The Chicago Funeral

Chicago was the last city to hold funeral ceremonies for Lincoln before he reached his final resting place in Springfield. The funeral train stopped at a temporary depot at Park Place, and the casket was placed on the hearse for the grand procession to the Cook County Court House. At the Court House, the casket was opened for public viewing. An estimated 7,000 mourners per hour filed past the casket between 6:00 p.m. on May 1st and 8:00 p.m. on May 2nd. The hearse then carried the casket back to the depot for the final leg of the journey to Springfield. This photograph shows the beginning of the funeral procession moving through the memorial arch that had been constructed at Park Place, with the train visible in the background. The center arch reads, “Rest in Peace Noble Soul, Patriot Heart.”