“One odd Lincoln monument”
On August 27, 1853, Mr. Lincoln arrived from Springfield and led a ceremony by the railroad tracks to mark the founding of the new town. The successful lawyer paid a farmer to bring a wagonload of watermelons, which were handed out to the celebrants. Lincoln cut into one of the melons and "christened" the railroad trackside with the juice. The spot where this celebration took place is the site of the Lincoln, Illinois passenger railroad depot today, and a watermelon monument stands on the south lawn of the depot.
Meh, I'd recommend skipping this one and hitting up the Railsplitter Covered Wagon. Way bigger and way cooler. This was a pretty lame attraction, in my opinion.
Not the largest roadside attraction, but the history is very interesting. Take some cheesy pictures of yourself eating the giant slice of watermelon, read the history board, and move on.
This was a lot smaller than we thought. Very cool piece of history.
Definitely smaller than I thought. Not a huge deal if you miss it in your travels.
This is not a large attraction but made for a fun photo op. The story behind it is pretty cool. Worth stopping real fast for a quick pic, especially if your near by at the covered wagon (only a few minutes drive away).
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Watermelon Lincoln Monument
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 12:00 am - 11:59 pm
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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