This wasn't originally in our plans for our trip to Springfield. We met with some friends who were visiting their family outside of town. After lunch, they took us to this site. This is where Lincoln got his start as a junior surveyor. The gentleman who took us was also an expert and a part-time tour guide, so he gave us a brief tour. We were rushed since this was our third day, and we had to drive back home. (It was a long drive.) We spent about 45 minutes at New Salem.

Some of the homes and shops are original. Others were built in the same style as the rest of the town. We saw homes, farms, an ox-drawn mill, and other things. We only made it through about 1/3 of the site before we had to go. So, we only saw some of what we wanted, but we got a very good flavor of life in this town about 160 years ago.

It was a fascinating stop, and we're very happy we did this. The last building we saw was the mill. There is a great picture of the part where the Oxen powered the mill. Our guide was around when they showed the mill working the last time. He said it was so loud, and the pressure exerted by the Oxen was so great you could hear the thumping of their footsteps far away.

We stopped short of seeing one of two houses that were Lincoln's shops. I'm disappointed we didn't see either of them. There was one right across the road from the mill. We didn't realize it until we were leaving, and I took another look at the map.

If you visit Springfield, leave time to visit New Salem.