Illinois
Young Abraham Lincoln's tiny Illinois town is due for a makeover
PETERSBURG, Ill. (AP) — Before his famous debates, before the Civil War rent the nation, before he helped end slavery and before his tragic assassination, Abraham Lincoln had New Salem.
The tiny central Illinois village, where Lincoln accidentally spent half-a-dozen years in the 1830s, perhaps did as much to prepare him to be the Union-saving 16th president as any other aspect of his humble yet remarkable life.
Volunteers in period clothing provide historical demonstrations for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year at the site, now part of a state park over 200 miles (330 kilometers) southwest of Chicago. But long-neglected maintenance has taken a toll on the setting, which was re-created by a federal public works program in the 1930s during the Great Depression.
It took a dedicated volunteer and state lawmakers’ advocacy this spring to secure state money to begin rehabbing the site. Work has not yet been scheduled.
What is New Salem’s connection to Lincoln?
Lincoln, a clean-shaven 22-year-old with the barest of formal schooling, had set out in 1831 to haul freight down the Mississippi River to New Orleans when he snagged his flatboat on the Sangamon River dam at New Salem.
“That was destiny,” said Guy Fraker, a Bloomington, Illinois, lawyer and Lincoln biographer, “because if he hadn’t, I really firmly believe we’d be two countries.”
Lincoln freed the boat and continued to New Orleans, but returned to take up residence in the village just northwest of the capitol, Springfield.
In New Salem, Lincoln encountered the religious and the atheist, the learned and the illiterate. It’s where he ran a store into bankruptcy, went off to war, served as postmaster, was offered a job as surveyor and thus taught himself geometry and by association, logic, began practicing law and lost his first political race but came back to win.
“This is where he got all of the education necessary to run for office, so this is probably the most important historic site in the state of Illinois, and certainly one of the most important historic sites in the country,” state Sen. Steve McClure said.
What’s next for New Salem?
But some spots are off-limits. The drive shaft of the rebuilt gristmill fell out of the structure’s floor following a 2016 flood. It’s hard to get to it anyway because a pedestrian walkway over Illinois Route 97 is closed. A hole in the roof of the carding mill, used to straighten wool for spinning, grew this winter to the size of a refrigerator and half of the roof on the replicated Trent brothers’ barn has collapsed.
Gina Gillmore-Wolter, president of the New Salem Lincoln League, roused McClure and another central Illinois Republican, state Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, to introduce legislation to appropriate money for rehabilitation and create a commission to oversee New Salem conservation.
McClure has put the brakes on the legislation because 10 days after Gillmore-Wolter and the lawmakers led a media tour of the village, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which oversees state historic sites, promised $8 million for repairs. It should be enough to stabilize structures and make some headway, but McClure said no one has inventoried problems or priced out remedies.
Natural Resources officials did not respond to emailed questions.
Why were improvements delayed?
New Salem withered shortly after Lincoln’s 1837 departure as residents picked up and moved when many transplanted their structures in the new county seat of Petersburg. Ironically, one of the best-preserved buildings is New Salem’s lone original: the Onstott Cooper Shop. Henry Onstott lent the auger Lincoln used to drain his swamped flatboat and ease it over the dam. The barrel-maker moved his shop to Petersburg in 1840, though it has since returned to its original spot.
By 1906, New Salem was a cow pasture with impressions marking erstwhile foundations. Media mogul and presidential hopeful William Randolph Hearst visited, then bought the property and donated it to the New Salem Chautauqua, an educational group.
It became a state park in 1918 and private donations paid for some reconstructed cabins, with many more added during the 1930s by the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps.
Budget shortfalls have hampered maintenance. Financial troubles closed all state parks for five months in the late 2000s. Advocates believe New Salem hasn’t seen major improvements since the 1970s.
“This is Lincoln’s alma mater,” Gillmore-Wolter said. “This should be a priority.”
Illinois will get $1.1 million of a $45 million, 45-state settlement with money transfer app Cash App’s parent company, which was accused of misleading customers about the app’s security.
Block Inc. will face $55 million in civil penalties and also have to pay customers nationwide somewhere from $75 million to $120 million as part of the settlement, which includes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In a statement, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the settlement holds the company accountable and requires it to “change its harmful practices.”
“Block told Cash App users their money was safe and falsely implied that the app worked like a bank, with the same protections,” Raoul said. “Block was aware that fraud on its platform was rising sharply and failed to warn users, strengthen protections or provide real help to users when things went wrong.”
A company spokesperson confirmed the settlement and said the company has made “significant investments in consumer protection, customer service, and compliance.”
“We share the commitment of the attorneys general to addressing industry challenges and continue to invest in operations and technology to promote a safe and healthy financial ecosystem,” the spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Sun-Times Wednesday night.
The lawsuit accused the company of not preventing fraud, and even of having systems that made it easier to commit that fraud. Minimal identity verification allowed someone to create fake or multiple accounts, and the company had no phone support line. Instead, customers who had been defrauded often were provided by those fraudsters with fake online customer support phone numbers, the suit alleged.
As part of the agreement, the company must offer at least 13.5 hours of human-staffed phone lines per day as part of 24-hour support, as well as reimburse customers for fraudulent transactions, stop marketing the app as safe and educate users about the dangers of fraud.
SERENA, Ill. – An 8-year-old girl has died after she was struck by lightning while outside in the backyard of her home in LaSalle County over the Fourth of July weekend.
Girl killed by lightning strike
What we know:
The LaSalle County Coroner’s office said it was called to emergency department at OSF St. Elizabeth Hospital in Ottawa on the evening of July 3 after the child was brought in following the lightning strike.
A forensic autopsy was conducted on Sunday. Preliminary findings determined the girl died from injuries caused by the lightning strike.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet released the child’s identity.
The incident remains under investigation by the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office and the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.
The Source: The information in this report came from the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – We’re learning more about the victims in Friday’s tragedy on Geneva Lake.
Three kids, ages 10, seven, and six, were killed after they were trapped in the sinking boat during the severe storms.
Officials won’t comment on their identities, but FOX6 learned at least two of them were students at the Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200) in Wheaton, Illinois.
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The district released a statement, saying:
“On behalf of Community Unit School District 200, our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the children who died in a tragic boating incident in Lake Geneva on July 3. We ask that you join us in supporting these families during this difficult time, and keep them in your thoughts as we all cope with this incredible loss.”
Lake Geneva Police Chief statement
What we know:
The City of Lake Geneva Police Department is opening up on the incident and the property destruction caused by the storms.
The police chief says, in part:
“In moments of tragedy, we often see the very best in people, and that has certainly been true here. While there is still healing ahead, I hope everyone knows how grateful we are for the outpouring of support shown over these past several days. It has been humbling to witness and a reminder that no one faces hardship alone when a community stands together.”
–Chief Ed Gritzner, City of Lake Geneva Police Department
The backstory:
Walworth County experienced what law enforcement described as a “sudden and severe” storm on July 3. The National Weather Service said it created a downburst with peak winds estimated at 90–100 mph.
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The storm downed hundreds of trees and power lines, damaged several buildings and created hazardous boating conditions on Geneva Lake. One boat with 10 people on board overturned and ultimately sank.
Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, while three of the kids were missing when emergency responders got there. Those three children were found and later died despite life-saving attempts.
Emergency response on Geneva Lake after storms lead to calls for water rescue on July 3, 2026.
Who was on the boat?
The latest:
The three children who died have been identified as a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.
The boat operator was a 47-year-old man. The other passengers were a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy.
The group included residents of Fontana, as well as residents of Batavia and Wheaton, Illinois. All four kids were wearing properly fitted life jackets, according to law enforcement.
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What happened on Geneva Lake?
Dig deeper:
Law enforcement said the boat operator had “extensive boating experience” and was unable to find safe harbor when the storm hit. At least two large waves broke over the bow, causing it to take on water. Another wave hit the side of the boat, causing it to roll, capsize and sink.
The sunken vessel was found in 32 feet of water, and three children were found inside the boat. Divers were able to get them out and bring them to the surface, and they were pronounced dead despite life-saving attempts. Investigators determined they had no external injuries and drowned.
What’s next:
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency are still conducting a joint investigation into the accident. Eleven other agencies assisted with the immediate needs.
The Source: Information in this post comes from the City of Lake Geneva Police Department and Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200), along with prior
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