Lincoln in Polo
CITY:
Polo
COUNTY:
Ogle
DEDICATED BY:
Ogle County Historical Society and The Illinois State Historical Society
DEDICATION DATE:
January 1, 1973 at 6:00:00 AM
The marker is located in Polo, on the grounds of the Applington House, which is the Polo Historical Society headquarters. It is one block east of the main highway, US Route 52/IL 26, at 123 North Franklin, which is at the corner of Franklin and Locust.
Abraham Lincoln was a guest in this house, August 15-17, 1856. His host was Zenas Aplington, founder of Polo. On Saturday, August 16, John D. Campbell and James W. Carpenter, who were law partners in Polo, joined Lincoln and Aplington in a drive by carriage to Oregon, Ogle County Seat. There Lincoln and “Long John” Wentworth, six-term Congressman and later Mayor of Chicago, were among the several speakers at a political rally for John C. Fremont, first Republican Presidential candidate.