– Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln Memorial Garden has always been a place where the contributions of many make things possible. Myrtle Walgreen once quoted Abraham Lincoln in describing Harriet Knudson’s contributions: “Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall fi nd the way.” This quote is as applicable to the garden today as it was when boxes of acorns were shipped to Springfi eld years ago.

Lincoln Memorial Garden received a signifi cant donation for the bridge project to honor the memory of another prominent Springfi eld citizen, Molly Becker, who died in 2016. Molly was a longtime volunteer and passionate supporter of Lincoln Memorial Garden. Born in Springfi eld, Molly was an avid volunteer related to many Lincoln-related endeavors, including the Abraham Lincoln Association, restoration of the Old State Capitol as well as Lincoln Memorial Garden. She was a naturalist and enthusiastic birdwatcher. Her son, Bruce, chose to honor her memory by designating a portion of her estate to Lincoln Memorial Garden for the new bridge.

Karen Pletsch, daughter of Walter Hanson, is the fi rst to say it took many people to make this project possible. She credits board president Steve Read for his tireless work. The project was even more meaningful since Steve Read and Walter Hanson were friends, through the long association between Jones-Blythe Construction Company where Steve Read worked for many years and Hanson Engineers.

Steve Read is quick to credit many others who answered the call and donated their technical expertise and services for this project. These included Kent Massie and Neil Brumleve of Massie Massie and Associates, Norm Brown of Brown Engineers and Gary Clack of Hanson Professional Services. John Blythe of Jones-Blythe Construction and Mike O’Shea of O’Shea Builders donated the majority of the construction labor and equipment. Martin Equipment of Illinois and Selvaggio Steel donated other services and materials. Lincoln Memorial Garden volunteers provided many hours of labor to complete the project. Donations were also received from a number of Lincoln Memorial Garden members. The new bridge was fabricated by Anderson Bridges LLC in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and delivered to the garden on May 16.

A formal, public dedication of the new bridge will take place at Lincoln Memorial Garden at 1 p.m. July 18. This is more than dedicating a bridge. It is celebrating future generations having the opportunity to fully explore and enjoy the trails at Lincoln Memorial Garden. Walter Hanson’s autobiography includes a quote by Richard G. Weingardt from the book, Engineering Legends, that seems appropriate for the occasion: “The products of an engineer’s work are uplifting to the human spirit.”

Want to go? Lincoln Memorial Garden 2301 E. Lake Shore Drive, Springfield July 18, 2017, 1 p.m.