Macon County became Abraham Lincoln's first home in Illinois in 1830 when he and his family arrived from Indiana and camped out the first day of their arrival in what is now known as Decatur's Lincoln Square.

Although the Lincoln's only lived in the Decatur area for one year, the Decatur area continued to play an important part in Lincoln's life in later years.

Lincoln's political career began in Decatur when he gave his first "political stump speech" in Lincoln Square in 1831. He returned many times over the years as a young lawyer to take part in legal cases in Macon County's first courthouse, which is now located in the Prairie Village of the Macon County Historical Museum's Complex.

Decatur and community residents continued to play important roles in Lincoln's political career. In 1860, he was first mentioned for the United States Presidency at the Illinois State Republican Party convention site called the "Wigwam" that was located across the street from Decatur's Central Park.

The Museum's permanent exhibit, "The Lincoln Connection," covers Lincoln's arrival in Illinois and delves into his political and legal careers, the Civil War, and the founding of the Grand Army of the Republic in Decatur in 1866.