World's Largest Lincoln Statue - Charleston, Illinois

I remember this tribute to our 16th president when I was a kid. It was an eyesore then and a general pain to the promoters. Seemingly, times haven't changed much. The thing is in it's 3rd location since it's original placement. It has been shot full of holes, had his forefinger blown off (presumably by a shotgun) and generally been the subject of ridicule, defamation and disrespect since it's placement. The story goes that it was carved in one of the northern states, maybe Minnesota, and when it was done they realized it was too big to transport and the shoulders had to be "shaved down" so it could be moved to Illinois. I do not know how true that is, but he does look a little disproportionate.

The current placement is behind the Coles County Speedway at a campground/resort that was completely empty at the time I visited. It has a "garden of chainsaw Lincoln statues" which will be in a slide show below, but this photo gives you an idea of the size and placement of everything. The shelters are approximately 7 feet tall to the bottom of the roof.

The statue itself is over 60 feet tall, but the appearance from the entrance is a little deceptive as you must descend several steps to get to the garden.

Overall, the current placement is far more attractive than any of the previous ones. The grounds are well-kept and everything appears to be in good working order.

The chainsaw sculptures are pretty rough hewn and apparently represent different stages of Lincoln's life. There were several so I've just put them all in a slide show here.