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            Lincoln Library's summer program closes with giggles 
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            [July 20, 2013] 
            
            
            The final event of "Have Book -- Will Travel," 
			Lincoln Public Library's Summer Reading Program, was an exciting 
			scavenger hunt in downtown Lincoln.  | 
		
            |  Thursday morning, nine teams gathered at the library Annex to 
			receive a briefing from Ms. Lou, children's librarian. The official 
			timepiece was the library's grandfather clock. At the last bong of 
			10 a.m., the teams grabbed their clue packets and headed out. 
			There were two tasks: finding downtown Lincoln landmarks and a 
			separate photo task.  The downtown historical district has 33 buildings on the 
			courthouse square that have been designated as having special 
			architectural or historic significance. There are 56 notable or 
			contributing buildings. Besides the main library being an Andrew 
			Carnegie building with Tiffany dome (1902), within just a few blocks 
			are the Lincoln Theater, which opened on Abraham Lincoln's birthday 
			in 1923; the Logan County Courthouse (1905) and its stained-glass 
			dome; just outside Beans & Such, on the Kickapoo Street side of the 
			square, is a historical marker for Samuel C. Parks' law office, 
			where he partnered with Abraham Lincoln; and on McLean Street is the 
			Lincoln post office (1912). Also of note as significant are Lincoln 
			City Hall and Fire Department and the Scully Building, both built 
			during the last decade of the 19th century. Lincoln's City Hall 
			opened to the public on March 2, 1896, and features the oldest 
			working fire department building in the state of Illinois.  
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			 The participants in the scavenger hunt included not only kids but 
			a number of families as well.  Everyone had to be back at the last stroke of 11 a.m. on the 
			grandfather clock. There were plenty of giggles to go around, and not just from the 
			excited kids. The parents were having as much fun as their young 
			readers.  [By CURT FOX / LDN] 
			Learn more about historic downtown Lincoln   |