Hey, Feb. 12 was Lincoln's birthday. I suppose some schools had the day off in his honor. (My school has elected to have Presidents' Day since it is always a Monday. There is legislation pending to make Lincoln's birthday observed always on Mondays.)
Lincoln, of course, was not born in Illinois, but lived in New Salem and Springfield before going to Washington D.C. He practiced throughout Illinois. His signature can be found on documents in many county courthouses. Once I played the role of Duff Armstrong, a man Lincoln successfully defended in court at Beardstown, IL.
For a while, New Salem was an every year trip for either my family or my school. And, if you haven't seen the Lincoln sites in Springfield, shame shame shame!