This article is part of a monthly series highlighting successful annual events held by Scouting America councils.
Scouts can learn a lot about President Abraham Lincoln by reading a biography.
But why not walk a mile in his shoes instead? Even better, walk 19.
Each April, Scouts and Scouters do just that. The annual Lincoln Pilgrimage blends history and tradition, challenging participants to hike the route Lincoln once traveled between the Illinois towns of New Salem and Springfield.
Lincoln was studying to become a lawyer, but the books he needed weren’t available in New Salem, where he lived. So he walked 25 miles each week to Springfield to get them — sometimes returning the same day. Lincoln’s trek was considerably more difficult than it is today. While the current hike follows the general route, it doesn’t wind through as many undeveloped prairies and wooded areas without trails and paved pathways.
“Scouts really get a sense of who he was when they come here,” says longtime Scouter and event volunteer Rodger Salzman.
Organized by the Abraham Lincoln Council of Scouting America, the Lincoln Pilgrimage draws previous participants and history buffs, along with Scouts who want to camp and hike. Two campsites are available: one at New Salem State Park in Petersburg, Ill., and the other at Camp Illinek in Chatham, Ill. Scouts have several hiking options if they don’t want to tackle the Lincoln Trail.
This year’s event is particularly special because the Lincoln Trail dates back to 1926. So Scouts and Scouters will celebrate America’s 250th birthday, as well as the 100-year anniversary of the trail.
The Lincoln Trail hike is no small task.
Open to Scouts ages 11 and older, hikers must be on the trail by 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, and each group must have at least two adult leaders. Check-in stations along the way ensure that no Scout gets lost or left behind. Everybody must be off the trail by 4 p.m.
When the hike is over, the weekend fun continues.
Scouts and their families can learn more about Lincoln with visits to several notable locations, including the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
A wreath-laying ceremony is held at Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery, where veterans are recognized and a formal program honors Lincoln’s legacy.
The highlight comes when Scouts carry flags and march from Lincoln’s tomb at the cemetery to the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield. That trip is a little shorter — about a mile and a half.
“We get people who came here for the first time as a young Scout and keep coming back every year,” Salzman says. “I’m a lot like those people. I can’t wait to see our Scouts march through downtown again this year.”
