ONLY TWO COURTHOUSES REMAIN FROM THE FAMOUS 8TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT WHICH ABRAHAM
LINCOLN ROAD.
ONE OF THOSE IS IN METAMORA.
THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO ORIGINAL COURTHOUSES THAT STILL REMAIN THAT WERE ON THE 8TH JUDICIAL
CIRCUIT, AND THIS BUILDING -- IT
BEGAN IN 1844, FINISHED IN 1845,
AND THAT'S WHEN LINCOLN BEGAN TO
PRACTICE LAW HERE.
WE HAVE PIONEER ARTIFACTS FROM
THE PERIOD THAT LINCOLN WAS
PRACTICING HERE, AGAIN 1840'S
1850'S.
THINK IT WILL GIVE PEOPLE AN
IDEA WHAT THE LIFESTYLE WAS
AROUND HERE WHEN HE WAS
PRACTICING.
THE MEMOIR HOUSE WAS A SMALL
HOTEL, BOARDING HOUSE, THAT WAS
LOCATED HERE IN METAMORA WHEN
LINCOLN WAS PRACTICING LAW.
THE JUDGES, LAWYERS, WOULD, ONCE
THEY COULD FANAGLE AN INVITATION
TO STAY WITH A LOCAL FAMILY,
THEY HAD TO MAKE DUE WITH LESS
THAN LUXURY CONDITIONS OF THOSE
KINDS OF PLACES, AND THE HOUSE
WAS ONE WHERE THE CIRCUIT RIDERS
DID STAY.
WE HAVE A NICE DISPLAY OF THINGS
THAT WERE USED WHEN LINCOLN WAS
PRACTICING.
THIS WAS THE TABLE THAT WAS IN
THE OFFICE OF NEWTON BATEMAN WHO
WAS SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
THAT WAS A TABLE AROUND WHICH
MR. LINCOLN AND OTHERS GATHERED
TO PLAN HIS CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
FOR THE PRESIDENCY.
BECAUSE MR. LINCOLN WAS TOE SO
TALL, HE HAD DIFFICULTY SITTING
AT A TABLE, AND HE COULDN'T FLEX
HIS KNEES UNDERNEATH IT.
PEOPLE FROM JUST WERE PUTTING IT
UP ON CASTERS, HE SAID IT WOULD
MAKE IT UNCOP TABLE FOR EVERYONE
ELSE.
THEY CUT OUT SECTIONS FOR
MR. LINCOLN'S KNEES.
WE ALSO HAVE A TABLE HERE THAT
WAS LOCATED IN A TAVERN IN
BOWLING GREEN WHICH NO LONGER
EXISTS.
SUPPOSEDLY MR. LINCOLN WAS
SERVED AT THIS TABLE.
YOU CAN SEE THE SPIDERS, THE
SPIDERS ON THE TABLE WHICH IS
MARKED FROM HOT AT THE -- HOT
SPILLS AT THE TAVERN.
>> THE COURTROOM IS RESTORED IS
MUCH LIKE ALMOST LIKE THE ONE
LINCOLN WAS PRACTICES HERE.
VISITORS WILL BE ABLE TO WALK ON
THE SAME FLOOR OF MR. LINCOLN
AND THE FLOOR DAVIS WALKED ON.
IT WAS THE ORIGINAL FLOOR.
THERE WERE TWO LAYERS OF
FLOORING PUT ON IN THE 1970'S
RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT TOOK IT
DOWN TO THE ORIGINAL FLOOR.
WHEN THE CIRCUIT RIDERS WOULD
ARRIVE IN THE VILLAGES, SUCH AS
METAMORA, USUALLY THE -- THEY
WOULD STAY HERE ABOUT A WEEK,
HOLDING TRIALS, REPRESENTING
PEOPLE, LOCAL PEOPLE.
THE CIRCUIT WAS RIDDEN IN THE
SPRING AND THE FALL.
OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS BECAUSE OF
THE EXTREME CONDITIONS OF THE
SUMMER AND WINTER.
THEY CAME TO THIS PARTICULAR
COURTHOUSE IN APRIL AND
SEPTEMBER.
JURIES WERE SELECTED BY A A
LOTTERY SYSTEM MANY THERE WERE
TWELVE SELECTED FROM 24 NAMES.
ONLY LANDOWNERS COULD BE GRAND
JURORS, AND JURORS COULD RECEIVE
ANYWHERE FROM 25 CENTS TO 50
CENTS A DAY FOR SERVICE.
PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS AND
PERHAPS THE LAST CASE
MR. LINCOLN TRIED HERE IS
MELISSA GOINGS TRIAL.
MRS. GOINGS.
WAS ACCUSED OF THE MURDER OF HER
HUSBAND, MR. LINCOLN REPRESENTED
HER.
ON THE DAY THAT SHE WAS
ARRAIGNED, THE TRIAL WAS TO BE
HELD LATER THAT AFTERNOON.
MR. LINCOLN SHOWED UP, MELISSA
GOINGS, HIS CLIENT WAS GONE.
PEOPLE WONDERED IF HE HAD TOLD
HER THAT THINGS WEREN'T LOOKING
SO WELL FOR HER, AND THAT HE
ADVISED HER TO LEAVE. HE SAID
"I DIDN'T RUN HER OFF.
SHE JUST ASKED ME WHERE SHE
COULD GET A GOOD DRINK OF WATER.
I SAID THERE WAS DARN GOOD WATER
IN TENNESSEE.
REQUESTING "THAT WAS PROBABLY
THE MOST FAMOUS WOODFORD COUNTY
CASE MR. LINCOLN TRIED.
AFTER THIS WAS NO LONGER THE
COUNTY SEAT, NO LONGER A WORKING
COURTHOUSE, THE VILLAGE OF
METAMORA TOOK THE BUILDING OVER.
IT WAS SORT OF A MINI CIVIC
CENTER.
IT WAS ALSO A PLACE FOR
ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS WERE HELD.
THE STATE TOOK IT OVER AS A
STATE HISTORIC SITE IN 1921
WHICH IT HAS BEEN EVER SINCE.
>>
>> TO REACH THE METAMORA COURTHOUSE, STATE HISTORICAL SITE CALL (309)367-4470.