If you know the enemy and know yourself,
you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

If you know yourself but not the enemy,
for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself,
you will succumb in every battle.

– Sun Tzu

Shattuck and I dropped Lale off for a wedding shower and headed out to do a little recon…

We are in the heart of the Mid-West.  Settled by Germans and Scotch-Irish.  I’ve been searching for an authentic German restaraunt that serves my two favorite things… schnitzle and beer.  I’d heard of just such a place… unfortunately… it was located in the heart of darkness… the town of Lincoln.

Lincoln is a sleepy little town… it made Shattuck fall right to sleep..



This is Anywhere, USA located along Route 66… with a vibrant town square.  The people look normal… but don’t forget we are deep behind enemy lines.



Shattuck enjoyed a little schnitzle and water…




Shattuck and I stopped at a replica of the old circuit courthouse.  This would have been where Lincoln tried cases and gave speeches for his eventual run for political office.



This is only a replica of the original courthouse.  The original was purchased by Henry Ford and moved to Dearborn, MI to Ford’s Greenfield Village.  Henry Ford collected homes and buildings from across the country that he felt were historically significant and moved them to Greenfield Village.  He purchased the Logan County Courthouse for $8,000.

http://www.thehenryford.org/village/historicdistricts.aspx





For whatever reason… anywhere in this area where Lincoln actually walked is sacred grown.  Even a refabricated building where he attended court twice a year…



Lincoln was a lawyer who traveled around on a Circuit.  When court was in session here in the town of Postville (now Lincoln) in Logan County, IL; he would be there to represent his clients.  All legal business was done on an semi-annual basis.  The Circuit Court was held in the building that stood here.

Amazing… no formal education… no legal education….  Lincoln just decided to be a Lawyer… clerked for a while… and went to work.  Then became President of the United State.  At least one good thing came out of his Presidency… Thanksgiving Holiday.



Shattuck decided to sit where the opposing Lawyers would have sat during a trial upstairs in the old courthouse.









There were some Newspaper clippings from the Illinois Gazette from 1848… interesting reading.  Maybe these Mid-Westerners have some wisdom to share.




Shattuck and I learned a lot on our travel to Lincoln.  On our way home, we drove through miles and miles of corn fields.  We were in the heart of our Nation’s bread basket.

It occured to me that in my life time, we have exponentially increased the farmer’s level of productivity through technological and agro genetic advancements.  Then I was reminded of what the tour guide in the Logan County Courthouse said about the population during Lincoln’s time.  The entire County was only 2,500 people and now the town of Lincoln is 15,300.  The level of productivity in the way of farming has allowed our Nation and the World grow to a massive population.

Question:  What would happen if for one Year our abilities to grow food were cut by 1/4th?  Maybe at this moment prices would be effected but there would be plenty of reserves.  What would happen if the modern day equivalent of the potatoe famine were to take place?

Gold will definitely be the next bubble.  Will food someday be one as well?  These are the questions Shattuck asked on the drive home.

SHOW ME THE WAY BACK TO DIXIE!