 Foot Lincoln" (although I believe it is 70 ft.).