Bench, shade tree, memorial plaque. Glad we stopped just to say we've seen it. Just pulled over on the side of the street and hopped out for a few minutes.

If you are bee-bopping around Bloomington Normal this is worth a quick stop. It's a simple marker for a location where Abe gave a great speech once upon a time.

This memorial is right in the backyard of the Vrooman Mansion (directly adjacent to their carriage house suites) but you wouldnt necessarily realize it's something special unless you were told. Sadly, the oak where both Lincoln and Douglass spoke (different times) is long gone but you can read a bit about it on the plaque that's left.

During the 1800s, several politicians including Lincoln and Douglas debated under the shade of an old oak tree in Bloomington, Illinois. The original tree was replaced in the 1900s, but the site is marked with a plaque. It's also interesting to walk through the surrounding neighborhood, which includes older homes in various stages of restoration, and the Vrooman Mansion, which is now a B&B.