This statue was built in 1968 to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. It arrived too late for the celebration and suffered years of neglect (and many bullet holes) until it was purchased and restored by the Lincoln Springs Resort a few miles east of Charleston.
It’s the main feature of Abe’s Garden, sandwiched between a gravel quarry and a racetrack. The owner won’t reveal how tall it is — he doesn’t want anybody to build a taller one — but sources state that Abe is 72 feet high.
The garden has several other statues, all carved in wood by an artist named Bill Monken who has said, “I have tried to create these statues so no one else would have one like them.” He succeeded.
I couldn’t help having some fun with one of them.
We had the garden, and perhaps the whole resort, to ourselves. And as odd as the place was, it somehow still managed to be impressive.
Odd indeed.
Nice listing in that last photo :-)