East-Central Illinois

Unlike the agricultural fields existing in the region today, prairies and deciduous forests once covered much of the east-central part of the state. The area around Lincoln Trail State Park, with its scrubby oak and dense hazel brush, was largely unsettled until the National Road passed through in 1827. This part of the state is home also to large man-made lakes at Clinton and Shelbyville, offering a wide range of recreational opportunities.

Abraham Lincoln's connection with Illinois began in this region in 1830 when he, his father, cousin, and stepbrother built a log cabin in Macon County. It was dismantled in 1876 and moved to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, but Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial commemorates the site. Lincoln Log Cabin in Coles County was the last home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, Abraham's parents.

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