While driving east on the lovely I-80-94 expressway through the southern suburbs of Chicago, I saw a billboard that said there were Abraham Lincoln artifacts on display for a limited time at the Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis. I’m always interested in looking at historical artifacts, and it was time for my morning Diet Pepsi anyway, so we pulled over.
And then I was reminded that this was Illinois. Everyone of the seven displays of “artifacts” had a little sign saying “All objects are reproductions.” All of them. Not an actual artifact in the place.
Even Lincoln’s gloves, which weren’t Lincoln’s gloves and weren’t stained with Lincoln’s blood and probably weren’t even stained with actual blood … They were just a pair of dirty gloves.
But I got my Diet Pepsi and spent a minute or so watching traffic pass under the building.
